Interviewing Epic Games Founder/CEO Tim Sweeney and Author/Entrepreneur Neal Stephenson — MatthewBall.co

🌈 Abstract

The article discusses the concept of the "Metaverse" and its technological and economic growth, featuring interviews with Tim Sweeney, Founder and CEO of Epic Games, and Neal Stephenson, the author who coined the term "Metaverse". They share their definitions of the Metaverse, perspectives on its future, and thoughts on related topics like blockchain, AI, and the Apple Vision Pro.

🙋 Q&A

[01] Defining the Metaverse

1. How do Neal Stephenson and Tim Sweeney define the Metaverse?

• Neal Stephenson defines the Metaverse as a "massively multiplayer online universe that has a sense of space to it so that there are experiences distributed around that space in a way that is perceived by all of its users in the same way. And you can move around from one place to another and interact with other users who are not physically present. It's not controlled by any one entity; many creators, large and small, build things there."
• Tim Sweeney defers to Neal's definition, but observes that games have been trending in the direction of that definition for a long time, becoming more and more close to the spirit of what Neal wrote in "Snow Crash" and other novels.

2. How central or relevant are virtual reality goggles and augmented reality glasses to the vision of the Metaverse?

• Neal Stephenson notes that the assumption that the Metaverse requires head-mounted displays has evolved, as people have found ways to experience immersive 3D environments using flat screens and keyboard/mouse.
• Tim Sweeney says hardware getting better over time will enhance the Metaverse experience, but the Metaverse is happening now without the need for new hardware. The inevitable evolution of gaming is taking advantage of new capabilities as they become available.

[02] The State of the Metaverse

1. What is Tim Sweeney's perspective on the suggestion that the Metaverse is dead or rejected by consumers?

• Sweeney believes a particular vision of the Metaverse (people in VR headsets working in an office) has been rejected, but the Metaverse as seen in games like Fortnite and Roblox, where people are engaging in real-time 3D social experiences, is growing stronger than ever.

2. How does Neal Stephenson view the dystopian associations with the concept of the Metaverse and the book "Snow Crash"?

• Stephenson notes that by the time he wrote "Snow Crash", the dystopian elements of cyberpunk had become cliched, so he tried to write a parody of those tropes. He sees the Metaverse in the book as neither dystopian nor utopian, but just a communications medium that different people use in different ways.

[03] The Future of the Metaverse

1. What is Tim Sweeney's vision for the evolution of Fortnite over the next 7 years?

• Sweeney expects significant changes, including the ability to build an interoperable economy that works with other games and ecosystems, federated voice chat and account systems, and a networking model that enables seamless movement between servers and coordination of a simulation at the scale of millions or even billions of concurrent players.

2. How does Neal Stephenson see his involvement in companies like Lamina1, Inworld.AI, and Whenere contributing to the development of the Metaverse?

• Stephenson is focused on enabling immersive story-driven experiences where users can interact with AI-powered characters in cinematic quality environments. His goal is to give fans of fictional worlds the ability to enter and modify those worlds.

[04] Ethics and Regulation of Emerging Technologies

1. What are Tim Sweeney's and Neal Stephenson's perspectives on the ethics and regulation of generative AI?

• Sweeney believes companies should only train AI on data where they have clear permission from the creators, and that research institutions should be treated differently than companies when it comes to AI development.
• Stephenson notes the importance of the intent behind AI development, and how companies have made PR missteps by threatening creators. He emphasizes the need for transparency around the data and methods used to train AI systems.

[05] The Relationship Between the Metaverse and Platforms/Ecosystems

1. Why does Tim Sweeney see the legal battles with Apple and Google as critical to constructing the Metaverse?

• Sweeney believes the Metaverse needs to evolve beyond the constraints of mobile app stores and their restrictive rules. He argues that allowing Apple and Google to set the ground rules for the Metaverse would result in the majority of profits going to the platform owners rather than being reinvested by creators.