What the F@#$ is the Metaverse?!
My journey into understanding what this VR, AR, Web3 or private company ran online world will be
Are tech CEOs like Mark Zuckerberg right about the Metaverse being the future, or is it just going to be an uncomfortable version of zoom?
It’s almost three years since Mark Zuckerberg changed the name of Facebook to Meta, a seemingly crazy move that signalled the company’s shift to building the “Metaverse” through VR and AR. Similarly, Satya Nadella from Microsoft has said the Metaverse is here and will revolutionise our engagement with the world, pushing an augmented reality version of Microsoft Teams and Office.
But the idea of a Metaverse isn’t confined to the ambitions of trillion-dollar tech giants equipped with fancy VR and AR headsets. The concept also thrives in the decentralised realm of cryptocurrencies and Web3. Here, digital universes ran by blockchains, the same technology that runs cryptocurrencies, host property markets more expensive than many real homes amid the current housing crisis. Just as an example, someone spent $450,000 to live next to Snoop Dogg in the Metaverse.
someone spent $450,000 to live next to Snoop Dogg in the Metaverse.
Back up, where did the term “metaverse” come from?
I shouldn’t get ahead of myself here. Before I got the idea for this article, my only knowledge of the metaverse was from tech company ads and blog posts about confusing Web3 projects. To get a better idea, I thought I’d find out where the word “metaverse” came from.
“Metaverse” was coined by Neal Stephenson in his 1992 science fiction novel, Snow Crash. In it, Stephenson dubbed the metaverse as a hypothetical successor to the internet, where it will shift to a virtual-reality system resembling massively multiplayer online (MMO) games.
That matches up with why all the tech giants are making VR headsets and apps.
Stephenson also had his metaverse populated by user-controlled avatars and “system daemons” — daemons being a computing term for a computer program running in the background, not the demons from religions.
There is also a key part in the book about “status” in the metaverse. People elevate the representation of themselves with things like restricted access to an exclusive club, known as the Black Sun, or making their avatar’s more sophisticated.
I guess that explains the guy trying to buy virtual real-estate close to Snoop Dogg.
So, what is it now?
The Metaverse is a collective virtual shared space, created by the convergence of virtually enhanced physical reality and physically persistent virtual space, including the sum of all virtual worlds, augmented reality, and the internet.
But what does this gobbledygook actually mean?
It matches pretty much with what Stephenson explored in is novel:
- virtual reality and augmented reality,
- persistent virtual worlds with avatars
- and digital economies.
While the Metaverse shares similarities with existing online worlds and platforms, its scope and simulation of a virtual world set it apart.
Why Should We Care About the Metaverse?
From what tech giants, Web3 startups, and other “experts” are buzzing about, the Metaverse is set to change how we work, hang out, and play.
Imagine a world where your next big job interview is in VR, your next hangout with friends is in a “cool” virtual café, and your favourite concert is a fully immersive experience
The digital economies sprouting up in these spaces are like a gold rush for innovation and new ways to make (and spend) money.
Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality in the Metaverse
When it comes to VR and AR, the Metaverse promises to revolutionise the way we experience digital content. Imagine playing video games that completely immerse you in a different world. Actually, that last one is already here. Two examples that I have personally experienced come to mind:
Rec Room: This was my first experience with the metaverse. When I got a HTC Vive (an early VR headset) a few years ago, it was one of the most popular video games I could download. And, damn it was fun.
I could walk around, chat to random people dancing with their characters and play lots of small mini games. There was a lot of silly dancing. I also found I got a bit anxious when walking past some odd groups of people. It was an strange experience that I could escape by pretending my mic was off.
Pokémon GO: While not fully immersive like in VR, this AR game brought the concept of the Metaverse into the mainstream. I’m sure you remember that period in 2016 where almost everyone you saw on the street or at work/school had their phone out looking for pokémon.
I was in my undergraduate degree at university when Pokémon GO was first released. I remember going to the largest park where I live in Perth (Kings Park) with hundreds of Google Maps sites causing too many pokestops to appear. It spawned a crazy amount of pokémon in a small area so people could level up unusually fast. So many people went to the park that the local shire eventually banned parking as the grass was dying from too many cars being parked.
It went into huge nation-wide news like: Pokemon Go craze drives extra 790,000 visitors to Kings Park in Perth
These show that immersive VR and AR experiences can be fun and engaging. But, it’s not all fun and games — there are some serious questions about privacy.
Persistent, Private Company-Run Virtual Worlds
As we delve deeper into the Metaverse, it’s essential to recognise the role of persistent virtual worlds ran by private companies.
I just mentioned Rec Room and Pokémon GO, but if we’re talking about virtual worlds, the two biggest are:
- Roblox: A platform that allows users to create and explore virtual worlds built by other players. With millions of active users, it’s a prime example of a persistent virtual world that’s already thriving.
- Minecraft: I know you’ve heard of, or probably played, Minecraft. Similar to Roblox, Minecraft offers a sandbox environment where players can build, explore, and interact within a blocky, pixelated universe.
But what’s coming is something that really gets the privacy concerns going. It’s:
- Facebook Horizon: Now branded as Meta Horizon Worlds, it’s a VR platform that aims to provide a social space where users can create, explore, and interact using Oculus VR headsets.
What’s the concern you may ask? Inviting private companies like Meta to build and control these virtual worlds means handing them the keys to your personal data. These companies are already notorious for collecting and selling user data from their existing platforms.
Ever noticed how Facebook seems to know exactly what you’re thinking? That’s because it’s constantly tracking your likes, comments, and even the time you spend hovering over a post.
Now, imagine that level of surveillance in the Metaverse. With devices like the Oculus VR headsets, Meta can track not just what you look at but how long you look at it, your physical movements, and even your biometrics. It’s like being in a sci-fi movie where Big Brother is always watching, except it’s real and happening now.
The Oculus privacy policy states that it can collect data on your “physical movements and dimensions when you use an XR device.”
Here’s a fun (and slightly terrifying) example: Facebook’s ad system can sell incredibly specific targeting options, like showing ads to people who just went through a breakup or to teens feeling insecure about their appearance. Now, layer that with the data from your VR interactions, and the level of personalised marketing could get even creepier.
So while these private, company-run virtual worlds might offer fantastic experiences, they also come with a hefty price tag on your privacy. As we venture into the Metaverse, it’s crucial to stay vigilant and demand transparency and protection for our data. After all, in this new digital frontier, we probably don’t want to trade our privacy for a VR world.
Persistent Virtual Worlds and Digital Economies on the Decentralised Internet
The decentralised internet, often referred to as Web3, represents a new era of digital interaction.
But what exactly is decentralisation, and why is it important?
Decentralisation refers to a system where control is distributed, rather than being concentrated in a single entity. Think about an app running in a encrypted way on 1000s of random peoples home computers, rather than on computers ran in a warehouse owned and controlled by Meta, Amazon or Google. In the context of the internet, it means moving away from centralised servers and companies controlling data and interactions.
The Evolution of the Web
Have you ever heard of the web’s evolution? Web historians (I think that would be the term) have split it into three main stages:
Web 1.0: The early internet, characterised by static web pages and limited interactivity. These have a bit of text and links to other static pages like the image below.
Web 2.0: The current internet, defined by user-generated content, social media, and centralised platforms like Facebook and Google.
Web 3.0: The next phase, focusing on decentralisation, blockchain technology, and user-owned data.
In this web 3.0 internet there are things like NFTs, digital economies and virtual real estate. But how do they fit into the metaverse?
NFTs and Digital Economies
Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) have become a cornerstone of the Web3 movement. These digital assets are unique and verifiable on the blockchain, making them ideal for representing ownership of virtual real estate, art, and other digital goods.
What NFTs do is let people verify ownership of something, like a piece of art or a virtual space.
This allows for the metaverse to have a digital economy and ownership of things in a way where a central authority doesn’t need to be trusted, as the ownership is independently and anonymously verified by 1000s of people running blockchain technologies on their computers around the world. Because what you are doing is running on an autonomous decentralised algorithm, there is no single entity you have to trust and it is known as being “trust-less”.
Platforms like Decentraland and The Sandbox use blockchains and Web3 to allow users to buy, sell, and develop virtual land. This is where Snoop Dogg and the guy that wanted to live next to him invested in virtual plots of land. This interest is one part of what has driven up the value of cryptocurrencies and created bustling digital economies.
Privacy in Decentralised Virtual Worlds:
Now, here’s where decentralisation gets exciting — especially for those of us concerned about privacy. Because decentralised platforms operate on blockchain technology, your data isn’t stored on a company’s server, ripe for the picking and selling. Instead, it’s distributed across a network of computers, making it much harder for any one entity to access and misuse it.
Imagine owning your virtual property or avatar without worrying that a tech giant is tracking every move you make.
Decentralised virtual worlds prioritise user control and privacy, allowing you to interact and transact in these spaces without the invasive data collection we see in company-run platforms. It’s like having the freedom to roam the Metaverse without Big Brother watching your every step.
While these decentralised spaces still face challenges — like scalability and user adoption — they offer a promising alternative for those who value privacy and autonomy in their digital interactions. By leveraging blockchain technology, decentralised virtual worlds can provide a more secure and private experience, aligning with the original vision of the internet as a free and open space for all.
As you can probably tell, I’m really interested in this topic of decentralisation. If you’re wondering why, it’s because I’m building a blockchain analytics platform to help people figure out what blockchain projects are doing, called Chainspy.
Summing it up
The Metaverse is not just a futuristic concept but a rapidly evolving reality. From VR and AR innovations to decentralised digital economies, it promises to reshape how we interact with the digital world. It is quite remarkable how our emerging metaverse is so close to that devised in Snow Crash and other sci-fi stories after it.
In the grand scheme of things, the Metaverse presents a crossroads: will we opt for the convenience and polish of private company-run worlds with uncomfortable tradeoffs in privacy, or will we champion the decentralised vision of a user-controlled digital frontier? There’s likely to be aspects of both. But, in the end, if it ends up being just an uncomfortable version of Zoom, at least we’ll be able to send our digital avatars to meetings while we sneak off for a coffee!
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