In what seems to be a bold venture into the future of digital interaction, Brendan Greene, better known as “PlayerUnknown,” is setting his sights on creating a metaverse. However, this is not your typical metaverse project. In a recent interview with IGN, Greene described his vision of a “3D internet,” a network of interconnected worlds working on shared protocols akin to how webpages operate on the internet.
Greene, famously known for kickstarting the battle royale craze with PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds in 2017, dismisses current metaverse efforts as “IP bubbles.” Instead, he envisions a more open and collaborative metaverse project, dubbed “Artemis.” With Artemis, users will have the freedom to create, modify, and share their worlds. To realise this ambitious project, Greene’s studio, PlayerUnknown Productions, is in the process of developing three games.
The first of these games, “Prologue,” is already in the testing phase. It marries survival gameplay with high-tech terrain generation, harnessing machine learning and NASA data to generate realistic, customizable worlds, boasting billions of map possibilities. The game is slated for launch by 2025.
The second game, which remains unnamed, will experiment with large-scale multiplayer gameplay in a vast world teeming with millions of characters. Both games serve as stepping stones towards perfecting the technology and concepts critical to the creation of Artemis.
Artemis, the third game, is Greene’s ultimate vision. It aims to host millions of people simultaneously in their unique worlds, akin to 3D webpages that users can create and navigate freely. Greene likens it to a cross between Minecraft and Star Trek Holodeck, with the core game experience hinging on the power of user-driven creativity.
However, the journey towards realising Artemis is not without its challenges. Greene acknowledges that content moderation presents a significant hurdle, necessitating innovative approaches to empower communities to self-moderate without a central authority’s oversight. Various legal and ethical challenges also remain unresolved. Despite these challenges, Greene maintains that Artemis will be accessible across all platforms, from high-end PCs to mobile phones, within the next ten to fifteen years.
Interestingly, Greene has ruled out incorporating Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) into Artemis, although he remains open to the potential use of blockchain technology. Funding for Artemis will hinge on the success of Prologue, but Greene is optimistic about his team’s ability to navigate the murky waters of the industry.
Greene’s vision for Artemis goes beyond reinventing gaming; he aims to shape a healthier, more innovative industry. His ultimate goal is to create a platform that allows creators to actualize their ideas without fear of executive interference. Greene hopes that Artemis will pave the way for the next generation of creators, as his game PUBG did for him.
Despite the ambitious scale of his project, Greene remains steadfast in his belief in Artemis. As the world watches with bated breath, only time will tell if his vision of a 3D internet will revolutionize the digital landscape.
