Fortnite developers Epic Games and fellow building connoisseurs The Lego Group have teamed up to shape the future of the metaverse into something resembling a kid-friendly place.
The announcement today commits to the two companies that make children's play toys "entering a long-term partnership to shape the future of the metaverse to make it safe and fun for children and families."
The metaverse – a continually vague and nebulous term to describe some sort of online social space, possibly in VR, possibly incorporating blockchain technology or cryptocurrencies in some way – has been a hot topic for large gaming companies like Epic and The Company Formerly Known As Facebook (Meta).
Current child-focused proponents of whatever this shape-shifting new frontier of the internet becomes include the game development playground sandbox Roblox, which is under intense scrutiny after a number of reports suggesting it is an unsafe place for children to work or play.
Lego and Epic seem to be aiming to avoid the same pitfalls as Roblox, with three core principles of their endeavor listed as:
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Protect children’s right to play by making safety and wellbeing a priority.
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Safeguard children’s privacy by putting their best interests first.
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Empower children and adults with tools that give them control over their digital experience.
We'll have to wait and see what side of the Web 3.0 gold rush this "Legoverse" falls on, though with the IP crossover lawyers of both companies involved, it probably has the best chance of turning into the weird Ready Player One-topia most metaverse fanatics are hoping for. Enjoy crashing your Lego Delorean into a Tim Hortons and having to pay Cyber Insurance with Bezoscoin or whatever the bright future holds.