Picture this: the entire internet transformed into a breathtaking 3D playground where countless players can roam and connect on a planetary scale. That's the groundbreaking vision of Brendan 'PlayerUnknown' Greene, the visionary behind the hit game PUBG, and believe me, the first phase of his ambitious scheme is almost fully in motion. It’s the kind of idea that stirs your imagination and makes you question everything about how we interact online today. But here's where it gets controversial – is this really a step forward for humanity, or just another utopian dream that could go awry? Let's dive in and explore this fascinating saga together.
Brendan Greene, the Irish game developer famously known as 'PlayerUnknown', has always been a powerhouse of creative concepts. He's the mastermind who ignited the battle royale phenomenon, starting with experiments in an Arma 3 mod, then refining it through the zombie survival title H1Z1, and ultimately launching the massively popular shooter PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds – or PUBG, as it's commonly called. Greene's appetite for grand innovations is insatiable, and his latest pursuit might just be his most audacious yet: reinventing the very fabric of the internet.
Yes, you heard that right. During a video chat, Greene shared with me his desire to overhaul HTTP – the core protocol that underpins how the internet functions – and adapt it into a three-dimensional realm. In simpler terms, HTTP is like the rulebook for web traffic, dictating how data moves between devices. Greene envisions evolving our online experiences from flat screens to immersive, interactive worlds, essentially crafting what he calls the 'next internet.' To break this down for beginners, think of it as upgrading from reading a book to stepping into a living, breathing story where you can interact with others in real-time.
There's so much to digest in this concept, but the crux is that it represents the culmination of a decade-long journey involving multiple games and technological advancements. Greene stepped away from PUBG in 2019, relocating to Amsterdam to establish PlayerUnknown Productions and tackle 'special projects' for the South Korean firm Krafton. Although PP later became independent, it still benefits from Krafton's backing.
This 10-year roadmap aims to develop three distinct games that demonstrate and refine technology capable of rendering vast, detailed 3D planetary environments, accommodating millions of concurrent users. As Greene explained to me, 'I want to create Earth-scale planets teeming with millions of players – that's the ultimate objective.' He describes it as 'the internet reimagined in 3D,' pointing out that while the web offers shared social spaces, digital gaming worlds remain fragmented into small, isolated groups.
But here's where it gets really intriguing – and potentially divisive. Greene sees these spaces not just as gaming arenas, but as collaborative sandboxes or universes where people can congregate and build. He believes no one else is tackling this frontier, so his team is essentially constructing a '3D HTTP' – a new framework for three-dimensional interactions that's still years away. For example, imagine logging into a virtual Earth where you can explore cities, meet friends in real-time simulations, or even trade virtual goods seamlessly, all without the limitations of current online platforms.
The initial chapter of this epic plan is well underway with Prologue: Go Wayback, the first of the three games. This title blends survival mechanics with navigation challenges, where players traverse lush forests using maps and compasses, all while dodging perils like hypothermia, dehydration, starvation, or injuries from falls. I've tried it myself and found it engaging – it's set for official early access launch on November 20th, but you can already play it for free in open beta.
The game's true purpose, however, lies in its technology: pioneering terrain-generation tools that swiftly create rich, unique 3D worlds on your device. Prologue: Go Wayback achieves this by producing dynamic environments complete with weather effects, such as rain transforming landscapes into muddy quagmires. Yet, it operates on a modest 8x8km scale – a far cry from Earth's colossal surface area of about 200 million square miles. Still, it's a promising starting point, demonstrating how procedural generation can make vast worlds feel alive and responsive, like how a video game might dynamically alter a forest based on your actions.
Building on this, the second game – a multiplayer first-person shooter – will expand these capabilities, pushing boundaries further. The third game remains shrouded in mystery but promises exponential growth in world size, alongside innovative features like integrated marketplaces and economic systems. At the heart of this evolution is the studio's custom engine, Melba, which is designed for generating massive worlds, though it's still honing intricate details. From Game Two onward, Melba will drive the development.
Greene likens this endeavor to building a 'Holodeck' – a Star Trek-inspired concept of fully immersive virtual reality – but he's approaching it incrementally. 'We're not attempting to conquer everything simultaneously,' he notes, 'and we're leveraging our team efficiently, mindful of our limited budget. We must prioritize game revenues and validate each step before scaling, avoiding hasty launches.'
These games serve dual roles: they focus the studio's efforts and generate income. However, the most astonishing aspect is Greene's intention to offer the underlying technology free of charge. This is essential, he argues, because recreating the internet demands openness.
'Since we're essentially rebuilding HTTP, it must be open-source,' Greene emphasized. 'It needs governance by a foundation to mirror the original internet's ethos. Companies are driven by profit, which can stifle universal access, but a shared platform requires a different model. We'll contribute content through our games, but the tech itself should be freely available to empower others in creating expansive worlds.'
He envisions PlayerUnknown Productions as a collaborative hub, not a walled garden. 'My goal is openness, enabling other creators to build grand environments,' he added. 'To forge the next internet, we must emulate the spirit of those five scientists who shared knowledge to invent the web – we're five innovators crafting worlds anew, and hopefully, this echoes through history.'
Greene's visionary streak isn't entirely unprecedented. Major tech giants are buzzing about the 'metaverse' – a linked web of 3D virtual realms, similar to what Greene is pursuing. Facebook rebranded to Meta to champion this idea, but has since scaled back quietly. Could Greene's modest 65-person team triumph where Mark Zuckerberg's vast empire stumbled?
And this is the part most people miss – or perhaps overlook: Will Greene stay committed? Prologue: Go Wayback hasn't even fully debuted yet, with years of refinement ahead in early access. Game Two might follow after that, if at all, and Game Three feels like a distant mirage. I'll be astonished if it materializes.
Yet, contemplating this is thrilling. I'm drawn to bold trailblazers like Greene – their ideas excite me deeply. This isn't mere incremental tweaks, a staple in modern gaming; it's a radical overhaul with disruptive potential, much like PUBG revolutionized multiplayer shooters. Whether Greene reaches his goal is uncertain – even he admits he doesn't know. But that won't deter him.
What do you think? Is Greene's 3D internet a brilliant leap toward a more connected future, or an impractical fantasy that ignores real-world challenges like privacy, accessibility, and potential exploitation? Could making such powerful tech open-source lead to innovation, or breed chaos? Share your thoughts in the comments – do you agree this is worth pursuing, or disagree that it's feasible? I'd love to hear your take!
