A moment’s silence, please, for the death of the Metaverse

Meta sank tens of billions into its CEO's virtual reality dream, but what will he do next?

Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to remember the metaverse, which was quietly laid to rest a few weeks ago by its grieving adoptive parent, one Mark Zuckerberg. Those of you with long memories will remember how, in October 2021, Zuck (as he is known to his friends) excitedly announced the arrival of his new adoptee, to which he had playfully assigned the nickname The Future".

So delighted was he that he had even renamed his family home in her honour. Henceforth, what was formerly called Facebook" would be known as Meta". In a presentation at the company's annual conference, Zuckerberg announced the name change and detailed how his child would grow up to be a new version of cyberspace. She will be the successor to the mobile internet", he told a stunned audience of credulous hacks and cynical Wall Street analysts. We'll be able to feel present - like we're right there with people no matter how far apart we actually are." And no expense would be spared in ensuring that his child would fulfil her destiny.