The metaverse sounds like a technology similar to virtual reality, it certainly includes virtual reality, but it’s not the same. In case you get lost in the multimedia world and considering we will have a metaverse in the next few months, we will try to clarify some concepts that will help us understand it,
What is the Metaverse?
The idea is not new, although it is relatively new. The term first appeared in Neil Stephenson’s 1992 novel Avalanche. A science-fiction novel that became the best-selling cyberpunk novel of the 90s, which, in addition to many references to the genre, did not shy away from philosophical, humorous, action, and mathematical and scientific concepts surrounding new technologies, including references to “avatars” word as image of a person on the internet. For us, the basic argument is about a strange computer virus that spreads as a pseudo-narcotics that robs its victims of the ability to think creatively or independently, and be able to act in and out of the real world. Stephenson first called it the metaverse. Imagine an avalanche in Zuckerberg’s hands…
In the novel, the metaverse is a shared virtual space that uses virtual reality, augmented reality, avatars, and the internet. The ideas proposed by Facebook and other big tech companies are very similar, albeit with certain differences and approaches. For example, Microsoft is primarily considering companies that can access pre-built immersive workspaces (or create their own) from any device in a persistent digital world connected to the physical world. Although we’ve seen it all in dozens of science fiction novels and movies, the closest thing we have to a metaverse at our disposal is Second Life. A social network launched in June 2003 as an open-programmed virtual world in which users own intellectual property rights to a portion of the world and benefit in the form of virtual and real money. After the initial huge pull, Second Life’s use is reduced to a minimum, but its concept certainly won’t go unnoticed by developing a new virtual world that claims to be “revolutionary.”
Metaverse and Virtual Reality
There are similarities that cannot be ignored, as well as differences. The first and most notable is that while virtual reality is well-defined and understandable to any user, in fact, virtual reality is not defined at all. We see some comparative differences that allow us to make progress in these worlds.
Vague description.
According to orib, the Metaverse is “an embodied Internet where you can not only view content but also be in it.” A recent statement from Microsoft described it as “a persistent digital world inhabited by people, The digital twin of places and things.” Compared to our understanding of virtual reality, it’s vague. Even tech companies themselves may not have a complete definition. Metaverse may just be a buzzword used to describe novel technologies on the internet.
The Metaverse is not from Facebook.
Although Mark Zuckerberg wants to be the “king” of the virtual world, he has changed the social network’s name to something similar and is the one who has invested the most in capitalizing on previous developments like Facebook Horizonn, executing this way An ambitious project will be the task of many and will involve the entire industry. We’ve already seen it in virtual reality. As the owner of Oculus, Facebook has been instrumental in its development, but at the same time, it’s just one player in this huge industry. And not the biggest.
The metaverse will be larger than VR.
Another difference is its size. If existing virtual worlds are limited in size, it appears that the metaverse will provide access to the entire internet. Or this is the idea. Users are expected to be identified by personal avatars who will interact with each other in virtual locations and also be able to purchase or build virtual items and environments, such as NFTs. For more information, visit NFT News.
Metaverse is not only accessible through VR
Access to virtual worlds will not be limited to VR headsets at all, for example, augmented reality devices can be used, and in addition to accessing these virtual worlds, they can also be projected into the real world. In general, as the project defines it, it can access the internet through any device we use today, be it a smartphone or a PC.
Metaverse, more successful than virtual reality?
Despite its proclamation as a great revolution, VR has been a resounding fiasco so far. Revenue forecasts from consultants five years ago sound like nonsense today. Only Oculus, HTC, and Sony have sold a very limited number of successful devices. Google’s shutdown of the DayDream VR platform is already a warning that a company like Apple, which sells everything for millions of dollars, hasn’t entered the space yet, which gives us a sense of the situation. Will the Metaverse end the same way?
Will the Metaverse Replace the Internet?
They stated from Meta that “Metaverse will be an important part of the next chapter of Internet evolution after mobile Internet”. It’s a long way from there to think it can replace the current internet. Beyond that, the internet can go the other way, although everything is connected. Web3, a set of technologies that promises the best version of the World Wide Web, has revolutionized the way we connect and communicate by creating a decentralized internet that is accessible to all, respecting your privacy and anonymity. It has little to do with New Years Eve.
