Horizon Worlds, Meta's social metaverse platform for Quest VR headsets that will soon be available on smartphones and maybe gaming devices, is trying out new capabilities that will allow users to make a profit.
The most notable feature is that a handful of Horizon designers will be able to market virtual items and features in the landscapes they build for others to visit.
According to Meaghan Fitzgerald, product marketing director for Horizon, producers can sell it all from access to a VIP portion of their environment to virtual things like jewelry or an exceptional basketball.
Participants in the United States will also have the opportunity to win dollars from a $10 million creator fund that Meta recently established to reward world developers who create the most engaging worlds.
Meta is joining the ranks of other 3D social platforms like Roblox and Rec Room, both of which allow creators to sell objects they design, with this test of in-world purchases.
Roblox has made a fortune off of this approach, whereas Rec Room is rapidly expanding and putting a premium on creator revenue.
Meta will take a percentage of what creators sell, however, the exact amount is still up in the air. Meta will take a 25% cut of the remaining proportion after a platform fee for Horizon transactions.
The creator will be left with a little more than half of the sale price on sites that charge a 30% fee, such as Meta's own Quest Store for VR games.
Vivek Sharma, Meta's VP of Horizon, reports, "We think it's a really reasonable fee in the industry. We feel that other marketplaces should be able to have their fair share."
Horizon presently has no ads, with the exception of a recent Wendy's-themed realm dubbed "Wendyverse."
While the priority is currently on income for creators, Fitzgerald believes commercials "may be an aspect we would like to consider in the future."
To persuade creators to use Meta's technologies and expand their worlds, the company is launching a goal-oriented bonus scheme.
There will be no fees associated with these bonuses, and they will be fully paid. According to Sharma, they are mostly decided by the level of participation that a creator's environment receives.
For Horizon Worlds, creators who use in-world expenditures and receive creator incentives must follow the company's VR behavior code and forbidden content policy.
Those that do not follow the regulations will be kicked out of the platform, according to Fitzgerald.
