Understanding The Metaverse Through Real-World Examples
The latest buzzword, and for most of us, a thing of the future. But is it? For creators, it’s not. The metaverse is nearer than it appears.
But (like us) if you’re a little wonky on what the term means, buckle down ’cause we’re about to dive in!
What does metaverse mean?
The metaverse is an alternate iteration of reality, built on top of our already existing universe.
The word is not actually new. It dates back to 1992, when the author of Snow Crash, a futuristic and science fiction novel, created it.
Think of the metaverse as an intangible place enabled by science and technology.
Sounds arcane, right?
It’s not. Think of it this way.
The internet we use today is interactive, but we don’t live “in” it. We just view it. Metaverse changes that. As Mark Zuckerberg calls it, it’s an embodied internet. A place where you don’t just view content, you are also in it. With metaverse, virtual and physical worlds merge.
Let’s break it down more.
You know how we currently have different logins for different platforms such as Facebook, Twitter? With the Metaverse, everything is connected through a seamless global network, wherein all have access to their ‘space’ within it.
Real-world examples of the metaverse
Ready Player One
Trust us. It’s the best way to understand what metaverse looks and feels like. FYI, it has all our favorite characters from different worlds and genres — Iron Man, Pokémon, Mortal Kombat. In a single space, away from the actual reality, they are free to interact with each other.
Sounds exciting, doesn’t it?
Fortnite concerts
Back in 2019 Fortnite launched a live virtual event where everyone from celebrities to players attended Marshmallow’s concert in a single, interconnected space. It’s a perfect example of what the metaverse will be one day.
Augmented reality and virtual reality
AR is an artificial world, built on top of our own, that is visible with the help of devices such as AR glasses or the phone’s camera.
Sound familiar? Of course, it does.
The popular game “Pokémon Go” is designed around the concept, where a Pokémon that can be fought against is visible using the phone’s camera.
It’s another example of what the metaverse will be. If all AR companies were to subscribe to Metaverse, you would be able to use all their features using a single device.
Who’s making the metaverse possible?
Well, there is Facebook, or rather, Meta.
They have already pledged 50 million USD towards the research and development of it. Then there is Microsoft. Satya Nadella invested in Metaverse even before Mark Zuckerberg.
Dig deeper into the Metaverse
Boil it down and it comes to this.
Metaverse will be the place where we make a living, experience friendship, and build a community. Getting why it is crucial for creators?
While this may not be a reality now, we can confidently say that it is going to be revolutionary.
It will alter the face of the internet, the creator economy, and most definitely the way we do things. Imagine being able to try on an item before buying it online!
And that’s just a glimpse of the reality we are looking at with the Metaverse.
If you’d like to dig deeper into what metaverse means, this is a 12 part primer that talks about it extensively. Begin with this one. It focuses on what it is, and where to find it.
