SAN FRANCISCO, April 12, 2022 (BSS/AFP) - Meta, the parent company of
Facebook and Instagram, will give content creators the opportunity to sell
virtual items to users in Horizon Worlds, its main platform in the metaverse,
the company said Monday.

   "For example, someone could make and sell attachable accessories for a
fashion world or offer paid access to a new part of a world," the Californian
tech group said in a press release.

   The metaverse, touted by Meta and other companies as the future of the
internet, consists of a set of parallel "universes" accessed primarily
through augmented and virtual reality platforms. It already exists in a basic
way in the form of video games such as Minecraft, Fortnite and Roblox and
social platforms such as Horizon Worlds, and VRChat, where people come
together not only to play, but also to interact and participate in events.

   Meta, whose income is overwhelmingly dependent on large-scale targeted
advertising, has made it its mission to make a major contribution to the
emergence of the metaverse, and is staking out its place in the next battle
for the public's attention.

   To that end, the social networking giant is seeking to attract content
creators who are likely in turn to attract more new users.

   It had already set up a $10 million fund for creators on Horizon in
October, where more than 10,000 different "worlds" already exist, according
to the company.

   "While we're launching this today as a test with a handful of creators to
get their feedback, these types of tools are steps toward our long-term
vision for the metaverse where creators can earn a living and people can
purchase digital goods, services, and experiences," Meta said.

   The company also plans to test bonuses for creators who achieve certain
goals -- such as "building worlds that attract the most time spent."

   These bonuses will not be "subject to fees and will be paid to creators in
full," Meta said, unlike revenue from virtual items, which is subject to a
commission.

   Horizon Worlds has more than 300,000 users in the United States and
Canada, according to an article by the specialized site The Verge published
in February.