Metaverses? Exist since 90's
Recently, the word Metaverse is often mentioned within all topics that include the Internet, social networks, cryptocurrencies, and in general, any topic that has the "future" as its direction.
This virtual reality made up of avatars, social life, entertainment, work and more, provides the users with gigantic virtual spaces where they can interact, build and explore new worlds. In short, a reality where literally everything is possible.
The word "Metaverse" comes from the fusion of meta- (beyond) and universe, therefore beyond the universe.
In fact the metaverse is a sort of overlay that is applied to reality we know today. When we talk about virtual or augmented reality, the words "virtual" or "augmented" are only adjectives that determine how we are experiencing reality, because reality is an experience that can be lived independently of the "how".
How did we get to the metaverse?
Our vision of the "future" was born in the XX century, precisely in the beginning of the 80s with films such as Back to the future, Terminator, Star Wars etc. But also with a literary genre called Cyberpunk. Now many of you will think that before Cyberpunk there was science fiction literature and you are right, since Cyberpunk is a sub-genre of Science Fiction. However, what brings Cyberpunk closer to our future is precisely the reworking of the world as we knew it in the 80s with the addition of hi-techs, bio-techs, robotics, gigantic corporations competing for the monopoly of the market, and finally the virtualization of physical space into virtual space or in Cyberpunk terms, Cyberspace.
So what exactly is a metaverse?
A metaverse is a shared virtual space inspired by the physical world. This space is navigable in two or three dimensions (walking, flying, floating and teleporting from one point to another) through the use of virtual characters called avatars.
The first step to access the metaverse is the creation or assignment of an avatar, a sort of character that will be controlled by the user and that will represent the user during their time in the metaverse. It is not very different from modern video games defined as MMO (Massive multi-player online) as they are Metaverses mainly oriented towards the gaming experience, but also to the social aspect since it is possible to communicate with other players.
So the Metaverses are already there?
Yes, Metaverses have existed since the 90s. Obviously at the beginning many were prototypes, but some ended up on the market despite being agglomerates of brightly coloured polygons. One of the first "virtual realities" on the market was worlds.com, introduced in April 1995 by Worlds Inc., graphically and interactively similar to the Id Software masterpiece "Doom", but differentiated by a chat window to interact with the other users of the platform.
Did you know? Words.com is still active! Because Worlds Inc. owns the patent of the basic concept of a virtual platform that offers the possibility of interaction between users, the company continuously sues other companies that develop Metaverses.
Four years after the birth of Worlds.com, in 1999 Philip Rosdale, a physicist and computer scientist, founded Linden Lab. Company that earns its reputation as an avant-garde thanks to the release of the first true metaverse in the history of the internet: Second Life.
Inside the metaverse of Philip Rosedale or Philip Linden in Second Life slang, it is possible to do pretty much anything you want. Several years after its release, between 2006 and 2008, it was talked about as never before, since it counted 1 million of active users. Thanks to this, the metaverse of Second Life became alive, dynamic and changing. Second Life offers its users earning opportunities thanks to its virtual currency, the linden, a currency that is in fact convertible into real currencies. Users can create and sell their own assets such as: clothes, accessories, lands, avatar, skins, services, and much more. Second Life in a few years became an ecosystem, the metaverse par excellence, the solution that organically responds to user needs, and a limitless “bit society” that offers the alternative that screen lovers lack.
Despite the financial crisis of 2008 and Rosedale's exit in 2010 from the position of CEO of Linden Lab, Second Life survived and still boasts 900K active users.
So why did the Metaverse explode right now?
The reasons are many and some of these are:
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Technological evolution
We have now smartphones and tablets as powerful as computers; the internet runs on robust infrastructures that guarantee unprecedented speed and connection stability; and devices such as VR headsets became more affordable. -
The society adaptation to technology
In the past, technology and the idea of spending many hours on the Internet or at a computer was seen as a bad thing, a waste of time. Today in the world of artificial intelligence, robotics and the IoT (Internet of Things), the reality that surrounds us is constantly connected to the Internet like televisions, telephones, home robots, lighting systems, vehicles, public transport, and health facilities. So we cleared out the tech demon conception and opened up to the benefits that technology brings to everyday life. -
Media influence
Mark Zuckerberg is one of the most influential men in the world as his Facebook covers about 50% of the people who have a social media profile, considering aslo that for many countries of South-east Asia Facebook is "the Internet".
Furthermore, Facebook has a large amount of data on its users. It means, it already has everything in its hands to make a new project succeed. I think everything that he plans has such a substantial impact on the markets that it very easily turns into a trend.
Why is the metaverse necessary?
Those like me who were born from Boomers parents, are lucky enough to have seen three important eras, the analogue one made up of mainly mechanical typewriters and photographic machines, the information era made up of computers with green screen protectors and electronic organizer and in end the era of digitization where all desk devices of the past two eras have ended up in a phone or tablet. Now on our desks there is no need to have telephones, organizers, calendars, keyboards or typewriters, radios, reams of paper. Now everything is contained in digital ecosystems. Welcome to the time of minimalism! “One for all, all in one”.
Just as it happened with objects, everything else is affected - everything is digitizing, everything is turning into bits. The Internet today is a layer on the reality and the metaverse with the resulting XR (extended reality) technologies that will have the same effect a smartphone has had on a desk. In the digital/virtual world we have much more space to fill.
In a not so distant future, our glasses will show us elements of the real world that will not be visible to the naked eye, for example GPS navigation data, animations, holograms, etc.
These are just a fraction of examples of how the metaverse will change the world.
What are the BIGs in the metaverse market?
Currently the pro-players of the metaverse are:
Facebook Inc./META: Metaverse
"In the metaverse, you'll be able to do almost anything you can imagine - get together with friends and family, work, learn, play, shop, create - as well as completely new experiences that don't really fit how we think about computers or phones today. "
Mark Zuckerberg - META (Former Facebook Inc.) CEO
Nvidia Corporation: Omniverse
"The metaverse is an emerging, uber-hot concept that brings together capabilities like augmented reality, virtual reality, collaboration tools and the cloud to blend the real and virtual worlds, with myriad, potentially ground-shaking benefits for work and play."
Jensen Huang - Nvidia CEO
Epic Games - Metaverse
"The simplest way to define the metaverse is as an evolution of how users interact with brands, intellectual properties and each other on the Internet."
Tim Sweeney - Epic Games CEO
What do I need to join a metaverse?
On the market there are various Metaverses, some richer than others. Generally you need a PC to join, some can also be accessed with a smartphone or a tablet. Personally, I prefer a PC or a Meta Quest. The experience can have two levels of immersion, one is through the screen of a PC, therefore it’s an experience similar to a video game, the other is through the use of a virtual reality headset such as a Meta Quest or HTC Vive etc. which guarantees the best experience as they make you explore the metaverse in first person.
What are the Metaverses available on the market?
Some of the Metaverses for PC & VR available on the market are:
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VR Chat
"VRChat lets you fully embody custom avatars, play social games, and connect with friends in new ways. VRChat hosts a massive global community of gamers, musicians, creators, artists, entertainers and more. " -
SANSAR
“Sansar is a new destination for live events & entertainment where the party starts the moment you log in. Experience anytime, anywhere on PC & VR!” -
AltspaceVR
“As the premier platform for live, mixed reality Events and experiences, AltspaceVR contains infinite opportunities for human connection and collaboration. With this app, you can create or attend a seemingly endless array of virtual Events. Live concerts, conferences, comedy shows, festivals, tech talks, team meetings, remote collaborations, we’ve got it all! And thanks to our expressive avatars, spatial sound, and immersive virtual environments, AltspaceVR allows people to feel like they’re together even when oceans apart.” -
RECROOM
“Rec Room is the best place to build and play games together. Party up with friends from all around the world to chat, hang out, explore MILLIONS of player-created rooms, or build something new and amazing to share with us all.”
CONCLUSION
The world of Metaverse is vast and growing day by day. There are now Metaverses also on blockchain such as "Decentraland" so not only is the phenomenon growing but it is expanding in every direction. I think that "soon" participation in these worlds will be a normal thing as it is today to have a Facebook profile. The most important thing is to realize that the future is not tomorrow, but it is already happening.
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