Facing the metaverse
What possibilities can it bring for creators?
The recent announcement of Meta, the company formerly known as Facebook, is a significant and noteworthy step towards a potential transformation of the Web as we know it. The new company name derives from the term metaverse that was first coined by Neal Stephenson in his 1992 science fiction novel Snow Crash. The book depicts a story of a virtual reality populated by avatars controlled by users.
Meta’s recent presentation focused on introducing the company’s vision of the metaverse that, just like in Stephenson’s story, aims to bring people, objects, and places together in a virtual space. Imagine that you could put on a VR headset and instantly start traveling between different locations around the world without physically leaving your room. For example, you could meet with your family and friends in a virtual meeting room and play board games together. These are all concepts that we’ve never tested before. Though, undoubtedly, they have the potential to change the way we live. What does it mean for creators and in what areas can you specialize to make your way into the metaverse?
Gaming
In many ways, gaming is ahead of other industries adopting the metaverse and VR technology, and this trend is likely to continue in the future. Many games, such as Fortnite, have long embraced the concept of in-game economies, where players can purchase and sell items. Moreover, they allow people to interact with one another, which is also one of the main goals and premises of the metaverse. If you are considering working in the video game industry, it may be a good idea to start learning about VR game development now.
Education
The education sector is another area that can benefit from adopting the metaverse. For example, it could help students learn about theoretical and abstract concepts that are often complex and difficult to explain using words and illustrations, such as anatomy or astrophysics. Additionally, metaverse can provide students with access to various objects and spaces or allow them to learn in groups and explore the world with their classmates. On the flip side, this can also help students simulate various activities in a virtual world, such as performing surgery. These are just some examples, and there are plenty of other possibilities that the metaverse can bring to the education sector around the world, possibly empowering children with limited resources and access to education.
Healthcare and stress management
Metaverse can offer the experience of full immersion into an alternate reality, which can advance the path towards stress management. If you could move to a distant area for 10 or 15 minutes, it would surely help you unwind after a long day. Used as a meditation tool, it could encourage your brain to feel better, reduce stress, and assuage the pain. On the other hand, people with limited mobility or those who can’t travel may also have the possibility to move somewhere else or meet with their loved ones across the globe.
Remote working
One of the noteworthy concepts presented by Meta implied that you would have a chance to create the office space of your dreams. Fully customizable rooms could be used as digital offices, where you could meet with your clients and co-workers without the need to leave your home. This sounds like an ideal opportunity for architects and interior designers.
E-commerce
Metaverse has the potential to revolutionize the shopping experience in many ways. If you have ever ordered a product without physically testing it because no store nearby offered it, maybe soon you will have a chance to test such a product virtually. For example, the IKEA Place app has enabled the option of placing various IKEA products virtually in your home using AR. With this tool, you can get inspired and try different items in real-life settings with just a few clicks. Now, imagine if you could entirely immerse yourself into virtual shopping alleys filled with many different products and stores. The retail space will surely need many creators.
What will the metaverse look like?
Meta presented the ideal scenario where everything works smoothly, and this vision is purely inspiring from the creator’s point of view. However, there are still many questions and uncertainties around the topic of our rights, privacy, and possible restrictions. It is still an unknown system, and it will take some time until we can define what’s possible. That gives creators the chance to start expanding their horizons now and experimenting in the new creative space.
Tools that will help you get started as a creator:
Building 3D models
3DS Max, Blender, Cinema4D, Gravity Sketch, Maya, Unity, Unreal Engine
Building and sharing immersive AR experiences
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