'Life' in the Metaverse
Karl zu Ortenburg, MSc Sloan ??
"AI Solutions Architect": Empowering SMEs to master AI tools for instant, impactful results. Custom AI Assistants, AI Automation Agents Personal Knowledge Management (PKM), Second Brain
"Have you ever had one of those “aha” lightbulb moments when you realize your grasp of technology, or lack thereof, showed your age? ..."?Kathleen Boyle, CFA; Managing Editor, Citi GPS, in 'Metaverse and Money '.
Before we dive into any numbers, let's start with a use case to make this whole Metaverse space slightly more tangible, ok?
For a start, meet the 'avatar shapers' in the metaverse.
The ... what???
'Avatar shapers' are a new profession that has recently emerged, where designers can earn close to $6,000 working behind a computer screen as “avatar shapers.” They are probably one of those 'use-cases' you might not yet have heard of.
With people spending more and more time in virtual worlds, designers have begun helping others to build realistic in-game avatars.
Image credit: Taobao
Previously, game characters were created by developers solely. Now, participants can refine the appearance of a character in line with their own aesthetic and the designs can be exported for players to copy and use in ANY game.??
In contrast to their AI-generated counterparts, the finished product is comparable to a work of art, and the consumer pays for the value of an avatar personalized with their own real-world appearance.
Increasingly, users will seek images of themselves in the metaverse: In China, they already prefer a unique face in the virtual space and following this example, more netizens worldwide will want to take on their own digital form.?
However, we still are miles away from any 'second life', even in the metaverse. As much as I would like a second life - according to my wishes, refined aesthetics, etc., I nevertheless think that the - second life - notion might be slightly misleading in understanding what the metaverse has to offer.
I like this 'definition' for, at least an aspect of, the metaverse: The metaverse is “a sandbox for experimentation to make an impact in the physical world”, by?shajay bhooshan , from?Zaha Hadid Architects .
Insights about the Metaverse
"The metaverse offers different aspects for different people and we are just at the very beginning of exploring what this virtual space can be for us.
In the version of a 'Web3' decentralized metaverse web, users are, theoretically, in control of their own virtual identity.
The idea of identity is central to the nature of virtual worlds and is a huge part of what makes these worlds different from, for example, existing social media sites, video games, online chatrooms, or online courses.
“Traditional” digital environments contain elements that will be present in the metaverse, like the ability to socialize, play and learn together.
However true metaverse platforms will bring all these elements together and allow users to take their digital identity with them as they move between activities and metaverse environments.
In the (not so distant) future, we will have jobs and earn money in the metaverse with jobs that do not yet exist in the "real world." For example, even video gaming could become a 'job' with earning income through active engagement:
"Being a player can be a job," Sebastien Borget, the CEO of TheSandBox says. “You don't need to be the best performing player in the world like in eSports … where only the top one per cent of players will be successful and make money.
Here, as you play, all the content you collect in-game … as you complete quests … you earn digital content … NFTs … and you can choose to hold it, use it in another game, or sell it in a marketplace … people can simply earn income through their active engagement.”
The Future of the Metaverse
Life is becoming increasingly digital and virtual, and as time passes, we’re likely to find ourselves spending even more time in online worlds than we do today.
At the same time, these metaverse worlds will become even more immersive, entertaining, and addictive ...
This undoubtedly leaves many of us feeling uneasy at the prospect of the owners of big, centralized platforms, taking more and more control of our lives.
An alternative 'metaverse version' of such a digital future as described above, could provide a remedy for this – although there are clearly challenges still to be overcome around privacy, safety, and inclusiveness ..."
('Insights ...' and The Future ...' paraphrased from 'Metaverse, NFTs, Web3 And Virtual Land In The Sandbox' by?Bernard Marr , with thoughts added.)
Now, if you still think the metaverse is a gimmick or a fad, read on, here come the facts and figures ...
领英推荐
The Interest in the Metaverse has been exploding recently!
For digital kids and above all 'gamers', this interest is clearly easier to understand and the attraction of this new 'space' is even greater than for 'lesser mortals'.
It may still seem a little early to the general public to let a 'digital twin' come to a second life in the Metaverse but the interest in this new virtual space has become quite noticeable!
Here are some numbers from the latest McKinsey & Company report on the Metaverse ('Value Creation in the Metaverse . The real business of the virtual world') and others:
Real People and Real Business in the Metaverse
McKinsey assesses the influence of the metaverse on different industries as follows:
Although the long-term vision of the metaverse has yet to be realized, the early version is already well established:
As has happened with the Internet, it is believed that with an increasing number of use cases and offers, the metaverse will greatly expand and the value of each individual Metaverse feature (e.g. owning digital assets) will increase significantly!
Big tech companies, such as Meta, Microsoft, Nvidia, Apple, Alphabet, and others, are taking conscious action to shape the metaverse.
Click the link to see Metaverse | Web3 'Use Cases ' {Metaverse Use-cases are now available in a separate article.}
These activities have not gone unnoticed in the financial industry, and venture capital is now investing heavily in the Metaverse.
Click the link to see 'Investments in the Metaverse ' {Metaverse Investments are now available in a separate article.}
The metaverse - clearly has sparked some considerable interest and it will be exciting to see how the metaverse develops further.
[Content here will be updated, as more numbers and new use cases become available. Facts, figures and use cases will increasingly replace opinion.]
Sources
Metaverse | Web3 Articles & Events
Metaverse | Web3 Info