The Expansion of ‘Metaverse’ by Facebook at a Rapid Pace

Online virtual communities, particularly through platforms like VRChat, already exist, but they do not quite resemble the bustling centers of trade and culture often portrayed in movies such as Ready Player One. Primarily, they serve as spaces for individuals to exchange humorous memes, engage in daring stunts, or partake in unsettling interactions that I shall refrain from elaborating on. Essentially, it mirrors the conventional internet experience, albeit through a VR device. Achieving a truly interconnected virtual community would require a multitude of skillful engineers to bring it to fruition. This is precisely what Facebook is seeking.

Facebook revealed its ambition to establish a “metaverse,” an online virtual world, some time ago, and to realize this vision, they will initiate an extensive recruitment campaign over the next half-decade. In essence, they aim to onboard approximately 10,000 new team members from the European Union to contribute to metaverse development.

“As we embark on actualizing the metaverse, the requirement for highly specialized engineers stands as one of Facebook’s most urgent needs,” expressed Facebook executives Nick Clegg and Javier Olivan in an official statement.

While Facebook will take the lead in constructing this environment, they emphasize that it will not be under the ownership or management of any single corporation, not even themselves. “Similar to the internet, its fundamental characteristic will be its openness and compatibility. Bringing this concept to life will necessitate collaboration and coordination among companies, developers, creators, and policymakers,” stated Clegg and Olivan.

Facebook is intending to recruit 10,000 personnel from the European Union within the upcoming five years to contribute to the development of the ‘metaverse’ – a virtual realm where individuals coexist and interact in shared digital spaces, as announced by the social media behemoth https://t.co/DNZu4Elo87 pic.twitter.com/MVeahkwli3

— Reuters (@Reuters) October 17, 2021

The rationale behind targeting Europe lies in strategic business considerations. “Establishing a presence in Europe represents a savvy move for any entity intrigued by the potential of the metaverse. This goes beyond merely locating where the necessary expertise exists,” remarked Jeremy Dalton, the XR [Extended Reality] lead at PwC in a conversation with CNN Business.

“This forthcoming era of digital interaction will inevitably converge with governmental guidelines and the interests of consumers and enterprises regarding privacy, data security, and various other elements.”