Meta Platforms Decide to Include Teens in Their HorizonWorlds Metaverse App
In today’s latest news, Meta Platforms Inc., Facebook’s parent company, decided to attract teens aged 13 to 18 to its Horizon Worlds Metaverse App. The company informed the team that it would revamp the app to engage this age group with innovative features and improved performance. It is currently designed for audiences in the age group of 18 and above. According to the latest available information, Meta expects to introduce a modified Horizon Worlds Metaverse App for young adults and teens by March 2023.
Make changes to the Horizon app
Gabriel Aul, VP (Horizon), in a memo to the team engaged in amending the Horizon Worlds Metaverse App, highlighted the objectives of the team set for H1 2023. As part of the goals and strategy, the team needs to make changes to the app to improve its appeal to the targeted age group. Its main task is to retain users and attract young adults and teens to Horizon.
In a memo to the team, Aul said the competitors of Meta are putting in significant efforts to satisfy these cohorts’ unique needs. He stressed that the team needs to put in considerable effort to ensure the success of Horizon by addressing the needs of young adults and teens.
According to Joe Osborne, a Meta spokesperson, the company’s Quest virtual reality headsets are aimed at people aged 13 and up. Now, the main task of the team is to introduce experiences for such audiences in Horizon.
Osborne also claimed that teams are already engaged in making changes to Horizon to offer great experiences for teens, who already spent time enjoying VR, by adding additional protections and including appropriate tools.
Invested billions of dollars in the metaverse
Meta has invested billions of dollars in building the metaverse, which allows user interaction in virtual worlds. The company already invested $15.9 billion in 2022 in its Realty Labs Division (RLD), which focuses on developing software and hardware for the workings of the metaverse. Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Metaverse, said Metaverse will become the next frontier for CT (computer technology).
Horizon’s main issue is retaining its user base. According to feedback from the users, players are unable to get engaged with the game after downloading and installing it on their Quest VR sets. The weekly retention rate of Horizon was 20% in the previous month. It shows that out of nine users, only one plays the game in the subsequent month. In a memo to the team, Meta set the goal to increase that rate to 20%.
Maintaining user retention is paramount for Meta. More users will try to use the additional features of the app and enjoy experiencing ghost towns, feeling the touch of their favorite giant animal, or playing their favorite games. The app also needs the return of players to improve its service.
It is necessary to increase the number of users
In the latest BNN breaking news, Meta has also set a monthly target of 500,000 users in H1 2023 for its team. It also stated that the team needs to achieve an annual target of 1 million for 2023. At the end of December 2022, its user base was just above 200,000. The responsibilities of the team also include providing an equitable and safe experience for the users and maintaining high performance.