The Metaverse. That concept that we've all been hearing about, right?

It's a BIG concept that takes some effort to get your head around. We can’t promise anything, but hopefully, by the end of this article, we might have a better idea of what is the metaverse is all about.

What is the metaverse?

So. The Metaverse. It’s a phrase that many of us have heard thanks to Mark Zuckerberg. Back in October 2021, he rebranded the company as‘ Meta’, which hints at his interest in the metaverse.

“We believe the metaverse will be the successor to the mobile internet, we’ll be able to feel present – like we’re right there with people no matter how far apart we are” - Mark Zuckerberg, October 2021

He isn’t talking about a specific piece of technology, but a world. Imagine the early days of the internet where people muttered about cyberspace. It’s kind of like that, but bigger. Way, way bigger.

It’s where there the real world and the virtual world are almost as one. You will have an avatar - which is a digital representation of you (no, we don’t know if you can make yourself look like Brad Pitt) which can play, talk, go to work, go shopping, attend social events such as gigs and so on. It’s a game, but it’s also reality.

Where did the idea of the metaverse come from?

Neal Stephenson, a science fiction novelist, created the term in his 1992 work Snow Crash. Characters in the story enter the metaverse through their avatars, which are virtual versions of themselves. Avatars in the metaverse can surpass reality and inhabit a virtual reality environment; but, in Stephenson's story, the metaverse served as an escape from a world that was dark, dystopian, and powered by predatory capitalism.

That sounds... less than ideal.

Pulling you into this world will be virtual reality or augmented reality which many of us are familiar with. It could be a combination of the real world and the virtual world - a little like Pokemon Go. You will be able to walk into virtual offices, sit down at virtual tables and collaborate with your colleagues - all from the comfort of your own home.

You may not need to worry about wearing big virtual reality headsets though. You would be able to play games such as Fortnite through the usual channels of gaming consoles and mobile phones and still be in the metaverse. The whole point of the concept is all of these digital worlds are linked together.

It also alludes to an economy that has been digitised, in which users can create, buy, and sell goods. Furthermore, in more utopian metaverse concepts, it is shareable, allowing you to carry virtual objects such as outfits or vehicles from one platform to another. In real life, you can buy a pair of trainers from a shop and then wear them to a concert. When it comes to online worlds, each platform has its own identity, inventory and avatar, which can only be used on that site. When we mutter about the metaverse, your persona is you - and it goes everywhere.

Who has their fingers in the metaverse pie?

Thanks to the rebranding of the Facebook parent company as 'Meta', we know that building the metaverse is a priority.

It has extensively invested in virtual reality through its Oculus headsets, making them cheaper than its rivals. It is also developing virtual reality apps for social get-togethers and the office.

Facebook likes to elbow in and buy up its competitors, but when it comes to the metaverse, they have promised to collaborate. We'll know how that pans out over the next decade or so, which is how long the 'true' metaverse is expected to take.

The chap who manages Epic Games (of Fortnite fame), is also rather keen on the idea. He’s sort of dipped his toes into aspects of it already, with Travis Scott playing a concert on there. Roblox is hot on it as well. They have a platform that allows lots of smaller games to connect to one much bigger.

Metaverse in business

Thanks to a certain nasty virus that has been doing the rounds, we have all learned that working from home is not only feasible but can be more efficient than dragging ourselves into the office every day. Microsoft has taken this on board, and are looking at how the metaverse and remote working can be combined.

Microsoft recently announced that 3D avatars and immersive digital workspaces will be added to Microsoft Teams, allowing businesses to create 'digital twins' of their actual offices for remote workers to access. This will be driven by Microsoft Mesh, a virtual collaboration tool that will be released in 2022 and will use VR and AR to construct digital places. Microsoft Loop, a new program, will enable remote workers to seamlessly move, synchronize, and share documents and tools digitally.

It is not just communication. There are several other business applications, ranging from teaching to distributing product demos to retail personnel. Nvidia's executives, for example, believes that investing in metaverse simulations of things like manufacturing and logistics will decrease waste and expedite better business solutions. At Yoozoom, we are relishing the idea of the business world becoming more efficient and will certainly be looking for ways to help businesses adapt and use new tech in their operations.

A newer, virtual reality

So, this new world that everyone is getting excited about, the metaverse. Will it be a reality, or will it blow out of steam? We don’t know. No one does. What we do know is that we are edging ever closer to it being a possibility and that the titans in the world of technology are making strides that only a few years ago would have seemed impossible.