The metaverse explained! – Devices
We hear it more and more: the metaverse. It would be the future and replace the internet. But what is it?
It has been in the news several times in recent months. The metaverse. You may have read that the metaverse is going to replace the internet. Maybe we should all live there. Or Facebook (or Epic, or Roblox, or dozens of smaller companies) is trying to take it over. And maybe it has something to do with NFTs?
Well, that’s actually quite difficult. Because it doesn’t exist yet. It’s part a dream for the future of the internet and part a fun way to encapsulate some current trends in online infrastructure, including the growth of real-time 3D worlds. The term comes from science fiction. Neal Stephenson coined the term “metaverse” in his 1992 novel Snow Crash, where it referred to a 3D virtual world inhabited by avatars of real people. Many other science fiction media contain metaverse-like systems (some predate Snow Crash). But Stephenson’s book remains one of the most common reference points for metaverse enthusiasts, along with Ernest Cline’s 2011 novel Ready Player One.
Definition
Also, there is no universally accepted definition of a true “metaverse,” except perhaps being a fan of the Internet’s successor. Proponents of Silicon Valley metaverse sometimes refer to a description by venture capitalist Matthew Ball, author of the comprehensive Metaverse Primer:
“The Metaverse is a vast network of persistent, real-time rendered 3D worlds and simulations that support continuity of identity, objects, history, payments and entitlements, and can be experienced in sync by a virtually unlimited number of users, each with an individual feel. of presence.”
Facebook, arguably the tech company with the highest stakes in the metaverse, describes it more simply. In fact, the company is changing its name to ‘Meta’.
“The ‘metaverse’ is a series of virtual spaces where you can create and explore with other people who are not in the same physical space as you.”
All in all, there is still a lot of uncertainty and ‘metaverse’ is used to indicate different things. Everyone is of the opinion that the future is where we should be heading.
