Phil Spencer, head of the Xbox brand, believes that the metaverse has been with us for 30 years, when digital gaming was largely introduced. However, Spencer criticizes the play-to-earn (P2E) model as creating labor from the kind of gamers who need to monetize their play time.
Xbox boss Phil Spencer believes the Metaverse has been here before
The Metaverse and its current concept has been the subject of debate and criticism. Phil Spencer, currently head of the Xbox brand and CEO of the games division at Microsoft, has expressed skepticism about how the alternate universe of the Metaverse is currently represented. In an interview with Bloomberg, Spencer said that the Metaverse is nothing new and relates to what gamers have already been doing for some time. He explained that,:
My take on the metaverse is that gamers have been in the metaverse for 30 years. People have been playing in these 3D shared worlds for years and years when they are playing games. What we have found is that they are more connected because they share a common purpose.
In addition, Spencer clarified that gamers may be confused by the concept of a metaverse because having an avatar in the game and being part of a virtual world where voice communication is possible can be considered residing there.
While Spencer personally may be skeptical of the metaverse, Microsoft and the Xbox brand have used the term regularly at different times; in January, when announcing its acquisition of Activision Blizzard for approximately $69 billion, Microsoft said, ” . accelerate the growth of Microsoft’s gaming business across mobile, PC, console, and cloud, and provide the building blocks for the Metaverse.”
Critics of Play-to-Earn
While other companies in the space are more open to the Play-to-Earn (P2E) model and the mechanics behind it, Spencer has been more open to this new trend shows hesitation. In an interview, the Xbox boss criticized the purpose of play-to-earn games, declaring.
Play-to-earn in particular is something I am cautious about. It creates labor from players in order for certain players to kind of monetize. When it comes to this kind of technology, sometimes it is like a hammer looking for a nail.
However, Spencer believes that there could be “interesting things” in the future use of such technology. The technology, which has gained some popularity with blockchain games like Axe Infinity, has yet to reach consoles like the Xbox and Sony’s PlayStation 5.
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