Everyone is really talking about it: the Metaverse seems to be one of the latest inventions, perhaps the most modern.
It is a word that sounds like a revolution. You have probably read that it is a phenomenon destined to have a huge impact in our lives, a new age of digital.
What if I told you that this concept has been around for at least 30 years?
Who invented the Metaverse?
The term Metaverse is attributable to the American writer Neal Stephenson. In fact, in 1992 this term first appeared in his novel Snow Crash. In the story, it describes a dystopian future world in which rich people flee the real world to live in a 3D alternate reality.
This virtual world takes shape from a single road 65,536 km long that encircles an artificial globe. From this base, the new world begins to expand more and more as people buy, raise and renovate virtual real estate.
In the novel’s vision, there is only one world through which everyone connects through avatars for which they are responsible.
“The people are pieces of software called avatars. They are the audiovisual bodies that people use to communicate with each other in the metaverse.”
Neal Stephenson
Metaverse and real world – Who invented the Metaverse?
But what does the novel Snow Crash about the Metaverse have to do with our lives? Well, the distance between the virtual world and reality is getting shorter and shorter. And it is no mystery that so much of our routine takes place largely online. On the Web it happens to socialize, spend leisure time, shop, and even find jobs.
There are increasingly sophisticated and personalized technologies that enable all sorts of services, such as LCN App.
These are tools that can profoundly improve the quality of life. In other words, we are all aware of the influence exerted by the digital world on our daily lives.
And in this scenario, additional alternative worlds take shape, full of incredible opportunities. These are however full of shadows and unknown risks. One of the definitions of Metaverse, declined in a reality perspective, is simply another way of experiencing the web.
It is a more concrete version of the web we are accustomed to where we will be able to find a number of digital experiences, implemented on a number of revolutionary technologies.
In other words, it will be the place where we will essay the overlap between the reality of our physical and tangible lives and the digital and virtual ones, as told by some forward-looking films.
How to enter the Metaverse?
Certainly, the Metaverse is not yet in its full development. However, we already know what technologies will allow us to enter this new virtual world. We are talking about Artificial Intelligence or extended Reality, but also blockchain technology.
This is the idea: you have to wear a visor to find yourself immersed in a giant virtual city where you can decide your movements or what to do. Just like when you surf in the browser.
extended Reality is not just visors and helmets: in the coming years there will be big changes in the way we interact with maps and online stores as well.
And in addition to extended Reality, augmented Reality will also be key in building the web of the future. In fact, the Metaverse will focus not so much on visual accuracy, but on the experiential rendering that regards augmented reality.
As for blockchain, it is the tool that makes the Metaverse extremely secure. Because in this new Internet, users will have much more control over their transitions and asset tracking.
What are we doing in the Metaverse? A brand-new perspective for entrepreneurs
Surely this new internet is the biggest bet launched by the tech world in recent years. In fact, the idea of making a new virtual world as a direct evolution of the Internet is something that interests so many companies. In fact, they are already thinking about how to monetize it.
Consider about your everyday life and try translating it in virtual format. Meetings, gatherings, lunches, sports, movies, fairs, video games and shopping available in the new 3D environment of the Metaverse.
A kind of parallel universe that aims to increasingly capture our existences, aiming to have us spend many hours attached to visors or smart glasses, through which we could access a wide range of truly unimaginable experiences.
In the not-too-distant future, you will be able to enter the Metaverse and follow a meeting with your office colleagues; shop as if you were in the supermarket or try on your favorite designer’s new collection. And again, play games, draw, invite friends to your virtual home and so on.
Virtual reality travel is another challenge yet to be defined. But also the possibility of investing in digital real estate. Also, collectibles and new job opportunities.
From this perspective, it will be a place to learn, build, play, communicate and collaborate with potentially anyone.
For example, if you work remotely from home in New York, but your company’s physical location is in Los Angeles, thanks to the Metaverse you can meet in the same office, in a shared virtual space.
In short, it will be the main tool to connect us with the rest of the world, destroying geographic and time barriers. And from travel to retail, the Metaverse is set to revolutionize our lives.
Risks and problems of the Metaverse – Who invented the Metaverse?
In its current state, the Metaverse has endless positive possibilities. And if used properly, it could contribute to the emergence of a better era. People for people are building experiences in an environment that is accessible to all.
But this virtual space is not without risks and problems. The possibility of digital scams and crimes, is far from remote. And many believe that it will not be so easy to enjoy the Metaverse without problems.
Net of the social dangers arising from this virtual environment, the Metaverse has several obstacles to overcome to enhance its success. Although visors, virtual reality, and platforms are already available, there are some fundamental problems. For example, who will manage the Metaverse? And what about laws in the Metaverse?
The most plausible solution is to rely on nonprofit organizations to manage this new environment in an Internet-like manner.
How will we curb the scourge of an ongoing and annoying fight against those who interface virtually with the idea of harming, offending, and hurting others?
Given the rampant social hatred, we can imagine what will happen when the experience is even more immersive and engaging. Specific crimes are not even covered, since there is still no “penal code” of the Metaverse.
We need to adapt our tools from reality to the digital sphere. And while the issue may be relatively straightforward for insults and defamation, the issue changes for crimes related to the physical sphere, which are not punishable without tangible evidence of violence.
After overcoming these important hurdles, one will have to turn to the management of privacy. The psychological impact of the Metaverse on people; and the technological hegemony that might be created.
Obviously, these problems cannot be addressed a priori. But only in the process: these are questions will need an answer after the Metaverse is introduced into people’s lives.
Bottom Line
Despite the many proclamations, for now the Metaverse does not exist, or rather, we have a depowered form of it. Actually, we have Sandbox, Hyperverse or Decentraland, which hosted the first Metaverse Fashion Week last March.
However, we talk about individual options that do not dialogue with each other, losing sight of that concept of universality that defines the Metaverse itself.
Simplifying and making a comparison with the Internet, it is as if each website were accessible with its own software, without a single network to navigate from one address to another.
Although Meta’s (formerly Facebook’s) huge investment is trying to bridge this, attempting to implement this infrastructure that brings every single reality together as the World Wide Web did, for now Mark Zuckerberg’s group has only built a few basic stakes for the development of this virtual space.
We are referring to Horizon Workrooms and Horizon Home, home and office with customization personalities at will.
Certainly, Zuckerberg has the value – thanks to the billions of users he can move with his socials – to convince some major enterprises on the planet to convert to the project.
Companies such as Microsoft, Roblox, Epic Games, Tencent, Alibaba and ByteDance have already invested millions of dollars on the development of the project.
The Metaverse is a virtual reproduction of our world
The Metaverse is a virtual reproduction of our world, the reality in which we inhabit and interact. It’s a virtual space accessible to anyone with a device and an Internet connection. That is why it is important, especially for entrepreneurs.
And thanks to the contribution of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR), it is not excessive to say that we are ushering in a new era.
According to supporters, with a better organization of virtual worlds in the Metaverse, working collaboration will also be more efficient. And accelerate training; reduce the need for office space; and set the stage for a happier place in general. Hyperreal technologies will break down barriers to entry for people eager for everyday human experiences in virtual environments.
The Metaverse will have the ability to provide a shared environment and economy regardless of people’s location, providing the ability to buy, sell and exchange products and services. It is not just a single system. But a set of interconnected systems with their own rules and capabilities not limited by geographic boundaries.
Ultimately, this new world will be a real gateway to a different future, and it will be up to us to decide how to use it and cooperate together so that it is an opportunity for all.
