The first thing to note is that the Metaverse is regarded as the next evolution when it comes down to the Internet. When asked “what is the metaverse”, it can be broken down as a digital world wherein people work, live, shop, and communicate with others from the sweet comfort of their couch in the real world.
One thing for sure is that the metaverse did not suddenly become a household item until the popular Facebook platform changes its official corporate name to Meta in the last quarter of the year 2021. Since it is regarded as the next evolution of the internet, it will be taking lots of forms which range from online communication to gaming and even business meetings wherein people will get to collaborate through a digital avatar or facsimile.
You will have to idea on what to expect, in having the metaverse explained.
Metaverse Explained
It is worthy to note that the concept of the Metaverse is not new as it was first described in Neal Stephenson’s novel titled Snow Crash. If you are among those still asking “what is the metaverse”, then you should know that according to Meta, the metaverse is practically a set of digital spaces where you can build and explore with other individuals that are not in the same physical space with you. This definition is a simplified one that taps into the science fiction idea that has existed since the early 90s. In the novel Snow Crash, Neal envisioned the digital metaverse as a hierarchical yet ad-filled society.
Here, those who had more expensive VR tech could fully immerse into the world as they give themselves some lifelike virtual avatars and rare virtual items. And those who can only afford to use the public terminals have stigmatized black and white avatars, making them be generally ignored.
Nevertheless, the optimistic futurists have described the metaverse simply as a decentralized virtual world that is not being controlled by any corporation or dependent on a company’s hardware. It is crafted on open standards so that anybody can have full access to it lives the Internet. The metaverse has been used in game worlds such as Minecraft or Second Life. But the co-creator of VRML, Virtual reality modeling language, Tony Parisi has argued in the rules of the metaverse that the game worlds are too specific to be the actual metaverse. Rather, it should be incorporated in diverse use cases that are beyond gaming for a much bigger scope and scale like the Internet.
In other news, when you go seeking “what is the metaverse exactly?” , do not envision it as a virtual world that you access in a quest headset. If it is done right, it should have to contain 3d virtual worlds of all sizes, purposes, and shapes. And, it should be made accessible from diverse products and supported by loads of diverse companies.
Facebook – Metaverse Explained
In getting the metaverse explained to you in simple terms, we will be explaining what Facebook has in mind for its metaverse. When it comes down to metaverse envisioning, it should be noted that the Metaverse is a mixed reality world that is dependent on both augmented and virtual reality for it to function. While the Meta software and hardware will be in the middle.
In Mark Zuckerberg’s announcement, he broke down every defining characteristic of the company. Although one cannot be sure of how many will happen, it can be summarised to be:
Digital avatars to offer a sense of presence
These avatars will be capable of mirroring your actual-world expressions and your body language. This will make it feel like the person is truly in the virtual world either as an AR hologram or virtual person.
Creation of 3d objects by artists
Mark made it known that artists will be creating digital 3d objects that can practically respond and even react realistically. These objects will have a realistic sense of occlusion and depth.
The objects will be sold to consumers and in turn, the consumers can use them in decorating virtual rooms of their actual life surroundings. You can purchase clothing for your avatar to wear across diverse experiences.
Ability to bring real-world objects into Virtual Reality
It is not quite clear if you will be capable of scanning anything you own or if the Meta company will need to build a digital version that is bundled with our physical reality.
The controls
He also mentioned that the controls will range from controllers to gestures and voice commands. Or, you can make things happen just by thinking about them. When you want to know “what is the metaverse”, Mark Zuckerberg has it in mind that the metaverse games will span from these immersive experiences and fantasy worlds to bring easy games into our daily lives via holograms.
The game demos are going to range from quest-style VR mini-games to AR fencing against a real-time opponent. There will also be the availability of virtual workrooms and educational classrooms for digital field trips and those interactive lessons. More so, there will be adult educational opportunities such as car repair or digital surgeries. Bear in mind that, we cannot practically predict how Meta will be able to execute these spins on the Metaverse since most of these ideas may not be here a decade from now.
However, the Metaverse is going to be a collection of apps, games, and spaces where you and your surroundings will look as cool as you can be capable of affording.
Difference Between The Internet And The Metaverse
Since we have given you all you need to know, we will also highlight the difference between the Internet and the metaverse.
In understanding the question of “what is the metaverse’, you must also have it in mind that it is not the same as the Internet. This is because, the internet is regarded as a network of billions of computers, millions of servers, and some other electronic devices.
Once it is online, Internet users are capable of interacting with one another, viewing and interacting on websites, and even processing buying and selling of their goods and services. Nevertheless, the metaverse surely does not compete with the Internet as all it does is to build on it.
When it comes to metaverse, users will traverse a digital world that is going to mimic some parts of the physical world using technologies like artificial intelligence, augmented reality, virtual reality, digital currency, and social media.
While the Internet is something you browse, the amazing metaverse is to a degree, a place people can live. Note that, governments will likely be extending their research into this metaverse.
We can see it evident in Barbados as they plan on opening a diplomatic embassy, which is an online world known as Decentraland.
Now that you have answers to your “what is the metaverse” question, note that unless the future Meta products back up alternate app stores or make Metaverse with an open standard usable by anybody, the Metaverse will be owned and controlled by Meta.
