Metaverses will become an integral part of everyone’s daily life, it’s only a matter of time. So says Alex Meritt, marketing director at Storm Partners.
“Recently, the metaverse has become a hot topic of discussion in the mainstream media. However, outside of the community of gamers and blockchain enthusiasts, many still do not understand what this technology is and what its potential is.
Game virtual worlds controlled by artificial intelligence and live players have been around for years, but they are not full-fledged metaverses. They do not meet all the criteria that apply to this term, and are rather considered “proto-metaverses”.
Metaverse: what is it?
One of the most common descriptions of this phenomenon is the “3D Internet”. This refers to a huge online world, virtual (VR) and hybrid reality in which players can interact with each other in a computer-generated environment.
The metaverse became much more talked about after Meta Platforms Inc.* (formerly Facebook) announced it would spend more than $10 billion to develop its own metaverse, Reality Labs. The Reality Labs division was engaged in the development of applications for the virtual space, as well as related hardware products.
Meanwhile, the concept of metauniverses has been in the air for about a century, and the term itself appeared over thirty years ago.
In 1934, American writer Stanley Weinbaum published the science fiction short story Pygmalion’s Spectacles. The hero of the work invented glasses that allow you to immerse yourself in virtual reality, using all five senses. However, even earlier, in 1838, the British scientist Sir Charles Wheatstone designed the world’s first stereoscope, a device that can be considered the forerunner of 3D glasses. Angled mirrors demonstrated the possibilities of binocular vision, combining two patterns and allowing the user to perceive a three-dimensional image. The same principles are used today in modern virtual reality headsets.
Further, in 1956, American inventor Morton Heilig introduced a device called the Sensorama. It was the first virtual simulator in the world to put multi-sensory immersion technologies into practice for the first time. This was followed by the innovative Aspen Movie Map. It was the first virtual tour of the American city of Aspen, developed in 1978 by a team of scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
The term “metaverses” itself was first used in 1991 in the science fiction novel Avalanche by Neil Stevenson. The writer painted a dystopian future dominated by a global three-dimensional virtual space that allows people to escape from a totalitarian reality. At the same time, the metaverse was not perceived as entertainment, invented with the aim of gaining game points. It was a full blown alternate reality that extended to all aspects of physical reality.
The early 1990s saw the introduction of Sega’s VR arcade machines, such as the SEGA VR-1 motion simulator, which paved the way for modern VR gaming.
Who Creates the Metaverse
The smooth process of technological evolution in the field of virtual devices was disrupted by 18-year-old inventor Palmer Lucky, who created the world’s first virtual reality helmet Oculus Rift. The release of the device took place in 2010, and this gave a new impetus to the interest in virtual reality from the new generation.
Against this background, technology giants Sony and Samsung presented their developments. Google has also created its own augmented reality (AR) glasses, Google Glass. Heavyweight Apple introduced LIDAR sensors for iPhone and iPad. The question arises: what’s next?
Thanks to the Internet, we can get in touch with people located in different parts of the world. However, the metaverses make such online interactions even more personal. Virtual communication will be the best alternative to live communication. Users will be able to immerse themselves in the atmosphere of their favorite park or restaurant together, or, on the contrary, go on a new journey, for example, to explore fantasy worlds. The immersive effect created by virtual reality is also very dear to the hearts of gamers. Unsurprisingly, video games are the most popular testing ground for the metaverse. The industry is now growing exponentially, with projects like Axie Infinity, The Sandbox, and Star Atlas at the forefront.
Integration with other industries
Other industries are also finding ways to integrate the metaverse into their current systems. One of the most striking precedents in this direction was created by Meta, which presented plans to develop an entire line of products and services tied to the metaverse. The founder of the company, Mark Zuckerberg, announced his intention to carry out an effective transformation from a social platform to a metaverse.
Nvidia also offered the fruit of years of development, the scalable NVIDIA Omniverse platform for collaborative 3D design. The product allows both individuals and teams to unite for cooperation. For example, one of the clients of the platform is BMW, which uses Omniverse to model its production processes and technologies.
The potential of the metaverses is increasingly being recognized in retail as well. So, Nike and GAP have already turned to this technology. In the sports industry, even the International Football Federation (FIFA) and the organizer of mixed martial arts fights, the Ultimate Fighting Championship, have shown interest in the metaverses. Bringing millions of sports fans around the world into the Metaverse will accelerate the pace of adoption of the new technology.
In general, the nature of the metaverses will strike a fine balance between physical interactions and traditional Web 2 user interactions. All this creates ideal conditions for various industries and industries.
What’s next?
The protracted covid-19 pandemic has increased the demand for computer simulations of physical locations and activities. Metaverses give users the ability to go shopping, attend a sporting event, or go to school, all while staying comfortably at home. The development of the industry will certainly require more advanced graphics and animation solutions, which will further stimulate the overall evolution of metaverse technologies. Already now you can see that the metaverses go beyond the boundaries of simple entertainment and become something more.
Metaverses will become an integral part of everyone’s daily life, it’s only a matter of time.”