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The term metaverse was used for the first time in 1992 by Neal Stephenson in his cyberpunk science fiction novel “Snow Crash.”
Since the first time this term was used to date, many people have been fascinated by this terminology and also somewhat obsessed with it. Now, a few decades after the term was first coined, the companies that deal with virtual reality are giving birth to the metaverse.
The metaverse is a three-dimensional space where individuals can move, share, and interact through custom avatars. The metaverse is regulated by specific and different rules from real life, and the prestige of people derives from the precision and originality of the respective avatar. There has been talking of a metaverse to define three-dimensional chats and online multiplayer role-playing games.
The definition of Avatar is also essential: we define Avatar in the sphere of computers, digital technologies, and the Internet, the graphic representation of a user in a specific world or digital environment.
The notion of the metaverse is returning to the fore, especially in the later period, when many people are forced to home isolation. The importance of a connection between people that takes place within a shared virtual environment has been gradually rediscovered, precisely where sharing within a real space is not possible. In fact, there are many reasons why it is challenging to meet: one of these, the most obvious, is the distance. Today we discovered another reason why even people close to us are unable to interact with each other. We know that the current emergency situation has created an insight into the past. In fact, starting from this era, it will certainly be more probable that the interaction between people will take place through a metaverse, a shared virtual space.
Nothing to be surprised about, if anything, something that has always been talked about and hypothesized even in novels.
It is needless to say that, in an era like the present one, virtual worlds that allow the sharing of common space between several people, which encourage interaction, the sharing of videos, music, information, learning, and any other utility for the community becomes a winning choice.
Many are betting on creating a virtual space that can be a platform for sharing between people. We think of our Second Life, but also of platforms that were born to be games, like Fortnite, that are trying to implement a real metaverse. Fortnite recently created a space that has nothing to do with combat, and which is called Party Royale. The purpose of this space is to create interaction between people, regardless of the goal of the game that remains combat. We are talking about a game that every month, has tens of millions of monthly players on seven different platforms: it is the first real cross-platform game. In terms of total players, the latest official figure was revealed in March 2019 at 250 million.
Most recently, Travis Scott‘s concert on April 24 boasted 12.3 million simultaneous viewers. This surpasses the previous record held by DJ Marshmello, which has performed at 10 million in February 2019.
Travis Scott’s concert has been defined by most people as spectacular, and indeed it certainly is. Below I put the video of the event created by the famous YouTuber, and which boasted an impressive number of simultaneous viewers.
Travis Scott’s Concert in Fortnite
If really Fortnite were to be able to transform itself into a metaverse and, in addition to being a game platform, it really managed to become a platform for sharing contents and experiences, there would be no doubt about its planetary success. Although Fortnite is free, it generates a lot of money, almost $ 2 billion in 2019, according to Nielsen’s SuperData tracking arm.
However, despite the success of Fortnite also as a sharing environment, it is still not possible to talk about a metaverse.
We will be able to do this when we have an always active virtual environment able to stratify seamlessly in our real world with millions of interactions simultaneously.
In short, a real race was triggered for those who arrive first in the creation of a metaverse. A shared space is a practical and adequate space for sharing and fun.
Who will arrive first?
Suggerimento di lettura per Italiani
“Virtualmente insieme” di Gaia Moretti (grazie Dorian Kash per il suggerimento) → Compra o leggi l’anteprima su Google Ebook
