Disney CEO Bob Chapek and Microsoft gaming head Phil Spencer have expressed their dissatisfaction with the metaverse in its current form. Speaking at the WSJ Tech Live event, the two were among other silicon valley executives who compared the present iteration of the virtual world with a poorly built video game. Chapek noted that the term ‘metaverse’ is still ambiguous.
Consider Living Inside a Computer
The Microsoft executive, responsible for everything Xbox, said that video games have an advantage over the metaverse when it comes to creating virtual experiences for users. He added that the present iteration of the virtual world “looks like a meeting room” thus lowering its appeal as somewhere people want to spend their time.
Chapek also dismantled the metaverse in its present form arguing that it’s still an unclear term that is best classified as “next-generation storytelling.” Snap CEO Evan Spiegel was also not happy with today’s metaverse which he sees as propagating life “inside a computer.”
Not Worth the Attention
According to Spiegel, the virtual world in its current form is not appealing to spend time in. He added that his company is more interested in augmented reality rather than the popular virtual reality which is seen as a major ingredient when creating or experiencing the metaverse.
Apple’s senior VP also joined in on the topic saying that the term “metaverse” is not worthy of his attention. The executives’ sentiments come hours after Meta’s metaverse division reported a $3.65 billion loss in Q3 and at a time when Apple is concentrating on augmented reality instead of the much-hyped metaverse which is still in its infancy stage.
