Metaverse and Technology
The idea of Metaverse came up as I was working and the question that came up is, why would Facebook invest in 10,000 software engineers in the UK to work on this one thing? Also, why did I start seeing advertisements for Oculus Quest 2? This got me curious.
According to wikipedia, the word “Metaverse” is made up of the prefix “meta” (meaning beyond) and the stem “verse” (a back-formation from “universe”); the term is typically used to describe the concept of a future iteration of the Internet, made up of persistent, shared, 3D virtual spaces linked into a perceived virtual universe. The metaverse in a broader sense may not only refer to virtual worlds, but Internet as a whole, including the entire spectrum of augmented reality.
It felt very relevant that Facebook would completely have to rebrand itself around this word, ‘metaverse’ and also invest $10 billion in it. As I started doing more research, I quickly came to the conclusion that this is something that is worth investing into.
Another thing that I began to look into is could there be a ‘metaverse’ developer. Below is the tech stack from Microsoft for metaverse. I haven’t been able to find a clear tech stack for metaverse for Apple. According to Facebook, in order to make metaverse a thing, it would need the help of other companies. Not only that, but more investors as well. Whoa, Facebook needing help? This must be a big thing!
“Matthew Ball is a venture capitalist who calls the metaverse the next phase of the internet, and has created an index of companies with enabling technologies. Among his predictions are that the metaverse will be “a fully functioning economy” and an experience “that spans both digital and physical worlds.“”
My assumption is that people are going to want more than Facebook and Instagram, so what more than an adjusting their own realities to a Virtual Reality or Augmented Reality? These are the things that people are going to demand for their own entertainment.
The retail and fashion industry utilizing augmented reality for customers’ shopping experience such as ‘try-before-you-buy’(more here). Recently Roblox released a new feature called “wrap around clothing” on their metaverse (article here).
Last point, the advancement of metaverse couldn’t have happened at this time if it wasn’t for Covid, with everyone deciding to work from home and companies turning to international workers looking for talent. Maybe one day work events will be through an augmented reality.
Let me know your thoughts and findings. This is really only an article for thought and conversation.