Still, talking about the Metaverse is akin to talking about the Internet in the 1970s and 1980s. When the groundwork was laid for the new form of communication, it triggered speculation about what it would look like and how people would use it. Everyone talked about it, but few knew what it actually meant and how it would work.
However, with the Metaverse set to become a market of lots of money to make it a reality, it's time to learn more about what is now so vague and complex.
What is the Metaverse?
Many experts see the Metaverse as a three-dimensional model of the Internet.
The Metaverse is an open-ended, new concept of the Internet in which people interact with each other as 3D avatars navigating in virtual worlds. The existence and shape of these worlds are based only on the imagination of their creators.
The backbone of the Metaverse is a blockchain, an immutable registry of transactions and asset tracking that allows instantly shared and completely transparent access to data.
When entering the Metaverse, we will be able to log in once - creating our virtual persona from scratch, or thanks to blockchain-based unification, we will move between these virtual worlds with our avatar - one for all worlds.
Blockchain-supported metaverses are intended to be secure because a blockchain is - at least for now - considered unhackable.
How does the Metaverse work?
The way we imagine it, the Metaverse is a creation of a virtual world that uses 3D technologies, such as the Unreal Engine. The result is a beautiful, visually rich 3D world, which you just "want to enter”, while access to it/them, the world(s) of avatars (i.e. virtual representations of people) will be granted through blockchain security entry.
Secure, transparent and in line with the new times - Internet 3.0 - a decentralized, network-based system consisting of hundreds of thousands of devices that store blockchain network data.
What is needed to enter the Metaverse?
The Metaverse can be an immersive environment. One that we immerse ourselves in through our senses, which we explore using VR goggles, AR goggles, but also any device that has access to the Internet and - in the case of the more visually advanced Metaverse - adequate computing power. The point is that the user experience should be as evocative and complete as possible. In this way - for example, putting on VR goggles - we can meet our friends, but also strangers, in the virtual world, with whom we experience the offerings of a particular Metaversum in a very convincing way.
How the Metaverse is used today: Examples
Many companies currently provide Metaverse products or services to consumers or have announced that they are developing them.
• Many companies currently provide Metaverse products or services to consumers or have announced that they are developing them.
• Microsoft - In the meantime, Microsoft focuses on adapting its current technologies for the Metaverse. They have a service called Mesh, a mixed-reality platform that allows users to access augmented reality environments via a smartphone or laptop with no virtual reality headset required. Microsoft also plans to integrate Microsoft Teams with the Metaverse, creating a more immersive experience for remote employees and virtual meetings.
• Nike – is also taking on the Metaverse, submitting digital trademarks of its major logos to create virtual Nike shoes and gear, and creating Nikeland on the Roblox platform, where players can play sports videogames. Virtual assets Virtual assets - such as digital clothing - are a separate, big topic in the Web 3.0 world recognized already by some brands.
• The music industry - musicians and entertainment labels experiment with holding concerts in the Metaverse. In 2020, 12.3 million people attended a virtual concert by rapper Travis Scott, which took place in Fortnite. When you watch the video of this concert, after a while you realize that the dancing figures were real people, connecting from various locations around the world.
• The sports industry follows in the footsteps of the music industry, with top franchises such as Manchester City building virtual stadiums so fans can watch games and buy virtual merchandise.
Who should use the Metaverse?
• Companies can change the way potential clients access products and services. Moreover, the Metaverse can drastically improve the overall customer experience, helping to increase customer loyalty and commitment to the brand.
• Marketers can change the way their campaigns reach audiences through engaging, targeted interactivity.
• Activists could deliver messages with global reach with an immediate impact.
• Music labels can hold virtual concerts, offering artists and fans more flexibility to interact and use the media.
Summary
The Metaverse attempts to mimic the real world in some respects, while in other respects it introduces new rules and possibilities. It is a very open and capacious environment, and the only thing that limits us is... our imagination.
The Metaverse is the future, which, with the development of technology, is increasingly becoming our present. So where are the world of meetings and brand experience headed as the lines between real and virtual blur? Together we will look at the latest trends and inspirations for creating efficient and modern communications for a digitized society based on the Metaverse concept.
Experts predict that by 2026, 25% of people will be spending at least an hour a day in the Metaverse for work, shopping, education, social media and/or entertainment.
