Before we welcome the new year, here are some predictions for 2024:
Launch of new well-funded Metaverse platform. The most likely candidates include Everywhere from Grand Theft Auto veterans and Playable Worlds from Raph Koster and crew. i say "well-financed" Because we will also definitely see some bootstrapped or crowdfunded projects hitting the market. (I might know something too!)
Acquire a leading Metaverse platform startup or go on the IPO track.. The likely candidates here include Fortnite developer Epic (still a private company) and Rec Room, which has teamed up with Apple to integrate with the upcoming VisionPro.
as it were…
Apple begins selling VisionPro, with 100,000 to 250,000 units sold by 2024. This may seem like a small number, but for $3,500 and an entirely new device/platform for Apple, it’s pretty impressive.
Roblox MAU has surpassed the US population.. This prediction feels a bit fraudulent since Roblox surpassed 300 million MAU earlier this year, but hopefully this milestone will make us reconsider that entire lie. "The metaverse is dead" story.
Thanks to the launch of the mobile app, Second Life increased maximum CCU by more than 20%.. The jury is still out on whether Second Life’s upcoming iOS/Android app can actually increase its overall user base with new users (especially if the initial launch is aimed at existing users). But I think this will encourage more of our existing user base to log into SL. More often. Peak Second Life concurrency is now around 50,000 (hat tip: Daniel), so a 20% increase to 60,000 seems quite feasible!
Dear reader, what about you? Post your own predictions for next week’s highlights. The more specific and easier it is to verify, the better!