Metaverse: Epic Games partners with Sony and LEGO

We are undoubtedly entering the era of the metaverse and Epic Games does not intend to leave the field open to Facebook. As proof, Sony and LEGO have just injected 2 billion dollars into the American studio at the dawn of the LEGO x Epic metaverse.

Competition in the metaverse

In recent months, the word metaverse has been in the news a lot, especially since Facebook's group name was changed to Meta. But is Mark Zuckerberg best placed to claim to be the future king of the metaverse?

In my opinion, Epic Games seems to be better placed to take an interest in the metaverse market. On the technical side, we're talking about the studio behind the Unreal Engine. So, in terms of virtual spaces, I think that experience plays for them.

Furthermore, Epic Games has proven with Fortnite their ability to create a social gathering point. The studio has also proven itself inevents, as evidenced by Travis Scott's impressive virtual concert.

2 billion investment for Epic Games' metaverse

After selling 40% to Chinese internet giant Tencent, Epic Games founder Tim Sweeney is once again shedding shares in his company.

This time it is to the benefit of KIRKBI (the investment company of the founder of LEGO) and the Sony Group Corporation, which are investing up to 1 billion dollars each. This is not the first time for Sony. A year ago, the Japanese group had already injected 200 million dollars into the studio.

However, Tim Sweeney will retain control of his company, which is now valued at over $31 billion.

Why invest in the metaverse for Sony and LEGO?

It's no surprise that Sony is interested in Epic Games' metaverse. It is one of the leaders in the video game market and is about to launch its new virtual reality headset: the PlayStation VR 2.

However, as far as the LEGO holding company is concerned, its intentions leave more to the imagination. There are of course a multitude of LEGO video games through franchises such as Star Wars, Marvel, DC and many others. However, I think their motivation for entering the metaverse is quite different. With the success of games like Minecraft or Roblox, I think LEGO has decided not to miss the train of this promising new technology.

The directors of the Finnish company have stated their desire to create an immersive, creative and engaging virtual space. It will be safe and accessible to all ages, which means it will be aimed at the youngest. This is not surprising, as children have always been LEGO's main target.

To prove their good faith, the two groups have established 3 ethical principles to be respected within the Epic Games metaverse:

• Protecting children's right to play in safety and well-being;
• Protecting children's privacy;
• Provide children and adults with tools to control their digital experience.

We'll have the opportunity to talk about it again in the coming months when we discover the first experiences related to the Epic Games metaverse. For more content on the metaverse, I'll redirect you to the news, where the subject is becoming more and more frequent.