Epic Games has filed a trademark for the ‘Epic Games Megaverse’.
Filed at the end of 2021, thetrademarkcovers a wide range of goods and services and is presumably an umbrella term forEpic’s vision for the metaverse.
While there’s no universally accepted definition, the metaverse is a network of 3D virtual spaces where users can socialise, play, and work, and some envision it as a successor to the mobile internet.
Last April, Epic announced the completion of a$1 billion funding round to support its metaverse plans.
It included an additional $200 million investment fromPlayStationmakerSony, which also invested $250 million in the Fortnite and Unreal Engine firm in 2020.
“Their investment will help accelerate our work around building connected social experiences in Fortnite,Rocket LeagueandFall Guys, while empowering game developers and creators with Unreal Engine, Epic Online Services and theEpic Games Store,” Epic CEOTim Sweeneysaid at the time.
On Tuesday, Los Angeles-based Spire Animation Studios announced that Epic had invested in the company. The pair are collaborating to integrate Unreal Engine into Spire’s feature animation pipeline to build metaverse experiences.
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“The talented team at Spire has decades of experience and their work has captivated audiences around the world with heartfelt storytelling and inspiring characters,” said Epic CTO Kim Libreri.
“They are at the cutting edge of animation and together we will push the state of the art in metaverse entertainment.”
XboxownerMicrosoftannounced last month that it intends toacquire Activision Blizzard in a $68.7 billion deal–the game industry’sbiggest ever by some distance–that will accelerate the growth in its gaming business “provide building blocks for the metaverse”.
