And I agree with him

Some version of a real life, widespread virtual reality world has been an aspiration of sci-fi enthusiasts for decades, and as technology has improved in recent years, that dream has become closer than ever before. Meta (formerly Facebook) and Mark Zuckerberg's Metaverse project have been the closest mainstream attempt we've seen, but if that's the best we have, it'll be a while until we see a VR world akin to something out of Ready Player One. The internet has taken the opportunity to roast pretty much everything the Metaverse has shown because, well, it looks ridiculous. Take their most recent announcement about adding legs, for example, which apparently don't even work how they said they do.

One of gaming's most influential voices, head of Xbox Phil Spencer, recently shared his opinion during WSJ Live, as reported by Tom Warren of The Verge. When asked about his thoughts on the Metaverse as we know it right now, Spencer said that "today it's a poorly built video game. Building a metaverse that's like a living room is not how I want to spend my time." He did add, however, that the c?oncept is still in its infancy and that it will "evolve."

//twitter.com/tomwarren/?status/1585333956194729986

An evolution is inevitable considering how unpopular the Metaverse has been with both users and actual Meta employees who are paid to use it. The reality is that it looks terrible, and so far, pretty much all we've seen it used for is companies trying to either shill whatever they're selling or make their employees work virtually. Workers are already fed up as it is -- no one wants to make their job even harder by wearing a hot, uncomfortable headset to be in a crappy-looking digital office. The whole idea isn't even novel in the first place. Platforms like VRChat ?have been around for years, and players actually have fun in that game?, so we at least know it's possible.

In my opinion, a few things will have to happen before any form of metaverse will really take off: the hardware will need to be compressed down into light, easy-to-wear glasses, the look and infrastructure of the metaverse itself will have to improve tenf??old, and those dev??eloping it need to focus more on making it feel good rather than how much more money they can squeeze out of consumers. I'm completely with Phil Spencer on this -- if they want to make something that lasts, Meta needs to get some people who actually know how to make great games on the team, because at the end of the day, all a metaverse really is is a glorified MMO.

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"There's no entertainment there"

Earlier this year, heralding the uncertain times of 2022, the Square Enix CEO gave us a cryptic message on the company's potential involvement in the Metaverse, and NFTs. For those of you who aren't interested in Square Enix's possible future with the concept, the Final Fantasy XIV Metaverse likely isn't going to be a thing if producer Naoki "Yoshi P"? Yoshida has anything to say about it.

Speaking to t??he wee?kly news magazine Shukan Bunshun [via Siliconera], Yoshi P very plainly explained how he stood on the matter, and why there likely isn't going to be any attempt at a Final Fantasy XIV Metaverse:

“�In the Metaverse I’m thinking of, people will be able to use an avatar in virtual reality, and take a stroll in Shinjuku or do shopping, just like in real life. Though it might be fun, there’s no entertainment there. ‘What’s so interesting about the systems of our real world?�is how I feel.�/p>

He further clarified that he'd potentially work on a VR project, but not something specifically Metaverse related. Hey, someone has to do it (someone has to work on traditional games, that is)!

Yoshi P's sentiment is shared by many, and it's refreshing to actually hear it out loud from a major designer. While the buzzword "Metaverse" belies some neat community-based concepts tha??t have existed for decades before the corporate-speak monetization term came into fruition, we're continuously moving toward an industry that attempts to c?apitalize on "service" rather than a core focus on gameplay for games. Some projects benefit from it for a time, then fizzle. Even fewer actually sustain themselves. It remains to be seen if Square Enix can actually make any of these pipedreams happen, but given their track record, they should probably stick to doing what they do best: making complete games.

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Exciting news for fans of logos

A few months ago, Activision revealed the next steps for one of its biggest franchises at a briefing for Call of Duty: Warzone. In addition to announcing that Infinity Ward will be taking the lead for the next CoD and Warzone games, they also let us know that the newest mainline title in the series will be a sequel to 2019's Modern Warfare. We haven't heard many other details about what the project will look like since the briefing, but today on Twitter, the official Call of Duty account did give us a little sneak preview of the game's branding, as small of a detail as tha??t may be. Tha??t's right �it's a logo reveal, something that game developers do now, apparently.

It's a sleek, simple logo that's very in line with the whole vibe the franchise is going for these days, so I'm not mad about it. If their goal was to build hype, it's working, because the post is not only doing numbers, but fans are excitedly speculating about whether this means the official title will be Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 or Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II. My money's on the latter.

//twitter.com/CallofDuty/status/15197245?21133121536

The new Modern Warfare title is also bringing along some changes to Warzone, as we learned from that same briefing. Activision said they're building an "all-new playspace and a n??ew sandbox mode," another detail I'm dying for more info on because it's so vague.

As pointed out by our very own Eric Van Allen, Activision had expressed their interest in the metaverse in the past, so there's a chance they could be using the new game to move in that direction. I'm not sure I have any idea what a Call of Duty metaverse would even look like (or that I'd even really want to know), but I don't really see how it?????????????????????????? would be all that different from an MMO. Oh well, it's their series, they can do what they want, I?? guess.

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The beloved toy brand is joining the metaverse race

For d?ecades, LEGO has been synonymous with the idea of safe, wholesome fun for kids, including everything from toys to movies to video games to a theme park. The brand has become a favorite of both kids and parents alike, so it's no surprise that Epic chose it to be the face of their metaverse for kids. That's right, we're marketing th??e metaverse straight to children now by way of a LEGO x Epic Games partnership.

A press release from Epic Games says that "[t]he family-friendly digital experience will give kids a?ccess to tools that will empower them to become confident creators and deliver amaz??ing play opportunities in a safe and positive space."

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="1920"] _{[Image Source: Screen Rant]}[/caption]As dystopian as it sounds to be marketing the metaverse to children, it's important to remember that it already exists by way of Roblox.

Roblox is not only the biggest game for kids right now, but it's the biggest game in the world, and second place isn't even close. Not only is the game so incredibly popular, but it also basically is its own universe �it has its own economy, its own video games that are built within it, and its own virtual places that players inhabit. It's the wild west out there, and ever?ything that all of the metaverse evangelizers have been pushing over the last year in terms of it being a fully-realized online world. It's just a little messed up that kids are the ones trying it out first.

Given the Roblox situation, the LEGO/Epic partnership makes perfect sense. Roblox may be huge, but it's also unregulated, something that I'm sure parents of kids who are playing online are not happy about. Aside from the obvious safety concerns of not knowing who their children might be talking to, there's also the fact that Roblox has been accused of predatory behavior by way of microtransactions in a kids' game. I think that the LEGO brand deal is a dir??ect answer to these conce?rns, because they are really emphasizing making a safe place for children online, which is a much-needed change at this point.

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I knew Roblox was big, but I didn't know it was that big

I spend pretty much all of my time immersed in the world of video games �playing them, reading about them, watching video essays about them... you get the idea. The thing is though, I'm an adult, so I hardly ever hear so much as a whisper about Roblox, and when I do, I brush it off because it's obviously not for me. But then I talk to someone under the age of ten and I'm reminded of the absolute juggernaut that is Roblox.

I don't think a lot of us older people understand how ubiquitous this game has become, because it can honestly be difficult to wrap your head around even if you dig in and do research. To help us out-of-touch adults understand better, Roblox released its 2021 financi?al report, and last year they had around 45.5 million daily users who spent a total of 41.4 billion hours in-game �a 40% and 35% year-over-year increase, respectively.

Now, most companies report their numbers by month or by year: Minecraft reports 140 million monthly users, and League of Legends reported 180 million monthly users in October of 2021, setting a new record for them. As reported by PC Gamer, after about a third of an uptick in Roblox users in January of 2022 (compared to January 2021), its daily player count is up again to a staggering 54.7 million daily players, which is more than the populations of Spain, Australia, Columbia,?? and Canada.

For more perspective with some of the most popular games in our sphere, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive has an all-time record of just over a million concurrent players, and Fortnite hits a peak of around 10-15 million concurrent players during their big live events. Even so, Roblox is a beast in comparison.

[caption id="attachment_308951" align="alignnone" width="1200"] _{[Image Source: Twitter user @Bloxy_News]}[/caption]T??his game is so big, there are whole studios that just create games to be played within it.

Forget about Facebook's Meta �a metaverse already exists within Roblox. Their revenue is ?over $1.9 billion, and two-thirds of kids ages 9-12 are playing it. They're not going anywhere soon, so it's about time the rest of?? the industry sat up and paid attention.

If you're also interested in getting a deep dive into Roblox's full 2021 financial results, I recommend checking out PC Gamer's breakdown.

_{[Featured Image Source: WIRED]}

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A 'Nintendo approach' is a consideration

As companies delve further and further into the buzzwords that are the metaverse and NFTs, some corporations are coming out better than others. Several are attempting to scavenge a fortune, others are running what some may call pyramid scheme "play-to-earn" orgs, and others ran home with their tails between their legs after trying, but failing, to launch NFTs. Nintendo, like?? several other big respectable compa??nies, seems like it's going to let the dust settle. A Nintendo metaverse? Maybe. But likely not anytime soon.

Speaking to investors in a recent Q&A summary, Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa answered an inquiry about "initiati?ves related to th?e metaverse and NFTs." Giving a very diplomatic answer, Furukawa notes:

"The metaverse has captured the attention of many companies around the world, and it has great potential. When the concept of the metaverse is introduced in the media, games like Animal Crossing?: New Horizons are sometimes brought up as examples. In that sense, the metaverse is of interest to us."

He stops short of confirming anything, though. Furukawa explains that "there is no easy way to define" the kind of experiences the metaverse can provide (no kidding!), and reiterates that at the end of t??he day, Nintendo is here to provide entertainment. He does leave the door open though, stating:

"We might consider something if we can find a way to convey a 'Nintendo approach' to the metaverse that many people can readily understand, but we do not think that is the situation at the pre??sent time"

While there's a gold rush going on right now, the long-term reputation of a company, especially one that's been in the game as long as Nintendo, really matters. Some executives are looking to cash out on NFTs and possibly run, but many developers on the ground floor have visibly opposed ??N?FT and metaverse initiatives. By waiting for everyone to play out, they could capitalize on some form of the metaverse (whatever that word means in six months to a year from now) in a way safer, more?? market-researched/PR-friendly way.

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Both a new game and Warzone experience will be designed together

Today, Activision Blizzard unveiled some changes coming for Call of Duty: Vanguard and Warzone. Alongside that, the publisher also confirms some details about what's in store for the next year of CoD.

In today's Warzone briefing, Activision confirms that Infinity Ward is taking the lead on both the new Call of Duty and the next Warzone experience. The two will be designed in tandem, with a new engine, from the ground up. And this year's Call of Duty will be a sequel to Modern Warfare 2019.

The return to the Modern Warfare series will also bring a new shift in the Warzone battle royale space. Activision says it is building an "all-new playspace," and also a new sandbox mode.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQ1CwPhE8KQ&t=1s

Yes, that sounds vaguely metaverse-y. In the wake of Microsoft's announced acquisition of Activision Blizzard, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella highlighted the metaverse. A press release at the time said the acquisition will accelerate growth in Microsoft's gaming business and "provide building blocks" for the metaverse. Whether it goes for that, more potential for user-created content, or just a new play mode for the Warzone experience, we'll just have to wait and see.

Amid the acquisition news, Activision Blizzard has remained under scrutiny due to reports of a toxic internal culture. Microsoft president Brad Smith told CNBC in a recent interview that the company would commit to putting "the right people in ??the right position" at Activision B?lizzard.

Call of Duty: Vanguard and Warzone are trucking along for now. I'm curious to see when thi?s franchise ever moves away from the annual launch schedule. With concepts for a new "sandbox" and "playspace" floating around?, it seems inevitable. But we'll see more of what Infinity Ward and Activision has in store as the year progresses.

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Seeing red while in the black

It's a big week of news for publisher Bandai Namco. The studio behind gaming franchises such as Tekken, Dragon Ball Z, and the incoming Elden Ring released its latest financial results, ?as we?ll as detailing some of its company plans for the coming year and beyond.

2021 was a stellar year for Bandai Namco. The studio saw a 15% year-on-year increase in revenue, translating to some ¥628.3 billion (or $5.4 billion USD). In addition, the company's operating income saw a huge yearly increase of over 26% �hitting ¥92.1 billion (or $799 million). This success has be?en driven by sustained sales of numerous releases across PC, console, and mobile platforms with the majority of t?he cash coming from sales in Bandai Namco's home territory of Japan.

Away from the reality of cold, hard numbers, the publisher has also announced that it is investing $96 million into the creation of a Bandai Namco "metaverse." The concept, which is fast becoming one of the global tech industry's most irksome buzzword, will see the company create socially driven spaces for its range of IPs and franchises. So we're not talking Elden Ring-meets-Tekken-meets-Pac-Man... Not necessarily that kind of metaverse, more an amalgamation of individual fan communities under one banner �reportedly known as the "All ??Bandai Namco" program.

"Through the IP Metaverse, we will establish communities among Bandai Namco and fans, as well as among fans themselves." explains Bandai Namco. "Through these communities and content, we will build deep, broad, multifaceted connections that continue for long periods of time, and we will focus ??on the quality of those connections. In this way, we will work to maximize IP value over the medium to long term."

VGC, however, noted what is perhaps the biggest news out of Bandai Namco this week. And it does not concern billions of dollars, operating income increase, or even launching globally spanning metaverses of fans. Bandai Namco's biggest news this week is the revelation that it is changing the color scheme of its recently revealed new logo from magenta ?to red �a color that the company considers "enthusiastic, fun, active, and bold."

Like magenta.

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Disappointed, but not surprised

Last of Us actor Troy Baker has been known to ruffle som?e feathers on Twitter in the past few years, and?? he's just stoked the flames again by pushing NFTs to his followers.

He shared this morning that he would be partnering with Voiceverse NFT, which claims to have NFTs built by AI that? "[provide] you ownership to a unique voice in the Metaverse" that you can use in Discord, Zoom Calls, YouTube, TikTok, or anything else that would require a voice.

//twitter.com/TroyBakerVA/status/1481869?3506??21437955

In partnering with voice actors, which includes Charlet Chung of Overwatch fame and Andy Milonakis of the Andy Milonakis Show, the idea is that the NFTs give you access to virtual voice actors to create podcasts, read scripts, or really do anything else that a voic?e actor might do. Much like normal NFTs, you can immediately see why this would be a problem for smaller creators. Replacing real voice acting jobs with AI-generated voices would mean no work for any smaller actors who are trying to get a start. Not to mention all the usual NFT problems like the havoc they wreak on the environment.

Needless to say, Baker's tweet was not well received, and has caused a flurry?? of angered respo??nses and his name to trend on Twitter.

His phrasing of "you can hate, or y?ou can create" is particularly under fire, because it's already bad enough for artists that he's promoting NFTs in the first place, but ??he then went out of his way to antagonize them. This is not a hate for the sake of hating situation, but rather people expressing their real concerns about something harmful that Baker is supporting.

//twitter.com/YongYea/status/1482065738336665602

The NFT conversation has been rampant in the gaming community over the past few weeks, with companies like EA and Sega expressing their support as well. The team behind STALKER 2 tried to include NFTs in their u??pcoming release, only to cancel the plans le?ss than an hour later after fan backlash. It seems like we won't be escaping the controversy surrounding NFTs for a good while, no matter what form they come in.

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Finally, a monument to my Gamerscore

Microsoft has been celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Xbox this year. And as part of the festivities, today the company launche??d a virtual Xbox museum, featuring both its own history and yours.

The Xbox museum page lets you take a walk down m??emory lane in a? multiverse-style virtual landscape. Other avatars roam around the exhibits, and you can step up to them to get a closer look. See Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson help announce the original Xbox, or visit the exhibit about the infamous Red Ring of Death.

You can take a walk around Xbox history, seeing the sights and sounds of Microsoft's console history. Or, you can also step down your own, seeing which games you played the most, which consoles you've owned, and your Gamerscore. I've been saying for ages?, my Gamerscore belongs in a museum.

You can find it all at museum.xbox.com here, which you can either tour arou?nd or sign-in to get all the extras li??ke your own play history.

Other Xbox 20th celebration events have included a special edition controller, a special Xbox Stereo Headset, and the reveal of a documentary on the console's legacy. A bunch of classic Microsoft art and throwbacks went into the Master Chief Collection too. Oh, and Halo Infinite multiplayer shadow-dropped. That's a pretty good anniversary gift, I'd say.

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Support will still keep rolling out for its existing games

Epic Games has acquired Harmonix, the studio behind popular rhythm games like Fuser and Rock Band.

First reported by GamesBeat, the news was confirmed on the Epic Games blog. The long-time music and rhythm? game studio will go under the Epic banner, though that doesn't mean the end of its current?? ongoing services.

In a blog on the Harmonix site, the studio confirms it will continue rolling out DLC for Rock Band. Seasons for Rivals will also keep going live, as will Fuser events.

Importantly for?? some players, Harmonix games will remain available on Steam. And servers for supported older games aren't changing, either. So the question is, what will Epic and Harmonix create with this new partnership?

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ego_IsxQw1I

According to Harmonix, the developer will work with Epic to "create musical journeys and gameplay" for Epic's battle royale metaverse Fortnite.

"Harmonix has always aspired to create the world’s most beloved interactive music experiences, and by joining Epic?? we will be able to do this at scale," said Harmonix co-founder and chairman Alex Rigopulos on the Epic blog. "Together we will push the creative boundaries of what’s possible and invent new ways for our players to make, perform and share mu??sic."

Considering how popular Fortnite concerts and in-game events have already been, it seems like a surprisingly natura??l fit for the two companies. More in-game musical events, possibly with the? rhythm game expertise of Harmonix fueling them, could result in some pretty cool experiences.

There is one sour note for those hoping to pick the sticks or strings back up: the Harmonix blog confirms that no, there's nothing in their current plans for making more Rock Band instruments.

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The GOAT arrives in Fortnite

NBA superstar LeBron James isn't making just one video game debut this month. Ahead of the release of Space Jam: A New Legacy, LeBron James is getting a few skins in a different kind of metaverse: Fortnite.

It was announced today that James will appear in Fortnite on July 14 at 5 p.m. PT as part of the game's Icon series. He'll arrive with two separate outfits: either the LeBron James outfit with his "The Silencer" celebration, the "King's Back Bling" and a few other items, or the Tu?ne Squad outfit, which also includes a "Taco Tuesday" Variant.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLGef6akVlA

Fortnite previously teamed up with the NBA to bring outfits for all 30 NBA teams to the game, as well as some customization options. And other celebrities have featured in Fortnite as part of the Icon Series as well, ranging from musician Travis Scott to several prominent Fortnite streamers.

LeBron appeared in another game earlier this month as well, as a playable character in the movie tie-in beat 'em up game Space Jam: A New Legacy �The Game. James can fight alongside the cartoon characters Bug?s and Lola Bunny to beat up?? members of the Goon Squad.

Seeing a big-name, NBA superstar dropping into the storm of Fortnite is definitely going to be a little strange at first, though at this point there are so many crossovers in the battle royale that pretty much anything is game. This is a video game where Kratos can do TikTok dances and Rick from Rick and Morty can have a firefight with Street Fighter's Ryu and Daryl from The Walking Dead. So why not add LeBron James to the mix?

The LeBron James outfits hit the Fortnite Item Shop on July 14, available eit?her as separate outfit options or as one ?"King James Bundle."

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