Mark Zuckerberg has received plenty of criticism for the current state of the metaverse, from ugly avatars to false promises. Oculus founder Palmer Luckey also has criticisms for Mark Zuckerberg and Meta, though he does want the CEO to succeed.
Considering all of the well-deserved flack that Zuckerberg has received, it’s a bit odd to see someone wish him well. Then again, these good wishes are coming from someone who wants to turn soldiers into invincible killing machines.
Palmer Luckey vs The metaverse
According to Business Insider, the former Oculus founder was very harsh towards Facebook’s metaverse. Luckey admits that the online platform is a “bad product”, claiming it isn’t fun, a sentiment echoed by Meta staff.
"It's not good, it's not fun," Luckey said of Horizon Worlds. "Most people on the team would agree it's not a good product."
Luckey’s comments echo the criticisms of similar people in power, so this isn’t an unpopular opinion in the slightest. Considering all of the lambastings that the metaverse has taken thus far, it’s clear that Zuckerberg and Meta have work to do.
Read More: Metaverse Cyber Crime will be rampant, warns Europol report
Tough love?
Despite Luckey’s tough words for the metaverse, he still thinks Zuckerberg will make it work due to all the money Meta has poured in. Considering how Luckey made Oculus and used to work for Facebook, his support for Zuckerberg does make some sense.
"Mark Zuckerberg is the number one virtual reality fan in the world," Luckey said. "He's put in more money and time to it than anyone ever in history."
Zuckerberg’s affiliation with virtual reality is not a new concept. In fact, Zuckerberg is responsible for the popularisation of the platform after he purchased oculus after the release of the Rift.
Alongside VR, Zuckerberg also plans to make augmented reality mainstream with AR glasses. However, it’s uncertain if Meta will succeed where Google and Microsoft have failed.