Microsoft’s $69 billion acquisition of gaming powerhouse Activision Blizzard was a significant milestone in the gaming industry. However, the deal faced regulatory scrutiny over concerns about innovation stifling and reduced choice for gamers. Despite the initial obstacles, the deal was successfully closed recently, bolstering Microsoft’s gaming division and positioning it as a key player in the “metaverse,” a concept praised by CEO Satya Nadella when the acquisition was announced in 2022.
Nonetheless, there are indications that Phil Spencer, the CEO of Microsoft Gaming, may not share the same enthusiasm for the metaverse. Leaked documents and public comments suggest that he holds reservations about the concept. In an interview with Bloomberg, Spencer questioned the very nature of the metaverse, asserting that gamers have essentially been a part of it for the past three decades.
Moreover, Spencer expressed caution about “play-to-earn” games and characterized the metaverse as a “poorly built videogame,” revealing, “that’s just not where I want to spend most of my time.”
This stance appears to contrast with Satya Nadella’s positive outlook on the steps taken toward the metaverse through the Activision acquisition.
Decoding the Metaverse:
The metaverse remains an elusive and ambiguous concept for most people, a sentiment echoed by Spencer. It currently lacks inspiring and well-defined implementations. Initially hailed as a buzzword that even led Mark Zuckerberg to rename his company as he shifted towards it, the metaverse has since lost some of its luster. What remains is a loose connection between virtual reality (VR), non-fungible tokens (NFTs), digital assets, and a few related ideas.
Nonetheless, the metaverse is a real, albeit unrefined, concept. Much like how major corporations once attempted to create walled gardens to control the internet, they are now trying, with limited success, to do the same for the metaverse.
In reality, much like the internet, the metaverse will likely be constructed on a stable, open protocol, such as the BSV blockchain. While corporations may have a presence in the metaverse, they are unlikely to control it. The creative power of the collective human effort surpasses what a team of corporate designers and coders can achieve. The BSV blockchain offers a clean canvas for anyone to build upon, coupled with monetization through micropayments, as opposed to the inundation of digital ads.
If the BSV blockchain becomes the foundation of the metaverse, creators will be compensated in real-time for access to their digital domains via Bitcoin micropayments. Digital replicas of real-world locations, like stadiums and concert halls, will coexist. Digital assets like NFTs and other tokens can be traded, exchanged, and, crucially, owned.
Spencer’s seeming lack of enthusiasm for the metaverse might stem from a limited exposure to its true potential, having mainly encountered controlled, early prototypes developed by his corporation. He, like the rest of us, may not have yet witnessed the full scope of what the metaverse could become.
