A Brief History of Virtual Reality: from Science Fiction to Viarium
By looking back at the past, we can better understand the present and create the future. In this article, we will discuss the history of VR and how it has evolved since an early concept into the amazing experience you can have today.
“In the beginning there was… the command line,” said an American writer Neal Stephenson. In 1992 he became a cult figure among programmers after publishing Snow Cash. His book describes the world as a VR network called “Metaverse”. The “cyberpunk dystopia” became a “Bible” in cyberspace where computer technologies were booming.
The developments of VR were at early stages. Graphics processors and Internet connection were too slow. Things changed in 1999 when NVidia released its groundbreaking graphics processor GeForce. This paved the way for a broadband Internet. At the same time, Philip Rosedale founded Linden Lab in San Francisco. In 2003 the startup launched a 3D VR project with elements of the Second Life social network. Linden Lab members were literally obsessed with the idea of VR. And they were those people who read Snow Cash.
Second Life became very popular. It was a virtual space, where each player could choose his/her own form of existence. The residents created virtual works of art, constructed buildings, inhabited lands with animals, formed communities and clubs. Real-life countries opened embassies in this virtual world, as did some renowned universities. By 2018, the number of registered accounts exceeded 49.5 million.
In mid-2007 the Second Life world faced a tough reality. The US adopted a federal law prohibiting online gambling. Linden Lab had to ban gambling in the virtual world. It was the first time a real-world government affected VR. The decision inevitably angered users. Their intuition was spot on: further restrictions followed.
At the same time, social networks like Facebook were gaining momentum. AR computer games popped out. These developments diminished an interest in Second Life. VR enthusiasts began to look for independent solutions thus turning to blockchain technology. In 2015 a Decentraland platform emerged. VR developers’ vision is: “a public virtual world should be ruled by open standards, shielded from the agenda of any centralized organization”.
Decenraland still functions in a limited mode, with graphics and textures being far from ideal. The capacity of an Ethereum blockchain is a cause for concern too. Will it overcome the load pressure or will it crush under it? For example, CryptoKitties caused long hours delay in transactions in December 2017.
After Decentraland, other projects started to pop out. For example, Mark.Space is currently building a decentralized ecosystem for VR and AR. The project targets businesses, shops and game simulators. Mark.Space miners will build a decentralized data warehouse for content storage. The platform exists as a prototype and uses centralized servers at the moment. The prototype runs on computers and smartphones, without VR-equipment.
Viarium is another project, developing a virtual universe. Users will be able to create virtual spaces to promote goods and services. For example, a construction company builds a virtual prototype of a projected building. A potential buyer “sees” layouts of a future apartment. Businesses can open shops, create showrooms and even build yachts. Moreover, virtual real estate owners will be able to lease their property to other users. All platform users receive financial incentive to take part in the projects. These users are owners and tenants of virtual spaces, providers of server storage capacity, VR designers, intellectual property creators, staff members of virtual offices and others.
Viarium is focusing on a business sector. The project also promotes usage of VR equipment in the virtual universe. That’s what set Viarium apart from its competitors. The company is establishing a network of so-called “entry points’ all over the world. These VR-equipped premises allow any person to borrow VR glasses and to enter the virtual world. “Entry points” are based in shopping malls and office buildings for most convenience. Unlike many other projects, Viarium already has a basic architecture. The first virtual world, “Genesis Land” exists already. Users can buy land lots and build virtual spaces on them.
The emergence of new players shows the progress in VR developments and spreading Blockchain technology enables VR to create a transparent and independent world.
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