Unity – home to the popular Unity games development engine – has joined with Insomniac Entertainment – who last co-operated with Roblox to bring their Electric Daisy Carnival to Roblox – in order to create a metaverse world specifically for EDM fans.
With the gradual subsidence of Covid-19 and a return to clubbing/party/festival normals, the Electronic Dance Music machine is globally gearing up for what will be its biggest summer in years. But the absence of live events due to the pandemic has kickstarted a new movement for virtual experiences in this most hi-tech of music genres.
Now moves are afoot for this cult-like club culture to thrive online for those people who are not ready, not able or for occasions where it’s simply not necessary to be there for the live party.
Insomniac Entertainment is the EDM-focused division of live music giant Live Nation and the fruits of their joint labours with Unity were unveiled at culture fest SXSW this week.
What is the EDM metaverse?
The session – presented by Unity’s SVP of Sports and Entertainment Peter Moore (a games and sport industry veteran famous for heading up EA, Microsoft’s Xbox gaming efforts and in more recent times being CEO of Liverpool FC) – outlined a metaverse that enabled partygoers to visit a concert with friends from all across the country, meeting your favourite performers and having a personal conversation with them.
The collaboration – a persistent virtual world for EDM fans – is a fusion of physical and virtual worlds and a personalised and gamified experience that will change the way that audiences participate in live events, with big name DJs and musical acts able to create and own their own digital spaces under this larger metaverse umbrella.
Unity similarly worked with UFC in order to bring fight fans closer to the action and now music is getting the metaverse treatment. As to what this could mean for theatre, cinema and live events of every kind, it seems that the metaverse sky is the limit.
Daniel Griffiths is a veteran journalist who has worked on some of the world's biggest entertainment, home and tech media brands. He's reviewed all the greats, interviewed countless big names, and reported on thousands of releases in the fields of video games, music, movies, tech, gadgets, home improvement, self build, interiors, garden design and more. He’s the ex-Editor of PSM3, GamesMaster, Future Music and ex-Group Editor-in-Chief of Electronic Musician, Guitarist, Guitar World, Computer Music and more. He renovates property and writes fun things for great websites.
