Chuck E. Cheese Metaverse
The Chuck E. Cheese Metaverse (Also called the Chuck E. Verse) is a potentially in-development metaverse application, which could appear on mobile, PC, or VR devices.
Description
Through its trademark filings, the concept centers around a virtual Chuck E. Cheese restaurant, in which all aspects of a standard store are recreated for a virtual experience. These experiences will be shared between guests, as the metaverse term is used to describe highly social 3D software applications and games. Customers will be able to purchase virtual and physical goods, with the mention of food delivery given. This is already covered by their side-company Pasqually's Pizza & Wings, in which you can order food made inside Chuck E. Cheese's restaurants, which is already available on delivery apps. Alongside this, mention of virtual arcade games, videos, programs, and virtual toys are purchasable.
A notable point in the description is the reference to 'actual and virtual concerts', theatrical performances and other virtual events'. With the company's slow departure from its animatronic shows, along with the rapid need for online spaces by customers and the company's bankruptcy following the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, this may be an attempt to bring its entertainment department fully virtual. Its characters and showtapes may evolve to virtual events and concerts in their roadmap.
Controversy
One of the most controversial parts of the filings was the mention of NFT's. Non-Fungible Tokens was a large trend during late 2021 to early 2022, in which lots of companies began to announce their endeavors into the virtual economy. NFTs have a history of scams, pyramid schemes, fraud, and impact on the environment. This becomes furtherly egregious due to the nature of the company's core audience, which has always been kids, especially in the company's rebranding in 2013. The concept of a metaverse, in which anyone may participate, and which virtual NFTs may be sold and traded, can lead to a lot of dangerous and illegal things being presented to children, or having them scammed of their money. Bringing a virtual economy to kids can also incite a gambling addiction early on, having unnecessary funds go towards virtual items. The now metaverse-branded Roblox is in a similar situation with bringing children into social situations and online economies, and despite their restrictions on types of direct communication and moderation, they have come into a large amount of scams, illegal activity, and grooming for their young users. It is unclear how a significantly less prepared and online software enthused company as CEC Entertainment will choose to handle these dangerous situations and affects on their young userbase.
Initial Trademarks
On February 17, 2022, CEC Entertainment Concepts, LP filed two trademarks, one under Chuck E. Cheese Metaverse[1], and one under Chuck E. Verse[2]. Both applications lists the same details under their purpose, that being:
Virtual food and beverage products; downloadable multimedia files containing artwork, text, audio and video files and non-fungible tokens; downloadable virtual goods, namely, computer programs featuring art, toys and accessories for use online and in online virtual worlds; downloadable computer software in the nature of video games; downloadable computer software in the nature of mobile applications
Online retail services featuring virtual goods
Entertainment services, namely, providing on-line actual and virtual concerts, theatrical performances and other virtual events; entertainment services, namely, providing online arcade games, video games and electronic games
Operating a virtual restaurant featuring actual and virtual goods, operating a virtual restaurant online featuring home delivery