Horizon Worlds: A Disappointing Experience
A YouTuber recently explored Meta’s Horizon Worlds and discovered that the virtual world was largely empty and filled with children, despite Meta’s official policy. Here are the key points:
- Meta’s Horizon Worlds, the company’s metaverse game, had a lackluster player count of only 903 in the top 20 most popular spaces, despite claims of 200,000 monthly players.
- The game’s content and social experience were not age-appropriate, with default avatars not resembling teens and adult-oriented spaces containing unsuitable content.
- Even after allowing teenagers (13-17) into the virtual world, underage users were still prevalent, raising concerns about safety.
- Meta responded to criticism by implementing safety features and parental supervision tools, but their effectiveness is questionable.
- The popularity of the metaverse concept has significantly declined, prompting Meta to shift its focus to AI.
Meta’s Horizon Worlds in Decline
Meta’s rebranding and launch of Horizon Worlds failed to garner substantial interest and led to significant losses:
- Meta’s VR division, including Horizon Worlds, lost $13.7 billion in 2022.
- The lack of marketing focus on Horizon Worlds during the announcement of the Quest 3 VR headset suggests a diminishing priority.
- With dwindling interest and financial losses, the future of Horizon Worlds appears uncertain.
Overall, Horizon Worlds has been a letdown for both players and Meta. The virtual world’s emptiness, inappropriate content, and safety concerns have overshadowed its potential. As interest in the metaverse wanes, Meta’s pivot to AI may be a more promising path forward.
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