Metaverse is very likely one of the most used concepts in recent times. Most people have a vague idea of this new concept, and they need to learn that it’s expanding the sense of reality beyond their understanding. In this article, we’ll answer the question, How Does Metaverse Work, and explain this virtual world phenomenon.
- What Is the Metaverse?
- How Does the Metaverse Work?
- How Many Types of Metaverse Exist?
- What Is the Main Difference Between the Metaverse and the Internet?
- Some Companies that Are Currently Experienced with the Metaverse
- How the Mateverse Affects Several Fields of Interest?
- Benefits of the Metaverse
- Bottom Line
What Is the Metaverse?
The word “Metaverse” is built with two words, “Meta” and “Universe.” Meta means “beyond” and “universe”; you already know this word.
So, the Metaverse is a universe beyond our universe, a particular space created in the virtual worlds and boots with virtual reality.
In this virtual space, people can have a parallel life, developing and simulating activities that, in many cases, are real. For instance, people in these virtual worlds can buy clothes and change them daily, buy virtual real estate and several types of digital assets, communicate with others, and build a community.
To interact in this digital world, you’ll need cryptocurrencies, whether you’re interested in online gaming or want to build your own piece of virtual reality.
In the metaverse space, people use digital avatars to represent themselves. These virtual avatars are commonly NFTs – Non-Fungible Tokens – which you can buy, sell, and trade with other participants, creators, sellers, and more.
Note. You can find an early reference to the Metaverse explained in Snow Crash, a book by the author Neal Stephenson.
How Does the Metaverse Work?
To understand how the Metaverse works, you need to know some basic principles and concepts behind the Metaverse.
Virtual reality and economics are two critical components that fulfill a relevant role in the Metaverse.
With a virtual reality headset, users can experience a complete virtual world with 360-degree vision. This non-physical world may represent different landscapes and places, either real or not. With VR headsets and haptic gloves, users can access virtual spaces as if they were real, allowing them to experience the persistent virtual world.
Regarding virtual economics, each Metaverse has its own cryptocurrency for the digital economy. You can use these currencies to buy or sell virtual items. One of the most common ways of getting cryptocurrencies is exchanging them for real-life money on cryptocurrency platforms, such as Binance.
How Many Types of Metaverse Exist?
At the moment we are writing the article, there are two types of Metaverse according to the kind of distribution: centralized and decentralized.
- Centralized metaverse. In this type of metaverse, all the control over the environment is centralized in a single entity. Of course, you can interact and share experiences, but you don’t have the power to change this physically persistent virtual space. To be part of it, you must follow all the policies. One of the most famous examples of this type of online world is Roblox.
- Decentralized metaverse. This type of metaverse offers more flexible virtual experiences. Most decisions regarding metaverse architecture, environments, and procedures are passed on to the community. If you’re the landowner inside a digital space like those, you can shape your surroundings, trade assets, and much more. Your experience here will be a second life. An excellent example of these metaverses is the Sandbox Metaverse.
What Is the Main Difference Between the Metaverse and the Internet?
The truth is that the Internet is not a rival or competition against the Metaverse. What’s more, the Metaverse is built on the Internet. The latter is a network of billions of servers, computers, and users where people connect with websites. Users browse the web on the Internet using mobile phones, computers, and several devices.
In the Metaverse, people traverse and experience the persistent virtual worlds through a series of tools and technologies, such as augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), social media, AI, digital currencies, and using elements like virtual reality headsets, and augmented reality glasses. In one sentence, people who use this metaverse technology can “live” in these metaverses.
Some Companies that Are Currently Experienced with the Metaverse
Many companies are immersing themselves in the Metaverse, feeling the surface of these new technologies. Below you will find four major companies of this nature that explore the possibilities of the virtual world.
Epic Games
Epic Games is the developer of one of the most famous games of recent times, Fortnite, and the creator of the Unreal Engine software. Fortnite boasts over 350 million users, and Real Engine is an excellent software with which many companies develop their games.
Epic Games aims to create a communal space where people interact with their favorite games, each other, and brands. Besides, the area that Epic Games is starting should be ads-free.
Facebook announced a few years ago that it has decided to become one of the best metaverse companies in the world. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg plans to change the company’s fundamentals and integrate a new vision centered around the Metaverse.
Facebook’s announcement told us that one of the main changes of this new metaverse group, called Meta, is that having a Facebook account will not be necessary to use the services, such as playing games. According to Meta Ceo Mark Zuckerberg, this new idea of the Metaverse involves the creation of a new space called “Horizon Worlds,” a virtual space you can navigate as an avatar.
Unity
Unity is a company specializing in creating 3D technologies to help creators and decision-makers develop their products and creations. The Unity engine allows you to think out of the box and help users interact with this mixed reality. Unity provides new modes of interaction to connect immersive experiences across industries and users.
Microsoft
Microsoft Teams has begun its journey in the Metaverse, whose service will be released in 2023. It will allow users of distant geographic regions of the globe to connect and interact through holographic experiences during virtual meetings. The new service of this giant of the tech industry will be called “Mesh.”
Mesh will include a suite of AI-powered tools for virtual avatars, rendering, session management, sync across multiple platforms and users, and “holoportation.” The latter is a technology that lets users transmit 3D models of people in real time.
How the Mateverse Affects Several Fields of Interest?
The Metaverse is a common thread in many fields and businesses. Next, we mention the most relevant areas of interest that take advantage of the Metaverse.
Gaming
One of the main niches that the Metaverse aims for is online games. The tech giants are incorporating services, NFTs, and cryptocurrencies into the gaming world to enhance the economy of video games and related markets.
At the same time, game developers can provide a new way of interacting with the video game world. Thanks to the Metaverse, gamers can play games from a different point of view thanks to immersive tech. For instance, a VR headset or VR goggles can offer an embodied experience.
Note. Activision Blizzard is known for making online games with Metaverse components by providing building blocks for its virtual experiences.
NFTs and Cryptocurrencies
The Metaverse is creating a new world with a solid digital economy where non-fungible tokens and virtual currencies are the keys to trading. Via Blockchain technology, users can have complete control over their digital assets, being able to buy and sell digital goods just with a crypto wallet and digital money.
One of the advantages of Blockchain technology is that it provides immutable confirmation of identities and digital assets of digital images in the Metaverse.
With Blockchain, users can rest without worrying about anything. Their transactions are safe, and they can mitigate the risk of potential losses.
Note. Some relevant influencers, such as Snoop Dogg, have started to work and promote NFTs in recent months.
Retail Consumer Branding
Metaverse offers various commercial possibilities to brands since enhancing their e-commerce departments to online broadcasting. Metaverse provides an alternative non-physical space and virtual offices where users can interact through an avatar and leverage commercial prospects in the retail sector.
The Healthcare Industry
Healthcare is another industry flaring with virtual worlds. It is adopting a new vision through which virtual images, 3D models, augmented realities, spatial computing, and places and services can vary from the real world to the metaverse platforms. The idea is those elements work together to provide medical and digital social interactions where solutions are easy to find.
Education
The Metaverse offers alternative education services for the future. It also provides a safe education and work environment where students can present their ideas without exposing themselves to the dangers of real-life infrastructure and specific materials.
Besides, students can also visit a virtual office and interact with study groups and teachers through a mobile Internet wherever they are. Soon, through a customized avatar, students can be part of special classes and get knowledge from direct sources.
Benefits of the Metaverse
Exploring the Metaverse technologies involves multiple benefits for both companies and the user. Below, you’ll find some direct benefits of applying the features of the Metaverse.
Accessibility
One of the main objectives of the Metaverse is to improve communication and integration worldwide, allowing most people worldwide to access to this virtual and augmented reality. Big companies aim for the ability of Metaverse to be inclusive and interactive to make lucrative investments of resources.
Flexibility
The Metaverse introduces itself as a new platform where users can do almost anything in virtual space. Several companies have adopted the Metaverse to promote remote work. Large companies also are beginning to use the Metaverse to reach new customers in several media.
The flexibility of the Metaverse offers infinite dynamics for workers and other users who want to perform a wide variety of human activities.
Networking
The Metaverse also focuses on social connection and remote work. The Metaverse promotes sharing ideas of a simple way to enhance participants’ success and new technologies. From a certain point of view, the Metaverse is an embodied Internet. On this new net, interactions are more accurate since you can make eye contact with other users through virtual and business meetings or use your avatar to interact with other avatars.
Rich Opportunities
Think of the Metaverse as a parallel new world. It won’t replace the Internet but will provide new possibilities in every order of things, including new business and job opportunities. The Metaverse looks to open new markets, promote new hires, and start the next chapter in the global economy.
New employment opportunities go from a position in a virtual real estate company to hardware engineers to cybersecurity experts. In addition, over time, one company will have the chance to use digital advertising to sell goods and services, and e-commerce will be inevitable.
Bottom Line
The Metaverse is a reality and has come to stay. In a few years, television shows will be things of the past, and new massive festivals will take place in the Metaverse. Almost everything will have its own space in the virtual reality – a piece of land, party, businesses, trades, etcetera. However, the Metaverse is still in progress in the early days, but in a few years, most people around the globe will use it daily.
For now, millions are waiting and excited about the Metaverse development. It only remains to wait. Meanwhile, you can write your own story in the gaming world and promote your website or game.
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