It seems like we could have both; people can generate worlds by some combination of automation and manually tweaking parameters or mods, then they can share that world with their friends, and visit worlds created by their friends. Some people may have esoteric taste, but the internet is good for finding people who share your esoteric taste, for better and for worse.

That begs the question of how those friendships came to exist in the first place. I’m of the last generation that had a largely analog childhood, where friendships were the natural outcome of being bored and in the physical presence of others. If our technology reaches a place where people basically never have to be bored, nor do they have to be physically present with others to alleviate boredom, then I wonder on what basis anyone would ever develop deep relationships outside of family.

Seems like a pretty natural consequence of robotic companions as well. Why put up with all the complexity of a human relationship?

Unfortunately very few large companies truly operate to make the world a better place if their making money depends on the other direction.