A whole new world: Disney is latest firm to announce metaverse plans | Walt Disney Company | The Guardian
A whole new world: Disney is latest firm to announce metaverse plans | Walt Disney Company | The Guardian: Referring%20to%20Disney%u2019s%20history%20of%20innovation%20in%20storytelling%2C%20which%20includes%20the%20Steamboat%20Willie%20cartoon%20that%20featured%20synchronised%20sound%2C%20Chapek%20said%3A%20%u201CThe%20Walt%20Disney%20Company%20has%20a%20long%20track%20record%20as%20an%20early%20adopter%20in%20the%20use%20of%20technology%20to%20enhance%20the%20entertainment%20experience.%u201D%0A%0AAdvertisement%0A%0ASpeaking%20during%20the%20company%u2019s%20quarterly%20corporate%20results%20call%2C%20he%20added%3A%20%u201COur%20efforts%20to%20date%20are%20merely%20a%20prologue%20to%20a%20time%20when%20we%u2019ll%20be%20able%20to%20connect%20the%20physical%20and%20digital%20worlds%20even%20more%20closely%2C%20allowing%20for%20storytelling%20without%20boundaries%20in%20our%20own%20Disney%20metaverse.%u201D%0A%0AChapek%20gave%20no%20specific%20details%20of%20Disney%u2019s%20plans%20on%20the%20results%20call%2C%20in%20keeping%20with%20a%20concept%20that%20is%20still%20very%20much%20in%20its%20early%20stages%20across%20the%20tech%20industry.%20But%20Chapek%20indicated%20in%20a%20further%20interview%20on%20CNBC%20on%20Wednesday%20that%20the%20company%u2019s%20Disney+%20streaming%20service%20would%20be%20involved.%20In%20the%20interview%2C%20Chapek%20said%20he%20saw%20it%20as%20an%20extension%20of%20Disney+%2C%20through%20the%20%u201Cthree-dimensional%20canvas%u201D%20he%20envisions%20for%20new%20types%20of%20storytelling.%0A%0ADisney+%2C%20which%20has%20118%20million%20subscribers%20to%20Netflix%u2019s%20214%20million%2C%20has%20already%20launched%20a%20number%20of%20hit%20franchise%20spin-offs%20such%20as%20Star%20Wars%20adventure%20The%20Mandalorian%20and%20the%20Avengers%20series%20Wandavision.%20However%2C%20that%20subscriber%20total%20represented%20a%20shortfall%20on%20market%20expectations%2C%20with%20analysts%20anticipating%20that%20Disney+%20would%20reach%20125%20million%20users%20in%20its%20latest%20results.%20Netflix%20has%20also%20reported%20slowing%20subscriber%20growth%20as%20the%20relaxation%20of%20lockdown%20measures%20renews%20the%20appeal%20of%20out-of-home%20entertainment%20%u2013%20and%20forces%20executives%20to%20consider%20new%20ways%20of%20boosting%20sign-ups.%0A%0ADisney%u2019s%20former%20executive%20vice-president%20of%20digital%2C%20Tilak%20Mandadi%2C%20wrote%20a%20LinkedIn%20post%20in%202020%20about%20creating%20a%20theme%20park%20metaverse%2C%20where%20the%20%u201Cphysical%20and%20digital%20world%20converge%u201D%20through%20wearable%20devices%20and%20mobile%20phones.%20The%20metaverse%20concept%20also%20includes%20augmented%20reality%2C%20where%20elements%20of%20the%20digital%20world%20are%20layered%20on%20top%20of%20reality%2C%20such%20as%20the%20Pok%E9mon%20Go%20game%2C%20which%20is%20played%20on%20mobile%20phones%20or%20Facebook%u2019s%20recent%20smart%20glasses%20tie-up%20with%20Ray-Ban.%0A%0A