The term "metaverse" has been circulating for years, and its simplest definition would be "a virtual world through which we connect with other people ." This concept of creating worlds in which we are represented by an avatar was once conceived as a utopia in science fiction films. Today, it is presented as the future of interpersonal communication, far more advanced than social networks.
Although the metaverse does not really exist and for now it is only a somewhat vague definition, and it is postulated as conjectures of technology companies that want to create such virtual identity and communication technologies. The ad in which Marz Zuckerberg announced the change of company name Facebook to Meta showed his idea of metaverse. But it's just an idea. The video was a 3D animation of what Zuckerberg wants his version of the metaverse to be, but it is not a faithful representation as it is simply a proof of concept and many promises.
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Examples of metaverse
Actually, any online world can be a metaverse. Video games have their own metaverse if they are community-based games creating a world with its own population and narrative, and even economic systems. Examples of them are Grand Theft Auto Online, World of Warcraft, VRChat, RuneScape, IMVU, Roblox, Second Life ... One of its characteristics is that the virtual world is to represent yourself with a customizable avatar, either with paid cosmetics or free, or even being able to create them yourself for yourself or to sell them.
One of the games that best represents the definition of the “metaverse” is Fortnite. Young people use it as a social network in itself to be with friends in a different world, each with their own avatars and expressions. League of Legends is the same, although calling it the “metaverse” would be very generous because they don’t use avatars per se, but rather it is a virtual meeting point and users are not represented by customizable avatars.
Marc Zuckerberg with his company Meta wants to be a provider of different metaverses and that people can connect in different ways through something other than Facebook. They currently have in their possession what were the Oculus Quest, which will be renamed Meta Quest and will not require any Facebook account to be able to make their metaverses accessible to those who do not have a Facebook account, either because they have lost the login, have been removed, or simply because an account has never been created on the social network. With the technology offered by Meta Quests, your metaverse will be much more interactive and not limited to predefined expressions.
At this point, it is clear that the definition of metaverse is that of the concept of a virtual world about which we communicate. There are already several metaverses, and there will never be just one. But these are basic examples, and what companies like Meta are looking for is something more advanced.
The metaverse not limited to video games
As technologies have improved and their possibilities have appeared online worlds linked to the real world. This is usually the case with MMORPGs that allow you to exchange your own digital goods for real money or physical goods. Roblox itself allows us to create small digital worlds in which we can ask for an entry commission and over time we can get real money if our created world is real. In this case it would be an example of work in the metaverse: working in a virtual world to earn something in the real world.
There are expectations for metaverses that operate using augmented reality through accessories, many of which are expected to use blockchain and NFT technology to ensure their integrity and security, and thus display cosmetics from other users. Virtual reality and augmented reality will play an important role in future metaverses, such as virtual try-on experiences, digital art galleries, or meetings between entrepreneurs using virtual reality.
What is expected of the metaverse
For now, it is difficult to have a unified picture of what it means. But there are certain constants that are repeated about what large companies want their metaverses to have:
- Sets of functions that overlap with internet services or real-world activities.
- Real-time 3D graphics and custom avatars.
- A variety of goal-oriented person-to-person social interactions.
- Support for users creating their own virtual elements and environments.
- Union with external economic systems so that people can benefit from virtual goods.
- Designs adapted to virtual reality headsets and augmented reality glasses, even if they are generally also compatible with other hardware.
Is it worth using metaverse as a word?
It is true that we have concepts like “internet” or even “social networks”, but they do not fit the definition. “Internet” is the communication tool, and “social networks” are websites for communicating with other users based on an image, text or video interface. “Metaverse” is used for worlds that collect our personalization, with elements created by the community, and connect with the real world.
There is a lot of promise, a lot of romance and a lot of unbridled ambition with this concept. It must be borne in mind that there will not be a single example of this, and in the same way that there are websites and social networks that are better adapted to each person, there will be metaverses that meet the needs of socialization, work or economic opportunities depending on what person.
There are those who think that this term and definition of these virtual worlds is preferred so that the most conservative investors do not associate it with social networks or web pages. Similarly, the name change of the company Facebook to Meta followed numerous reports of the addiction caused by the social network and its monopolistic practices, as a way that investors do not think that they are investing in Facebook, the social network, especially when many young people they are abandoning it or not even joining it.
The relationship between metaverses, cryptocurrencies and NFTS
With the recent boom in metaverses, metaverses have appeared designed not to be centralized worlds dominated by a single company or organization. Using NFT, some users can own lands and cosmetic items in metaverses, and pay using cryptocurrencies to ensure anonymity and security. This has made metaverses can be seen as virtual real estate investment spaces, renting listed spaces such as land to set up a virtual business or billboards through NFT.
It is also expected that 3D avatars will begin to be sold as NFT to ensure that a person looks the same in different metaverses, if the engine supports polygon modeling. Online influencers such as VTubers or popular users on VRChat could ensure that their appearance in different worlds will maintain its integrity.
Will Virtual Reality or Augmented Reality glasses be necessary?
Although there will be metaverses that ask for said glasses to show the virtual world that they have created or improve communication, other metaverses can simply ask for an internet connection and an access terminal such as a PC or a mobile phone. It will depend on the complexity of the world and the graphics and processing requirements so as not to break the immersion.
What is the most famous metaverse?
It's difficult to choose the most famous metaverse among those that define themselves as such. On one hand, there's Decentraland, which is decentralized and aims to offer a community experience where anyone can invest in virtual land and trade in-game items. On the other hand, there's Horizon Worlds, the metaverse project from Meta, the company that was formerly Facebook. Meta has had to abandon this project because it was too long-term, given the current focus on Artificial Intelligence, such as ChatGPT.
Is the metaverse in decline?
It is possible to think that the Metaverse as such is no longer of interest. Decentraland and Horizon Worlds are having fewer and fewer users. But it does not mean that the Metaverse as such does not work, but rather the idea of the Metaverse of the technological giants has not caught on among users.
Fortnite is currently a huge social hub where millions of players regularly spend time with their friends, doing activities. So is GTA Online, which has an economy behind it to encourage its use. They are not metaverses as many tech giants predicted, but they entirely fulfill the idea of a virtual world with which people socialize.