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Copenhagen (AFP) – The Japanese giant Sony and the Danish Kirkbi, the parent company of Lego, announced on Monday an investment of 2,000 million dollars in Epic Games, publisher of the famous video game Fortnite, to finance their development work on the “metaverse”.
Dozens of tech companies have rushed to invest in building the metaverse, a loose term that refers to the growing ecosystem of interactive online worlds, games and 3D meeting places that already attract millions of users.
In the form of video games like Fortnite, the forerunners of the metaverse would indeed be the people who come together not only to play games but also to interact and participate in events.
The $2 billion in funding is intended to further Epic’s “vision to build the metaverse and support its continued growth,” the three companies said in a joint statement.
Sony, already a shareholder in Epic Games, and Kirkbi are each investing $1 billion, the firms said.
“All three companies place a high value on both creators and gamers, and their goal is to create new social entertainment that explores the connection between the digital and physical worlds,” they added.
The investment increases the value of Epic Games to $31.5 billion, the US game studio said.
With 350 million users worldwide, its Fortnite game is free to download but generates billions of dollars in revenue from players purchasing additional items for their characters, such as outfits and accessories.
The game quickly became a global phenomenon, to the point that some games are now followed live by millions of viewers.
© 2022 AFP