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Virtual reality communities, such as VRChat, are already present but fall short of the immersive hubs portrayed in movies like Ready Player One. Currently, these spaces mostly serve as avenues for sharing memes, engaging in various activities, and sometimes encounters of concerning nature. In essence, it replicates the typical online experience, with the added dimension of VR. To truly establish a connected virtual world, a significant number of skilled engineers is crucial. This is precisely what Facebook is aiming for.
Having previously expressed its ambition to develop a “metaverse” – an expansive virtual community, Facebook is embarking on a substantial hiring initiative over the next five years. Their target is to recruit approximately 10,000 new employees from the European Union to contribute to metaverse development.
“As we embark on the journey to bring the metaverse to life, the acquisition of highly specialized engineers stands as one of Facebook’s top priorities,” stated Facebook executives Nick Clegg and Javier Olivan.
Although Facebook will be spearheading the creation of this virtual space, they clarify that it will not be under the exclusive ownership or management of any single entity, including themselves. Clegg and Olivan emphasized that like the internet, the metaverse will be characterized by openness and interoperability. Achieving this vision will necessitate collaboration and coordination across multiple stakeholders, including companies, developers, creators, and policymakers.
Facebook plans to hire 10,000 people in the European Union over the next five years to help build the ‘metaverse’ – an online world where people exist and communicate in shared virtual spaces, the social media giant said https://t.co/DNZu4Elo87
— Reuters (@Reuters) October 17, 2021
The decision to focus on Europe strategically is driven by various factors. Jeremy Dalton, head of XR [Extended Reality] at PwC, explained, “Establishing a presence in Europe proves to be a wise move for any entity interested in exploring the potential of the metaverse. It’s not just about the talent pool available but also about the upcoming intersections of digital interactions with government regulations, consumer preferences, privacy concerns, data protection, and more.”
