The Future of Gameplay Programming in the Metaverse with Verse: Lessons from JavaScript

Introduction

In a 2023 talk on the state of Unreal Engine, Epic Games’ CEO Tim Sweeney describes his vision for his company’s place in the metaverse (“Epic’s Vision”). In this talk, Sweeney contextualizes the idea of the metaverse with universally rising player-bases in online games. He predicts that “that [trajectory] will put it at billions of users by the end of this decade,” “70 million” of which consisting of Epic’s most popular game (0:07; 0:58). These massively shared experiences, to Sweeney, make up the heart of the metaverse. Unreal Engine has created a new programming language named Verse in order “[support the] development of many kinds of games” in this sphere (0:33). Verse offers to make significant changes to the metaverse; however, as an emerging technology, research is particularly lacking in the ways it may affect the gameplay programming industry in the near future. Beginning to understand this problem and its preliminary effects, can be understood through the historical parallels of JavaScript.

About JavaScript and Verse

JavaScript is a crucial element of modern web. In the foreword to the JavaScript Bible, JavaScript creator Brendan Eich says that the language was “born out of a desire to let HTML authors write scripts directly in their documents,” and was designed following four main ideas: simplified, Java-like syntax; HTML event handlers; prototype-based inheritance; and the ability to generate HTML. JavaScript also functions as a language separate from HTML, being used in 3D rendering applications and games for example (Foreword). For HTML creator Tim Berners-Lee, the web, where it and JavaScript combine, create a sort of “philosophical engineering;” simultaneously, HTML can create and represent the systems of the web. The philosophy of the web is “a vision of the world where everything is done democratically, where we have an informed electorate and accountable officials” (qtd. in Knuth 45).

 

In the modern game development space, there has been much conversation about the emergence of a “metaverse.” Epic describes this concept as a “[real-time] 3D world with persistence, discovery, moderation, and commerce” (“Real-Time Round-Up”). This characterization of the metaverse takes a more specific, commerce perspective, compared to Yüksel’s, an Associate Professor of Computer Science at the University of San Francisco, determination where they state it is a “virtual universe created on the basis of information technologies in which people interact … through their avatars” (1). The idea of a metaverse, however, was introduced long ago in Neal Stephenson’s “Snow Crash” (Arvas 65; Damar, 1; Duan et al. 153; Kalkan 164; Lee 72; Lee et al. 1; Stephenson 35-36). The emerging metaverse is being defined by games. In fact, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg claims that “the people who actually follow the space would say [the metaverse is] about gaming” (16:08). Microsoft believes that “three categories of innovation” define the metaverse: “the consumer metaverse, the commercial metaverse, and the industrial metaverse” (Althoff 3:00; Nadella). Out of these three, Verse is currently limited to this “commercial” metaverse, concerned with “social” interaction such as “bringing avatars to life” (Althoff 3:20); it does not consider the way that developers or industries collaborate in the real world. Although there has been much speculation about the impact that Verse will have for the metaverse, current analysis hasn’t been thoroughly conducted in terms of gameplay programming.

 

 

Tim Sweeney talking about the metaverse in his talk on the state of Unreal

Reflecting on JavaScript

Academics in the 1990s played a crucial role in shaping the discourse around JavaScript. Initially, the language was met with skepticism, as it was seen as a scripting language for web design, not a legitimate programming language. Academics were divided in their opinions, with some dismissing JavaScript as a limited tool and others recognizing its potential. Michael Bieber et al. said that the JavaScript contributed negatively to web development, by making “programmers … specify all tasks in excruciating detail” (66-67). Jim Isaak challenged the ideas that JavaScript was illegitimate, going as far to say that it was one of “the best standardization candidates” for developing web applications (89). JavaScript’s evolution into a full-fledged programming language challenged academic norms. It was through the work of academics and developers that JavaScript started to gain legitimacy, demonstrating the malleability and adaptability of emerging technologies. Verse still needs to prove its legitimacy. It should be noted that the discourse around JavaScript evolved over time with every change and challenge that came to it. Drawing parallels may create unrealistic expectations for Verse's development in these early stages, potentially leading to disappointment or misunderstanding of the technology's limitations – especially when the language has a lack research and precedents.

 

Journalists played a crucial role in mediating the discourse surrounding JavaScript. They acted as intermediaries, translating technical developments into accessible narratives for the general public. Early reporting on JavaScript was often skeptical, emphasizing its limitations and potential security risks. 20th century critics of JavaScript claimed the technology was ineffective and unnecessary. They argued that Java applets should extend documents with dynamic content and that “HTML should describe static document structure only.”  However, as JavaScript's capabilities expanded and its applications diversified, journalism adapted, highlighting its growing significance. Journalists' shifting language mirrored the changing perception of JavaScript in the public eye (Goodman Foreword). This evolution emphasizes the media's responsibility in shaping public opinion about emerging technologies. Similarly, in the context of the metaverse and Verse, journalism will play a pivotal role in framing public understanding and expectations.

 

In the business world, JavaScript sparked a rush of innovation. Companies saw the potential to enhance user experiences on their websites, and they began to invest in JavaScript development. Companies recognized JavaScript as a valuable tool for expanding their online presence and improving customer engagement, as the language became useful for advertisement and tracking on their websites (Fouquet 2-3). JavaScript's adaptability allowed companies to stay ahead in the competitive online market. This mirrors the potential that Verse holds for the metaverse's gaming industry. Industrialists played a pivotal role in shaping the discourse around JavaScript by investing in its development, setting a precedent for how the corporate sector can influence the trajectory of emerging technologies. Despite its benefits, the drawbacks of using JavaScript have also become apparent: Sun et al. writes

While the expressivity and portability of JavaScript have brought its huge success, they also introduce various errors, vulnerabilities, and challenges in program analysis. Due to the excessively dynamic features and extensive use of implicit type conversion, JavaScript developers make type errors frequently. Because most web applications contain untrusted third-party code, they are vulnerable to various security attacks. Also, event-driven user interactions require understanding of complex semantics between JavaScript and HTML/DOM events. (2)

These drawbacks slow down development cycles within companies, and may lead to poor, unsafe code. The opinions and adoption of Verse from other businesses will be a pivotal factor in finding its place in the gameplay programming industry.

 

From a consumer perspective, JavaScript's impact was less evident. Consumers did not interact directly with JavaScript but experienced its effects through more dynamic and user-friendly websites. The transformation was subtle, but it marked a shift in how individuals engaged with the internet. Consumers began to expect more interactive and responsive websites. This shift highlights the often unnoticeable but profound changes that transformative technologies can bring to our daily lives. The evolving consumer expectations serve as a cautionary note for the potential impact of Verse on the metaverse. Just as JavaScript led to heightened user expectations, Verse may redefine what users anticipate from the metaverse, placing pressure on developers and programmers.

Pitfalls

Drawing parallels between historical precedents and contemporary phenomena is not without its dangers. While examining the discourse surrounding JavaScript can provide insights, it may lead to an oversimplification of the challenges posed by Verse. The metaverse is a vastly more complex and multifaceted ecosystem than the internet-deployed web, which cannot be fully understood through a singular historical parallel. Additionally, while JavaScript was primarily a tool for web development, Verse encompasses a much broader spectrum of applications in the metaverse, and gameplay programming cannot be understood solely in its lens. However, the metaverse in which the games are being deployed could be argued to be the next iteration of the web. Verse seeks to bring coherence to the diverse elements of gameplay programming in Unreal Engine. Much like JavaScript aimed to manage and make HTML dynamic, Verse aims to create a structured and interoperable environment for game development. The gaming industry, much like JavaScript, is driven by a common aspiration for systematic solutions to complex problems. The introduction of Verse technology in Unreal Engine symbolizes a leap towards a more advanced and interconnected gaming world. The discourse surrounding Verse reflects a shared optimism about the transformative potential of technology.

Conclusion

The emergence of the metaverse encourages gameplay programmers to create new technologies to serve gameplay experiences, of which Verse is just one piece. Its introduction reflects the necessity for better tools to manage this growing online ecosystem. Understanding Verse through the lens of JavaScript shows the need for interdisciplinary collaboration, proactive research, and a thorough examination of potential problems and opportunities. However, it is essential to acknowledge the limitations of drawing parallels and the unique attributes of each technology. While historical precedents can guide our understanding, they should not limit our capacity to adapt to the unforeseen challenges and possibilities of transformative technologies. Still, balancing these technical aspects is crucial for creating a metaverse that offers an engaging and safe environment for users and developers alike. Next steps for Verse research should be to examine how the language semantics and implementation can be improved to better suit and understand the needs of the metaverse.

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