A metaverse for teenagers? Meta will soon introduce an adapted version of Horizon Worlds, with a view to attracting users between the ages of 13 and 17, according to a memo seen by the wall street journal. The launch of this new version could take place in March, according to people familiar with the intentions of the firm.
Retain teenagers
In the memo, titled Horizon 2023 Goals and Strategy, Gabriel Aul, vice-president of Meta, describes the way in which the group wishes to evolve its virtual world. The Menlo Park company seeks to increase the retention rate of its users, especially young adults. A loyalty that shifts towards the opening of the metaverse to teenagers, an audience born in the age of technology and more likely to adopt technology.
Meta’s Quest virtual reality headsets are designed for users ages 13 and up. The opening of Horizon Worlds would allow an expanded offer for young people. “Teenagers are already spending time in a variety of VR experiences on Quest, and we want to make sure we can give them a great experience in Horizon Worlds too, with age-appropriate tools and protections.“, explains Joe Osborne, spokesperson for Meta, to our colleagues.
Moreover, Meta wishes to drastically increase the number of monthly users of its metaverse in an attempt to make the investments of recent years profitable. The memo projects a target of 500,000 monthly active users for the first half of 2023 and one million for the full year. At present, only 200,000 people would evolve in this virtual world.
To appeal to young people, Meta has launched no less than 20 new experiences on Horizon, developed in part by studios outside the group. In the United States, a partnership with the NBA has resulted in the creation of a virtual world called NBA Arena in Meta Horizon Worlds. It must allow users of the metaverse to watch basketball games on a giant screen, to make free throws or to participate in dunk contests. When it comes to adolescent well-being, Meta would go all out on the safety and fairness of its product.
At the same time, the company would think about developing the accessibility of its metaverse by offering a 2D version, which can be consulted from a smartphone or a computer. Finally, the group’s social networks, Facebook, WhatsApp or Instagram, could benefit from increased integration within Horizon Worlds.