Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, will give content creators the opportunity to sell virtual items in Horizon Worlds, its main platform in the metaverse, the company said Monday.

“For example, someone could make and sell sticky accessories for a fashion world or offer paid access to a new part of a world,” the Californian tech group said in a press release.

The metaverse, billed as the future of the internet by Meta and other companies, consists of a series of parallel “universes” that can be accessed primarily through virtual and augmented reality platforms.

This already exists, albeit more basic, in the form of video games like Minecraft, Fortnite, and Roblox, as well as social platforms like Horizon Worlds and VRChat, where people come together not just to play games, but to interact and participate in events.

Meta, whose income depends entirely on large-scale targeted advertising, has decided to make a bigger contribution to the rise of the metaverse, and is taking its place in the upcoming battle for public attention.

To this end, the social media giant is looking to attract content creators who can in turn attract more users.

In October, it set up a $10 million fund for creators in Horizon, where more than 10,000 different “worlds” already exist, according to the company.

“While we’re launching this today as a test with a handful of creators to get feedback, these kinds of tools are steps toward our long-term vision for the metaverse, where creators can make a living and people can buy digital goods, services, and more. and experiences”, said Meta.

The company also plans to test bonuses for creators who achieve certain goals, such as “building worlds that attract the most dwell time.”

These bonuses will be “not subject to fees and will be paid to creators in full,” Meta said, unlike earnings from virtual items, which are subject to commission.

Horizon Worlds has more than 300,000 users in the United States and Canada, according to an article by the specialized site The Verge, published in February.

Categorized in:

Technology