metaverse
Microsoft brings avatars to Teams enterprise customers to spruce up meetings
Is the tedium of videoconferencing getting you down? Fret not. You’ll be pleased to know that, if you’re a Teams users, avatars are now generally available for all Microsoft 365 Business a
Nexon takes 20-year-old MapleStory into web3 with Haechi’s help
Nexon, one of the biggest gaming companies in the world, is wading into web3 like some of its peers in Asia. The developer of MapleStory is creating a blockchain-powered ecosystem based on the 20-year
Developers are building out the blockchain ecosystem in Barcelona
Welcome back to Chain Reaction. This week I’m writing the newsletter from the currently sunny and always beautiful city of Barcelona, Spain.
Alibaba Cloud, Avalanche partner to deploy metaverses on the blockchain
The partnership will provide Alibaba’s clients with a launchpad that aims to help businesses launch their own metaverse spaces on Avalanche’s blockchain.
Meta beats revenue expectations, remains committed to metaverse
Things are looking up for Meta. The company beat revenue expectations, reporting an increase in year-over-year revenue for the first time in three quarters. But this ray of light for the company forme
I actually had fun at Fatboy Slim’s metaverse rave
I stood outside a 50s truck stop diner and gas station under a dark, dusky sky. A bright neon sign that said Norm’s Drive In illuminated the space. Behind a psychedelic school bus parked in the dirt
Disney cuts metaverse division as part of broader restructuring
Walt Disney Co. has eliminated its metaverse division as part of staff cuts that promise to reduce head count by around 7,000 across the company over the next two months, reports The Wall Street Journ
Metaverse is just VR, admits Meta, as it lobbies against ‘arbitrary’ network fee
Meta, the self-styled “metaverse company” formerly known as Facebook, has taken on a novel role de-hyping the virtual world technology its founder bet the farm on just a few short years ag
The FTC finalizes Epic’s $245 million settlement over sketchy Fortnite purchases
The Federal Trade Commission slammed Epic Games with $245 million in fines this week, ordering the Fortnite developer to compensate consumers who made unwitting purchases in its digital store. The set
Metaverse payment platform Tilia gets strategic investment from J.P. Morgan
“Today, the way people transact has evolved,” newly appointed chief business officer (CBO) of Tilia Catherine Porter told me in an interview. “The rise of user-generated content (UGC
Inside the metaverse hype train at MWC 2023
Metaverse hype was hanging like a multicolored fog over the Mobile World Congress (MWC) connectivity trade show in Barcelona this week. Conference organizer, the GSMA’s, program pitched attendee
Roblox to host a free virtual Super Bowl concert featuring Saweetie
Hip-hop artist Saweetie is performing exclusively in Roblox for the NFL’s Super Bowl LVII pregame on February 10, the National Football League announced today. The virtual concert will take place at
Gemba, a corporate VR training platform used by Coca-Cola and Pfizer, raises $18M
Gemba, an enterprise-focused virtual reality (VR) training startup used by some of the world’s biggest companies, has raised $18 million in a Series A round of funding. Gemba designs and deliver
Emperia is helping brands like Bloomingdales build shopping experiences in VR
Does the average person want to shop for apparel in virtual reality (VR)? Speaking for myself, it sounds rather cumbersome — having to plop on a headset to browse for, say, trousers as opposed t
Consumer advocacy groups want Walmart’s Roblox game audited for ‘stealth marketing’ to kids
A number of consumer advocacy groups have a problem with Walmart’s entry into the metaverse. The online retailer last fall announced the launch of two new virtual worlds on Roblox, Walmart Land
Roblox may arrive on Meta Quest later this year
It appears that Roblox, a major player in the metaverse space, could be getting its moment to shine on Meta’s virtual reality headset. According to The Verge’s Command Line newsletter, sources say
MeetKai launches new room-scanning tech and metaverse builder
Not everyone believes that the metaverse — social, VR-centric worlds — has staying power. But MeetKai is among the steadfast optimists. Founded in 2018, the startup initially focused on co
CommonGround raises $25M for immersive video avatar technology that doesn’t rely on VR gear
The trials and tribulations that a giant company like Meta (née Facebook) has been facing in overcoming skepticism, creating user interest (let alone revenue) and building quality experiences for its
Yahaha raises $40M more for its user-generated, low-code immersive gaming platform
Yahaha, a Helsinki- and Shanghai-based immersive, user-generated, low-code gaming platform founded by a group of Chinese gaming vets, made a splash in January when it announced a cumulative $50 millio
Roblox stock drops on widening losses in Q3, but other growth metrics remain strong
One of the big players in the “metaverse” space, gaming platform Roblox, saw its stock tumble by more than 15% in pre-market trading on Wednesday after reporting a wider-than-anticipated l