Meta announces new tools coming to Horizon Worlds, allowing creators to experiment with different ways to earn money in the metaverse, such as making and selling virtual goods. If you like the idea of shopping in the metaverse as we do at a mall, you're in luck.
Aiming to let creators earn a living by offering users digital goods, services, and experiences in self-created worlds, the tools are currently available to a handful of creators in Horizon Worlds to test out the monetization feature. While it's limited for now, purchasing items in the metaverse is available to people aged 18 and up in the US and Canada.
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The virtual goods can be just about anything creators come up with, such as attachable accessories for a fashion world, offering paid access to an exclusive new part of a world or a simple key that unlocks a door. As the announcement mentions, creators selling items will see a "Commerce" tab when they're in "Create mode" that lets them create purchasable items. While this could fall into the trap of microtransactions, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg states it "requires a lot of experimentation and creativity" to see what people using different worlds want/
"If you imagine what some future metaverse [at] some point down the line [would look like], clearly the ability to sell virtual goods and take them with you from one world to another is going to be an important part of it," said Zuckerberg. "But first, there need to be things that people want to buy, to get that economy going."
Zuckerberg continues: "It's not like we just put something out there, and we're done. You know, we'll see what you all build. And then we'll see what resonates with the people using the worlds, and then we'll build the next round of tools based on that and keep on improving it."
The monetization tools contribute to Meta's $10 million Horizon Creators Fund, offering creators resources to create virtual experiences in the metaverse. Meta states it will also begin testing a Horizon Worlds Creator Bonus program for those in the US, offering bonuses in the form of goal-oriented monthly programs where creators are paid at the end of the month for their progress toward a goal.
The metaverse is expanding, with users already buying real estate and Ledger setting up shop in The Sandbox's metaverse. We're interested to see what creators come up with, and if selling virtual goods can earn them a profitable living.
