How Harmonix’s Experience Could Help Epic Games’ ”Metaverse” Plans
Since its initial release in 2017, it’s been hard to escape Epic Games’ runaway success, Fortnite. The online game has become a cultural phenomenon, with more than 125 million players less than a year after its release and billions of dollars in profits. Celebrities like Drake and Travis Scott have jumped on board, eager to engage with the game first as fans. Then as a player by joining streamer Ninja’s Fortnite Royal War streamed on Twitch, which broke the platform’s previous viewership records and led to Epic Games hosting its own pro match for the mode at E3 2018.
In a few short years, Fortnite not just a free game; it became one of the most important and persistent media events of the last century. Its millions of players are participating in a shared experience as they play through Fortnitedifferent storylines and seasonal events. While many online games in the past have followed a similar pattern, nothing has penetrated popular culture in the same way, and Epic game just hoping to build on this by creating its own “metaverse”. With the recent acquisition of indie developer Harmonix, it opens up some interesting avenues for how this can be achieved.
Metaverse is a somewhat vague term that refers to a virtual space that is shared by its participants. Think of Ernest Cline Ready Player One, where humans simultaneously exist in the physical world, but through the help of AR, they can also exist in a shared digital realm. This may seem like the stuff of science fiction, but the developers have their eyes on creating some form of this in the near future. While Epic Games’ plans for its own “metaverse” may not be as extensive as described by Cline, the acquisition rock band Harmonix developers show that they are definitely aiming for expansion and innovation.
Players have been able to see versions of these early metaverse experiences taking shape, some in the form of in-game economies, where players are creating things digitally and selling, bartering, or selling. Trade them for real money or items. With companies like Facebook acquiring Oculus In the effort towards a fusion of virtual and real, it is no longer a matter of “if” but “when” in terms of perceiving some form of metaverse. Epic Games is determined to stay ahead of the crowd and bring its version of the metaverse to players, with plans to leverage its already vast reach to bring people together into a virtual world.
How Harmonix can help
In November of this year, Epic Games announced that they have acquired Harmonix – maker Rock band, Guitar Hero, and Dance Central Franchising. In its statement, Epic Games said “the Harmonix team will work closely with Epic to develop the musical and gameplay journey for the Fortnite,” in a move that is sure to keep music and game fans interested in its potential implications.
What exactly this partnership means for players is yet to be determined. However, with Harmonix Co-Founder and President Alex Rigopulos promising that it will “push the creative boundaries of what is possible and invent new ways for our players to create, perform and share music”, the possibilities really seem endless.
Fortnite has had an extensive relationship with music, as it has pioneered popular ways to expose artists to the in-game world with interactive concerts, such as Ariane GrandeTour of the Rift or Astronomy by Travis Scott. In addition to infusing music and artists into the game’s world, Fortnite creating a truly immersive experience that was never possible in the real world. With the launch of Harmonix, it means that players have the opportunity to create experiential moments like this for themselves, as Epic rolls out a version of the metaverse where gamers can come together to witness the possibilities. collaboration and complete originality of this medium.
Fortnite Free to play on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S.
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