These days, you can’t log onto social media or turn on your television without hearing the metaverse being mentioned.
But What Is the Metaverse?
October 28, 2021, Facebook rebranded as Meta. Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg lauded the metaverse as the “successor to the mobile internet.”
And that’s no small feat. The internet completely revolutionized the way we communicate. The way we do business. It’s pretty much near impossible to navigate in the modern world without being plugged in in some way, shape or form.
The term “metaverse” has been credited to Zuckerberg following his major announcement, but he is not the originator. Neal Stephenson famously minted the term “metaverse” in his 1992 science fiction novel, “Snow Crash.”
In reality, the bones of the virtual universe have been in the making for quite some time.
Several notable tech companies, such as Roblox, Nvidia, and Microsoft, have been raking it in after rolling out their own virtual worlds with virtual or augmented reality tech. “The Sims” can also be used as a cruder example of simulated reality gaming.
In the metaverse, we can virtually work, earn, make purchases (both large and small) and even get an education. We can already do these things online, but the metaverse will allow us to feel as though we are truly trekking through a virtual universe.
“It’s moving into what people call ambient computing,” Matthew Ball, a venture capitalist, said of the metaverse to the New York Times. “It’s about being within the computer rather than accessing the computer. It’s about being always online rather than always having access to an online world.”
Outside of gaming and social media, concert promoters, record labels, the movie industry and sports companies have been working hard to keep up with the growing trend. Consumers will be able to throw on a VR headset to enjoy a concert, a music festival, or a sports game as part of the audience—from the comfort of their own homes.
