The metaverse refers to a parallel universe where human, augmented and virtual reality merge. It is composed of multiple three-dimensional virtual spaces and can refer not only to virtual worlds, but to multidimensional experiences of use and application of the internet as a whole. Its name comes from meta, meaning beyond, and universe, which is the set of elements that make up reality. The term also first appeared in a science fiction novel written by the American author Neal Stephenson, published in 1992: Snow Crash.
It is important to keep in mind the three key aspects of the metaverse: presence, interoperability and standardisation: presence is the feeling of actually being in a virtual space; interoperability means being able to travel seamlessly between virtual spaces with the same virtual assets, such as avatars and digital elements; and standardisation, which is the feature that enables the interoperability of platforms and services across the metaverse.
what can be done in the metaverse?
With the metaverse, the possibilities are supposed to be virtually endless, from organising a business meeting as if you were in the office, to increasing the effectiveness of inbound marketing, to visiting a relative living abroad.
until now, the limits of the web have remained on the mobile or computer screen, but the aim is that, in the near future, they will be crossed and we will enter a 3D internet.
what are the advantages of the metaverse?
- To popularise access to virtual reality, something currently only accessible to a few.
- Encourage teleworking and minimise travel as much as possible, this can reduce pollution and improve the sustainability of the planet, among other things.
- Allowingtotal immersion in all kinds of activities, such as attending a concert, holding a meeting in another country, or travelling to exotic countries.
- To be able to have virtual experiences that are unimaginable today, such as going to the moon and walking on it, or visiting eras such as the Roman Empire.
what problems can there be with the metaverse?
Although a metaverse has many possibilities, it is obviously not all advantages:
- It requires a lot of software and hardware development, so everyone should have a set of devices capable of helping to immerse themselves in the metaverse.
- Itis not cheap and affordable for everyone.
- Efforts have to be made to learn new technologies.
- It can lead to a sedentary lifestyle, vitamin deficiency and even social problems or dependency for people who do not know how to control this virtual life.
why has Mark Zuckerberg's company been renamed Meta?
The Metaverse, as we have already said, aims to unite the real and virtual worlds by allowing us to create our own identity and join in chats, video calls, video games and even concerts with our friends and family, so Mark Zuckerberg's company now wants to focus on making that idea a reality, and therefore, to achieve this, it made sense to change the name to better reflect its goals.
Over the next decade, Zuckerberg expects the metaverse to reach 1 billion users, generate billions of dollars and help the millions of creators already working on the internet.
what other virtual worlds have existed?
The metaverse, although not as developed as it is intended to be, is already present in several novels, films, series, video games and fiction.
- The first case we give you as an example and one of the most popular is seen in the film Ready Player One directed by Steven Spielberg, in which the main character, Wade Owen, spends a large part of his life in a virtual reality metauniverse in a world (set in 2045) that is dark, gloomy and almost destroyed. An option to escape from what surrounds us, in the case of the character.
- Secondly, we have Second Life, which is also a virtual community launched in 2003 where you can create an avatar and interact with all kinds of people and characters, make creations, etc.
- In the same way, Habbo was and is an online forum where we didn't just chat, but created a character that walked through rooms of all kinds as well as building things or changing their look.
- Finally, Roblox, known today, is a game that allows us to create our own games,but also to use our personalised avatar to go to other people's games, meet people, chat with them, demonstrate our creativity..
The metaverse is getting closer and closer to becoming a part of our lives, although the way companies like Facebook see it, there is still a long way to go before it becomes a reality. For the time being, we will continue to enjoy virtual reality and the possibilities we already have.
