Lego wants to help build a metaverse that is safe for children. Image: Lego
Hopes that the metaverse will learn from and remedy some of the problems of the internet are also being taken up in the area of child safety. Lego parent company Kirkbi is investing $1 billion into Epic Games – the creator of online game Fortnite – to help build a kid-friendly metaverse.
“Kids enjoy playing in digital and physical worlds and move seamlessly between the two,” says Lego Group CEO Niels B Christiansen. “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.”
Playstation maker Sony is also investing $1 billion in Epic Games to “accelerate our various efforts such as the development of new digital fan experiences in sports and our virtual production initiatives”, Sony Group President and CEO Kenichiro Yoshida says. Gaming appears likely to be central to the metaverse – a trend signalled by Microsoft’s recent $75 billion deal for developer Activision Blizzard.