According to Unity’s CEO, John Riccitiello, the metaverse is envisioned to resemble TikTok more than Fortnite or Horizon Worlds. In an interview with Protocol, Riccitiello emphasized the significance of Unity’s insights in shaping ideas about the metaverse, given its role in developing technologies that contribute to its realization.
Describing the metaverse as the future of the internet, he outlined its characteristics as a social, interactive, three-dimensional world offering seamless experiences. Riccitiello acknowledged that not all metaverse environments would encompass all these features, noting they could be entirely digital or a blend of digital and real-world elements.
Contrary to the belief that avatars will be the primary mode of interaction in the metaverse, Riccitiello argued that not all activities would require avatars. Drawing parallels with online shopping, he explained that tasks like ordering a book or making a hotel reservation might not necessitate avatars, suggesting that decisions could be more informed through fully digitized representations, such as a virtual hotel room.
Rejecting the idea that a single avatar could navigate diverse environments, he emphasized the need for different avatars tailored to specific contexts, citing the example of using different avatars for World of Warcraft and Nike.
Riccitiello pointed out the significant user base of mobile gaming, with 4 to 4.5 billion people playing mobile games monthly worldwide, compared to the 100 to 150 million home game consoles and 200 million game computers.
He expressed skepticism that AR/VR devices could surpass the user numbers of consoles and computers. Riccitiello suggested that achieving the scale of platforms like TikTok was feasible for a company creating a real-time, three-dimensional social environment, even speculating that a new company could emerge with a similar impact as ByteDance’s TikTok.
Discussing the competitive landscape, Riccitiello anticipated numerous companies entering the metaverse market, but he believed that many would eventually exit. While acknowledging Meta’s aspirations with Horizon, he asserted that what Meta aims to achieve will happen in the metaverse but won’t necessarily be Horizon.
Responding to the comparison with Epic’s Fortnite and Meta’s Horizon, he emphasized that Unity, as a content creation and management company, has a different perspective, positioning itself as a platform for the public rather than a traditional game company. Riccitiello highlighted Unity’s influence, powering 72% of mobile games, half of all games, and two-thirds of AR/VR applications currently.
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