Entertainment giant Sony said Wednesday (May 18) that it is prepared to take a key role in the immersive virtual world known as the metaverse.
“The metaverse is at the same time a social space and live network space where games, music, movies and anime intersect,” said Chief Executive Kenichiro Yoshida, according to Reuters.
He was speaking at a strategy briefing and cited the free-to-play game Fortnite by Epic Games as an example of the type of online social space the metaverse will encompass.
Reuters noted that two-thirds of Sony’s operating income last year came from its movie, music and gaming projects, which illustrates the company’s shift from a consumer electronics manufacturer to a “metaverse-ready entertainment juggernaut.”
The report also pointed out that Sony has been adjusting its approach to gaming, allowing cross-play on Fortnite for the past four years and recently letting Epic Games’ V-Bucks currency, purchased on the Sony PlayStation, to be used on other platforms.
“PlayStation has played a huge role in the social gaming revolution that’s nurturing the growth of the metaverse as a new entertainment medium,” Tim Sweeney, Epic’s CEO, said on Twitter.
And Sony has also expanded its focus beyond single-player video games like “Spider-Man: Miles Morales,” with a deal announced in January to purchase Bungie, maker of online multi-player shooter “Destiny.”
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