During GDC 2023, Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney shared insights on the company’s ambitions for the metaverse, identifying Apple as a significant obstacle to their vision
Epic Games introduced the Unreal Editor for Fortnite at the conference, a tool that enables players to design their own games within Fortnite’s creative mode at no cost. In an interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Sweeney discussed Epic’s strategy to transform the gaming industry ecosystem through their metaverse initiative.
Sweeney remarked, “The gaming industry is an ideal setting for an open system, as no single company holds enough power to impose its terms.
However, Apple currently stands as a barrier to Epic’s progress.” He elaborated on the challenges posed by Apple, stating, “They might either attempt to monopolize the metaverse or capture all its profits. Apple restricts the use of competing browser engines, forcing developers to rely on Apple’s more constrained metaverse engine.”
This statement underscores the tension between Epic Games’ pursuit of an open digital universe and Apple’s controlled ecosystem, highlighting the broader industry debate over openness and interoperability in the development of the metaverse.
Epic Games Will Fight Apple
The CEO of Epic Games expressed concerns over Apple’s potential to alter platform regulations in ways that could undermine efforts dedicated to the metaverse, emphasizing the necessity for robust antitrust legislation.
He mentioned that before advancing their plans, addressing the legal challenges surrounding antitrust laws is a priority. This comes amidst a backdrop where Meta announced a scale-back in its investments for the metaverse and NFTs on platforms like Facebook and Instagram, while the developers behind EVE Online have declared their intentions to embark on a metaverse-linked project.
In his concluding remarks, the Epic Games CEO stated, “We should be free to leverage market forces and hardware capabilities for this purpose. Without such freedom, Apple could end up dominating the industry entirely.
Therefore, we’re prepared for a prolonged battle. I am confident that my team and I will successfully navigate this and any other challenges that come our way.” This statement reflects a determined stance against Apple’s control and a commitment to fostering an open and competitive digital ecosystem.
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