Facebook parent company Meta is putting billions into its vision of the future around the metaverse, but for now the appearance of the virtual world is mostly laughed at.
Facebook changed its company name to Meta last year, to underline the company’s new course. In a long presentation, CEO Mark Zuckerberg showed his vision of the future, including spectacular-looking 3D avatars for the virtual world. Despite the billions of dollars invested a year later, that vision is still a long way off.
Zuckerberg shared a new image of himself in the metaverse on Wednesday. It looks a lot less spectacular to say the least. Zuckerberg’s detailed, vibrant digital avatar has given way to what looks like a 2005 video game. “Doesn’t Mark Zuckerberg understand how bad his metaverse looks?”, business magazine Forbes wonders.
“Mark Zuckerberg spent $ 10 billion on the metaverse and all he got was this stupid selfie. That $ 10 billion is no exaggeration: Meta has indeed invested that amount in its metaverse so far. An investment that, according to Zuckerberg, the company does not yet expect to recoup in the coming years.
“This must stop,” writes journalist John McCarthy. “It doesn’t look like a real product. If the core of your product looks like the mural of an abandoned nursery, you will have to scratch yourself behind the ears.”
Another captures Zuckerberg’s virtual selfie next to an image from the 2007 game Second Life. Second Life is very similar in design to where the metaverse says it’s going: a connected online world that works much like the real world. However, Meta emphasizes a visit through VR glasses.
Zuckerberg’s ridiculing highlights the uncertainty surrounding the metaverse. Earlier, Meta Chief Communications Officer Nick Clegg wrote that Meta had no intention of becoming the operator of the metaverse. Meta may want to make money from selling VR glasses, but that branch is still losing billions at the same time.
The online hilarity is unlikely to change Zuckerberg’s plans. The CEO is not accountable to his board of directors by special shares, and therefore essentially only determines the course of his company.
