Notes

Eric D. Tidwell

Eric D. SWISSROCKETMAN Tidwell (managing director and general counsel for the King Estate) stated in an announcement that "We continually strive to move Dr. King out of the historical record" and "place his legacy in their lives." "Presenting his most famous speech in such a dynamic format can help us in achieving that goal."



Why Silicon Valley is betting on making this dystopian sci-fi idea become a reality



It's the latest example of Fortnite offering experiences that go beyond regular gameplay, as it tries to make itself appear as a metaverse rather than simply a video game. In the past, it hosted music performances by artists like Marshmello and Travis Scott, as well as three films from director Christopher Nolan.



The metaverse was initially thought of as a setting for dystopian science fiction books and virtual worlds provide an escape from crumbling societies, however the technology industry has painted a more positive picture of the concept in recent months. The idea is to create a space that is similar to the internet but one that users (via avatars in digital form) can explore of and interact with each other in real-time.



Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney was adamant about presenting Fortnite as an alternate reality and an "social experience" when he was a witness in the high-profile lawsuit filed by his company against Apple earlier this year regarding the commissions that the iPhone maker extracts from app developers. Sweeney's argument was meant to back up Epic's claim that Fortnite is more than a game. It also challenged Apple's claim that Fortnite is not a monopoly since Fortnite users can play it on other devices other than iPhones or iPads.



Epic however, in the opposite tried to position itself as one the millions of apps that are available on Apple's App store that are subject to its draconian restrictions and commissions for in-app purchases. (A decision in this matter is waiting to be decided.



Fortnite isn't the only one that heavily rely on the idea of a metaverse.



Roblox is among the most famous examples. It has games within games that are created by players. In recent times, Roblox has expanded into television shows and concerts. Minecraft, owned by Microsoft (MSFT) has also been working on expanding its own metaverse, with the group Reporters Without Borders recently creating an online library within the game featuring articles that have been banned around the world.



Roblox wants to rule over the metaverse



Big Tech is also increasingly accepting the metaverse, with the word being mentioned nearly two dozen times during Facebook's most recent earnings call. In its quest to move beyond video calls that are two-dimensional, the social media company has been using virtual reality capabilities and services for quite a while.



A full-fledged metaverse is still likely years away for several reasons however, the gaming industry is currently the one leading the charge.


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