If you still don’t understand what this universe called the metaverse is about, offering us a virtual life as an alternative to flesh and blood, we’ll help you understand it with some very real examples.
becoming a reality. Big technological giants like Facebook, Nvidia or Microsoft are already betting on this concept of virtual world, to the point that Mark Zuckerberg’s company has changed its name to Meta .
Although, according to the Wunderman Thompson report, only 38% of global consumers have heard of the term Metaverse; The truth is that this idea of a virtual universe where we have total freedom of creation and even be able to create our own businesses, attracts more and more investors. Although the technology is still limited for a fully immersive experience, here are some examples of where this new world is going .
The book that started it all
The first time anything close to the metaverse was referenced was in Neal Stephenson ‘s novel ‘Snow Crash’ . This science fiction work, published in 1992 , revolves around a virtual world that works as an extension of the real world and in which humans can lead a double life . In fact, the protagonist of it is a pizza delivery boy who, upon entering this metaverse, becomes a samurai warrior prince.
It would take 19 more years for Ernest Cline to publish ‘Ready Player One’ in 2011, in which Oasis brings us, without a doubt, the most popular and closest metaverse to the one that the big companies are considering, which later in 2018 Steven Spielberg adapted to the big screen .
A cinematographic claim
A proposal as creative and with as many possibilities as the metaverse has been a gold mine for the seventh art that has not hesitated to exploit it in endless productions. One of those that best defines the concept is Steven Spielberg’s adaptation of ‘Ready Player One’ , which takes us to a dystopian future where the virtual reality video game Oasis is an escape route for many people who see in it a possibility of both entertainment as work and livelihood. Also the 2009 movie ‘The Substitutes’ , starring Bruce Willis, tells us about a future without pain or danger where all humanity lives through robots that drive with their minds.
The premiere ‘Free Guy’ also tells us about interactive worlds through its protagonist, played by Ryan Reynolds, who through sunglasses discovers that, in reality, he is a character from a virtual reality video game that emulates The real world. Although, without a doubt, the most popular saga in this metaverse is ‘ Matrix ‘. Directed by the Wachowski sisters , this sci-fi classic tells of a future where the human race is dominated by artificial intelligence and trapped in a simulated reality . Contrary to the other cases, in this case they must connect to be able to go from the virtual world to the real one.
Video games with their own universe
If you think of a universe where you have total freedom to act as you want without risk of harm, the first thing that many think of is full entertainment and fun. Thus, currently, what is closest to the concept of the Metaverse are video games such as the famous ‘ Minecraft’ or Roblox . Minecraft is an open world -style construction video game in which players have total freedom to create worlds to suit them and interact with each other while the online video game platform, Roblox, allows its users to create their own games and virtual worlds. In fact, the fever for the metaverse has made Roblox position itself as one of the platforms with the greatest possibility of developing the idea and has increased almost 23,000 million euros in the stock market , surpassing brands such as BMW.
Although, without a doubt, the video game that is closest to the idea that the technological giants have of the metaverse is ‘ Fortnite ‘. This Battle Royal universe in which players fight each other has been evolving since its launch in 2017, and now users have more interaction with each other and can attend exhibitions, short film festivals, and even concerts by artists such as Ariadna Grande, Steve Aoki or Travis Scott recreated with their avatars . In fact, everyone has “Fortnite” as an example of the Metaverse and Tim Sweeney, CEO of Epic Games that launched the video game, has said that he plans to create a great Metaverse in “Fortnite” .
A community to meet (and work)
And if you can entertain yourself, obviously, in the Metaverse you can also meet new people and keep in touch with friends and family. And it is that if the future of the virtual universe should have something, it is the ability to connect everyone and, in the end, be accessible to anyone, as Mark Zuckenberg points out. In fact, in addition to ‘Fortnite’, another of the video games that is taken as a reference in this idea of an interconnected virtual world is ‘Second Life’ . This virtual community that emerged in 2003 is accessible via the Internet and allows its users to chat with each other, share tastes and hobbies, show photos, trade virtual property and carry out group activities. All this, done through an avatarcreated to our liking. Therefore, there are many who consider this virtual space as the first existing Metaverse.
Other video games that have become more similar to the metaverse in terms of socialization are ‘The Sims’ and ‘Animal Crossing’ . Although when it appeared in 2000 it didn’t allow social interaction, currently the new releases of ‘The Sims’ already allow you to create interconnected communities and thus interact with family and friends. In addition, following the proposals of ‘Fortnite’, this summer the players of ‘The Sims 4’ were able to attend Sims Sessions , a virtual music festival that featured artists such as Bebe Rexha and Glass Animals. In ‘Animal Crossing’ , on the other hand, you can receive visitors on your islandand perform a wide variety of mini games and activities with them. In addition, students from different American universities are celebrating their graduations virtually , not only in ‘Animal Crossing’, but also in ‘Minecraft’.
Now, these possibilities of interaction would not only be limited to leisure, but companies like Microsoft are entering the world of work. To revolutionize work video calls , the company intends to launch Mesh next year , an evolution of the current Teams that, in addition to allowing us to use avatars in meetings , would place us in offices and holographic spaces and would allow us to import and manipulate virtual objects in 3D . The idea is that the program evolves to allow the avatar’s head, body and hands to move according to the user’s movements. Gatheris another of the programs that already works with virtual meetings through avatars in unique spaces designed to suit users.
Advertising in the virtual world
Taking into account that the Metaverse is in the spotlight, which currently has, according to Bloomberg Intelligence, a value estimated at 445,000 euros and that it is estimated that by 2030 it will be 2 trillion euros , it is not surprising that brands have seen a vein in it. There are already many who are making inroads in it and showing their products or paying for advertising to the different platforms. In ‘Animal Crossing’ brands like Pandora or San Miguel have created their own islands in the game, while KFC opened a virtual restaurant in it and the Thyssen Museum created a virtual museum.
Likewise, luxury firms such as Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Burberry or Balenciaga have begun to take an interest in this market. They have launched products to wear in the Metaverse, such as the 15-euro Virtual 25 sneakers that Gucci launched to wear in the Roblox video games, or they have created their own video games such as the one launched by Louis Vuitton or Balenciaga where the characters wear clothing from the firm. Zara has also launched its first collection in the Metaverse this week. AZ , a unisex collection in collaboration with South Korean brand Ader Rerror, has a presence in both the real and virtual worlds and can be tested on avatars to wear in the Metaverse. An example that has been followed by Adidas, which is already preparing its entry into the Metaverse at the hands of NFT associations, a special type of cryptographic token, such as the Bored Ape Yacht Club.
simulate the real world
These virtual worlds also have great value for companies beyond advertising and acting as a showcase for their products. And it is that, thanks to these simulations and digital spaces, tests and studies can be carried out before launching something on the market. For example, Unity , developer of 3D products, is working with virtual twins , that is, a virtual representation of a site, resource, or system that mimics the behavior and evolution of its real-world counterpart. With this you can observe the present and predict the future of the object of study and thus make better decisions.
Likewise, Nvidia’s Omniverse platform , in addition to seeking to connect these virtual worlds, allows advanced simulations of the real world to be carried out, such as the one carried out by Norman Foster’s architectural firm to see how it will affect its buildings over the years .
BMW is another of the brands that has used this technology to recreate one of its factories by heart and thus study how they affect logistical and structural changes before implementing them. Without a doubt, the Metaverse is becoming more science and less fiction.