Even Meta's staff aren't fans of the Oculus Quest 2's metaverse based on leaked memo

Date:
Fri, 07 Oct 2022 10:50:10 +0000

Description:
Meta's own developers think its Horizon Worlds metaverse app on the Oculus Quest 2 is a clunky, unstable mess right now.

FULL STORY ======================================================================

Metas Horizon Worlds platform its first attempt at a social metaverse is so bad even its own creators dont like using it, according to the latest
reports.

The Oculus Quest 2 exclusive social media platform hasnt yet taken the world by storm as Meta likely hoped it would after announcing its broad VR plans at last years Facebook Connect. And, according to a leak obtained by The Verge , the team behind Horizon Worlds is all too aware of why the platform is struggling.

The leaked memo that was apparently shared by Metas VP of Metaverse Vishal Shah with his team on September 15 says that the aggregate weight of papercuts, stability issues, and bugs is making it too hard for our community to experience the magic of Horizon. He then added that for an experience to become delightful and retentive, it must first be usable and well crafted, seemingly implying that Horizon Worlds is not yet either of those things.

The memo also reveals that his comments are based on feedback from creators, users, and members of the development team.

Though despite the issues Horizon isnt likely to be sent to Metas well-used chopping block quite yet. Alongside teasers for the hotly anticipated Project Cambria , Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has also said that Meta Connect 2022 on October 11 will showcase some major updates that are coming to the platform soon. Analysis: The Meh-taverse could be saved

Meta employees arent the only people who dont love Horizon Worlds, we arent big fans either. Our US Editor-in-Chief Lance Ulanoff and I were left with really similar first impressions: the game is just too boring right now . Especially when its compared to the more polished and interesting multiplayer VR experiences on Quest 2 (like Walkabout Mini Golf and Wands Alliances ).

User-led platforms can lead to some amazing things, just look at the
inventive platforming levels devised by Super Mario Maker 2 players, but if people arent making worlds then theres no reason to stick around. And with
its mediocre graphics, clunky controls, and slow load times, Horizon Worlds isnt making itself look like an appealing option for aspiring game creatives.

With players and creators alike being turned away its no surprise to hear
that Meta is apparently worried about its platforms retention rate. (Image credit: Facebook Gaming)

This clunkiness doesnt have to be the norm though, and Meta already has a
team on its staff that could come to the rescue in Unit 2 Games, the
developer behind game creation tool Crayta.

Back when it was a Google Stadia exclusive oh how times have changed I was really impressed with Crayta. The tools were simple enough that mobile
players with limited controls could have a crack at making enjoyable games
for their friends, while also offering aspiring game developers more in-depth options on PC so they could really bring their ideas to life. On top of this, Crayta launched with several really engaging and inventive pre-made worlds
for people to enjoy that could then serve as an inspiration for a players own projects.

Unit 2 Games has shown that it knows how to make a solid game creation platform, and some of its ideas could be used to really improve Horizon
Worlds from what we have right now and perhaps help it become one of the
best Oculus Quest 2 games . We'll just have to wait and see what updates are announced at Meta Connect 2022.



======================================================================
Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/news/even-metas-staff-arent-fans-of-the-oculus-quest -2s-metaverse-based-on-leaked-memo/


--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A47 (Linux/64)
* Origin: tqwNet Technology News (1337:1/100)