XLA Chief Product Office Alexey Savchenko took part in the Game developers conference (GDC) in San Francisco from March 20 to 24, where he presented the demo version of XLA Metasites to the general public.
He spoke about the new development during a panel called "Emerging Approaches: What the Metaverse can teach us about Social and Narrative Design through Synthetic Media", held in conjunction with Hexagram Founder and CEO Rob Auten.
According to Savchenko, Metasites is a modular 3D internet framework built by XLA, that provides individual creators with the capacity to deploy their Unreal Engine built content and connect it to the XLA ecosystem of features and services. Presentation revealed high fidelity graphics core experience, instant access to the system in the cloud through the browser, OpenAI’s GPT-3.5 integration powering non-active characters and their behavior, virtual assistant IVEE, ability to semantically analyze text and generate 3D scenes in UE5 and many other features.
"We call them Metasites, and the idea here is that every one of these locations is part of an infinite network of 3D, explorable spaces. Similar to hyperlinks, these worlds are connected by portals, and much like today’s web, the core infrastructure operates on a series of open protocols and standards," says Savchenko.
XLA states that it shall distribute access to their system to both individual creators and Enterprise clients, based on a revenue share model, providing every party with full control and management of their content.
"We strongly believe that the future of the Internet is in 3D and looking to partner up with creators and brands from all spheres and industries, to build it together," adds Savchenko.
Metasites users will have access to virtual assets and various technology tools provided as a part of the offering from XLA. Among them are a versatile SDK, experiences editor, inventory and item management system, payment processing, marketing tools and more. XLA is also looking to provide a seamless interoperable experience when it comes down to digital items, with various functionalities connected to inventory objects – in different environments, explains XLA CPO.
In addition, users can transform virtual worlds by creating unique content. This can be the design of their personal domains, clothing, or character. Thus, the XLA team will make its contribution to the development of the creative digital economy.
"What we’re creating," Savchenko continued, "is an evolution of the internet and new form of storytelling – authors shaping worlds that create their own agency, presence and stories, that are accessible across multiple platforms." It’s not about bringing games to new audiences. It’s about making it easier to communicate, educate, commerce, play and create, while being justly rewarded for your actions.
Project is currently funded with an initial 100m USD, and is set for Сlosed Beta already this Summer. Enterprise and Creators programs are opening next quarter, and full commercial release is expected at Q4 2023.
