The makers of Fortnite, Epic Games, have announced a collaboration with Lego to build a children’s metaverse. According to their statement, the firm’s mission is to define the “future of the metaverse” and “make it safe and fun for children while also providing an immersive digital environment for children to play in,” according to their statement.
At this time, Epic Games and Lego haven’t revealed many specifics about their exact intentions, but they have stated three principles to assure the safety of the digital place they’re constructing. The safety and well-being of children, as well as their privacy, will be top priorities. In addition, the firms will aim to provide tools to both children and adults that will allow them to take control of their digital experiences.
In a news statement, Epic CEO and founder Tim Sweeney stated, “The Lego Group has captured children and adults’ imaginations through creative play for over a century, and we are pleased to cooperate to build a fun, engaging, and family-friendly area in the metaverse.”
“Kids enjoy playing in digital and physical worlds and move seamlessly between the two. We believe there is huge potential for them to develop life-long skills such as creativity, collaboration and communication through digital experiences. But we have a responsibility to make them safe, inspiring and beneficial for all,” Niels B Christiansen, the CEO of Lego, noted.
The metaverse, according to Sweeney, is an “online playground” where users can play games (such as Fortnite) and watch Netflix movies together. According to Epic, they are working on a “family-friendly” digital experience that would “empower youngsters to become confident creators” without risking their well-being, safety, or privacy.
Furthermore, neither the corporations nor the public has been given any information about how this new virtual environment would appear or when it will be introduced.
