The first round of mass layoffs at Disney ended the company’s metaverse sector. Also known as “Next Generation Storytelling,” the division had somewhere around 50 employees, including a former Apple director who traded the apple for Mickey. Disney’s proposal was to deliver a new experience using its entire rich portfolio of characters, brands and franchises.
In total, Disney is expected to lay off 7,000 employees in three “rounds.” By shutting down the metaverse sector, the Marvel owner follows steps similar to Microsoft’s. The creator of Windows has fired its entire division responsible for virtual and augmented reality glasses, a key piece of equipment for the proposal of the metaverse.
At the moment, only Meta remains firm and strong investing in this concept as a form of entertainment and leisure – Nvidia and its Omniverse have a more professional proposal for the metaverse.
Disney hired ex-Apple for its metaverse
Last year, Disney announced the hiring of Mark Bozon, a former Apple Arcade executive. At the new company, Bozon had the role of leading the creative vision of “Next Generation Storytelling,” as the metaverse industry was called. The term “Storytelling” used by Disney refers to the concept of presenting stories in more impactful and non-traditional ways.
Owner of so many copyrights, with stories in different settings (for example, Pirates of the Caribbean and Frozen) Disney has material to explore mixed reality as a new means of consuming its contents. However, the scenario has changed.
According to the Wall Street Journal, among the new formats Disney tested were attractions for its parks and even sports — Mickey owns ESPN.
Despite the demise of the metaverse division, Disney CEO Bob Iger is a board member of Genies Inc. This startup develops avatars for social networks, including those used on Instagram and iMessage.
Iger may even invest and believe in virtual reality formats in private life, but his role at Disney includes cutting out what isn’t a priority. And at the moment, audiences don’t seem to want new formats to listen to “Let It Go.”