That VR Life
Epic Games and Lego are making ‘an immersive, creatively inspiring and engaging digital experience for kids of all ages to enjoy together.’
Lego / Instagram
The term ‘Metaverse’ has been throw around a lot lately, and tech experts have deemed the augmented and virtual reality space as the future of the internet. Like every other platform, the Metaverse boasts lots of cool new ways to interact with others virtually — along with new stresses for parents, who might not know how to help their kids navigate this novel virtual terrain and its potential pitfalls.
Fortunately, more and more companies are working to make safe spaces for kids in the Metaverse. Fortnite and Unreal Engine developer Epic Games has teamed up with The Lego Group to make a family-friendly, kid-safe Metaverse, one where you can leave as many plastic building blocks on the floor without the pain of stepping one.
“Kids enjoy playing in digital and physical worlds and move seamlessly between the two. We believe there is huge potential for them to develop life-long skills such as creativity, collaboration and communication through digital experiences,” said Niels B Christiansen, CEO of the Lego Group, in a joint press statement.
“But we have a responsibility to make them safe, inspiring and beneficial for all. Just as we’ve protected children’s rights to safe physical play for generations, we are committed to doing the same for digital play. We look forward to working with Epic Games to shape this exciting and playful future.”
While there aren’t too many details as to what this Metaverse will entail, it’s safe to say the two companies are experts at open-world building, which makes this voyage into the digital space feel like a natural extension of both brands. The two groups also made it clear that kids’ safety is their number one priority, citing three guiding principles of the project:
- Protect children’s right to play by making safety and wellbeing a priority.
- Safeguard children’s privacy by putting their best interests first.
- Empower children and adults with tools that give them control over their digital experience.
As Polygon notes, both companies have deals with some of the world’s most popular intellectual property, including characters from Marvel, DC, and Star Wars, which all but guarantees every kiddo (and kid at heart) will want to join the virtual space. The companies have not yet said when the new digital space will open.
