Exploring the Boundless Frontier: Defining the Metaverse

“In the simplest terms, the metaverse is the internet, but in 3D.” Ed Greigg, Chief Disruptor at Deloitte [1]

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Defining the Metaverse is the fundamental starting point to understanding it.

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Why it matters

An informed exploration of a topic must begin with a solid definition, therefore, knowing what “the Metaverse” means is essential for anyone keen to comprehend the subject in depth.?

Overview

From this article, you will learn the following:

• Key terms and definitions related to the Metaverse.
• A comprehensive definition featuring all essential aspects.
• An alternative perspective emphasising decentralisation.
• Utopian and dystopian versions of a possible Metaverse.
• What the Metaverse could bring for humanity’s future.
• Definitions of the Metaverse from various scientific fields.

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Introduction

The Metaverse is arriving. Some of us understand what it is when we hear the term. Many people talk about it. There are even books on the topic. However, there is no formally agreed definition. Perhaps that is how it should be. After all, who would conceive of trying to define the universe? Similarly, with its unlimited potential and possibilities, the Metaverse defies attempts to put it in a box with a label on top. Despite this, let us attempt to deepen our understanding of the Metaverse by introducing key terms and concepts surrounding it. Next, we will explore a comprehensive definition addressing all its key aspects and complement it with an alternative perspective. Afterwards, we will consider the utopian and dystopian visions of the Metaverse together with reflections on its imagined future. Finally, we will conclude by defining the Metaverse from various scientific lenses.?

Key terms and definitions

Before beginning to explore and define the concept of ‘Metaverse’, it is helpful to start by introducing a few relevant terms.

3D engine: A rendering engine for virtual computer simulations and video games [2].

Artificial Intelligence (AI): The constellation of technologies combining to power machines to sense, comprehend, act, and learn with human-like levels of intelligence. AI engines can analyse 2D images or 3D scans to generate more realistic and accurate avatars and non-player characters that can facilitate lifelike conversations with users or perform other specific tasks [2].

Augmented Reality (AR): a real-world environment enhanced by virtual, interactive objects. AR facilitates visual, auditory, and other sensory interactive information in real-world ecosystems to improve user experience [2].

Avatar: Digital and graphical representations of a real-life human, a 2D picture or an animated, walking-and-talking digital figure [2].

Bitcoin (BTC): A digital currency recorded on a blockchain and transferrable on a decentralised peer-to-peer network [2].

Blockchain: Aa distributed database of ‘blocks’ that records and validates transactions with secure links using cryptography. Blockchain ensures the security, safety, scalability, transparency and speed of data in the Metaverse. Blockchain transactions are decentralised, trustless, and permissionless, without a central authority [2].

Closed Platform: Also, a ‘Walled Garden’ is the opposite of an ‘Open Platform’. It doesn’t allow integration with other products [2].

Creator Economy: Refers to a large group of social media influencers, YouTubers, bloggers, and other content creators who earn money through popular social media platforms such as YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and Twitch [3]. The Metaverse would provide even more opportunities for 3D content creation and monetisation.

Cryptocurrency: A digital or virtual currency that implements the classic functions of money. ‘Crypto’ is stored on a blockchain and uses cryptography as a means of security. A key characteristic of cryptocurrency is no single decentralised authority governs it [2].

Cyberspace: The virtual world, or the global communication network made possible by computers and the Internet [3].

Decentralised Autonomous Organisation (DAO): A decentralised autonomous organisation its members own, and its rules and transactions are managed on the blockchain [3]. Digital systems in which a company or group of like-minded individuals operate in the Metaverse based on rules dictated by a smart contract: from decision-making to how governance unfolds [2].

Decentralisation: the technologies, designs, and approaches that shift power and control away from centralised authorities so that ownership is distributed across a vast array of individuals and interconnected spaces. This proposed framework is viewed by many as the only way to run the Metaverse effectively [2]. Power is distributed away from a central authority. Many believe the Metaverse should be decentralised, not governed by a person or small group [3].

Decentralised Applications (dApps): They function like regular apps but operate autonomously through smart contracts that run on the blockchain or peer-to-peer (P2P) network of computers [2].

Decentralised Finance (DeFi): peer-to-peer financial services removing intermediaries such as exchanges, brokerages, or banks through smart contracts that run on a blockchain [2].

Digital Assets: Digital representations of virtual or real-world assets that can be owned and transferred virtually, such as cryptocurrencies and NFTs [2].

Digital Holograms: The reproduction of a hologram – a realistic projection of a person, place or object within virtual space. This object is usually 3D and can be viewed from all sides, meaning that within the Metaverse, an avatar can walk around it and, in many cases, interact with it [4].

Digital Twin: A virtual object in the Metaverse representing a real-life object, being, or structure [4].

Digital Wallet: A secure location on the blockchain where users can keep their public or private keys and passwords, allowing them to hold and make transactions with cryptocurrency. In most digital environments, a wallet is essential to managing crypto and tracking the history of Metaverse transactions in a safe, transparent environment [2].

Edge computing: The technology that takes care of the faster data transmission requirement that the Metaverse’s advanced infrastructure must fulfil for modern businesses globally. It supplies end-users with storage, computation, data and application solutions such as cloud computing services [2].

Extended Reality (XR): An umbrella term for computer-generated environments merging physical and virtual worlds, such as virtual, augmented and mixed reality. It is proposed that one day, the lines between Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), and Mixed Reality (MR) might blur, making XR a more appropriate term [2].

Gamification: Using gaming elements in a non-gaming situation. Think of the use of avatars, point systems, and achievements. Some think that the Metaverse will increase the gamification of our digital activities [3].

Graphic Processing Units (GPUs): A GPU is a computing technology specialised for the creative production of graphics and video rendering. It allows programmers to create stunning visual effects and realistic scenes to accelerate the rendering of 3D graphics, making it vital to realising the Metaverse [4].

Internet of Things (IoT): IoT sensors will transmit data across the devices in the Metaverse. For example, users could feel an object with the help of haptic gloves or study the solar system as if it is right there in front of them through a VR headset [2].

Interoperability: The ability of different computer software systems to exchange information, communicate with one another, ‘understand’, and use transferred information. Users on one platform can seamlessly engage and interact with users on another and share data and content [2].

Machine Learning (ML): A branch of AI and computer capabilities that focus on using data and algorithms to mirror how humans learn and apply the principle to machines [2].

Metaverse as a Service (MaaS): an enterprise solution similar to Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), enabling diverse individuals, retailers, and organisations to enhance their presence in a 3D virtual environment using existing Metaverse infrastructure [2].

Metaverse Experiences: immersive social experiences, games, workshops, parties, concerts, activities, and more happening in a virtual environment. Because the Metaverse is 3D, you’ll be moving through it rather than scrolling over it on a screen [4].

Metaverse Marketplace: A platform built on a blockchain ecosystem where Metaverse users can buy, sell, and exchange virtual goods and assets [2].

Mixed Reality (MR): The fusion of the virtual and real, combined with elements of VR and AR. Individuals can interact with real-world objects, and virtual objects can interact with real-world objects [2].

Mirror worlds: A digital version of the real world with virtually rendered equivalents of people, places, and things [4].

Non-Fungible Token (NFT): a blockchain-based token implemented through smart contracts representing a unique asset’s digital ownership. NFTs can represent art, land parcels, in-game items, music, videos, avatar clothing, and more [2].

Open Platforms: a permissionless network constructed on open standards. It can be developed by anyone and everyone and accessed by anyone and everyone. Such platforms allow creators to build content freely. In addition, third parties can also integrate with the platform to add functionality [2].

Persistence: ??allows endless and continuous virtual opportunities for everyone that are accessible anytime, anywhere. The Metaverse is always on and always evolving, even when nobody interacts [2].

Phygital: Bridging the gap between the physical world and the digital [2].

Play-to-Earn (P2E): P2E games allow players to earn in-game cryptocurrencies or virtual items by winning battles and competitions, completing challenges, and renting or selling their assets (as NFTs) [2].

Portals: Access points connecting different virtual environments distributed in the same platform or Metaverse [4].

Self-Sovereignty: The vision is that individual users should control their information on the Internet without having a particular company or government manage their data, assets, or identity [2].

Smart Contract: Self-executing contracts exist in and power NFTs and other assets on the blockchain network. Smart contracts allow programmatic exchanges of value and encourage new decentralised software forms, such as DeFi and DAOs, to emerge [2].

Snow Crash: A 1992 sci-fi novel by Neal Stephenson where the original term ‘Metaverse’ originated. Stephenson described the VR-based evolution of the Internet and outlined a Metaverse where humans interact as avatars in a 3D virtual space [2].

Social Immersion: Metaverse experiences that provoke and create social interaction. Total social immersion is one of the main evolutions to Web3 [4].

Spatial Computing: a technology immersing humans into the computing environment and adding computing to objects in our real-life spatial environments. From output technologies like 3D graphics and spatial audio and image, gesture, and facial recognition, to digital twins and advanced user interfaces, spatial computing is a pillar technology required to power the Metaverse [2].

Teleporting: The ability to instantly transport across space to a remote virtual (or physical) location. In the Metaverse, this usually happens via VR or AR technologies [2].

Telepresence: The sensation of being in a different place from where you are physically, allowing you to appear or feel present [4].

Token Gating: The process involves an individual’s proof of ownership of a specific NFT. This is to provide utility for an NFT collection. Essentially, token gating allows projects to reward people who hold their NFTs by creating exclusive content, events, and other benefits available only to token holders [2].

Walled Garden: A Walled Garden is similar to a Closed Platform. It is a closed ecosystem that controls all operations within itself. In the Metaverse, it will be seen as separate virtual worlds or domains that allow users to create content under specific rules and only with natively provided tools [4].

Virtual land: The digital terrain on which your avatar can roam in the virtual ecosystem of the Metaverse [2].

Virtual Reality (VR): A computer-generated environment with digital scenes and objects that appear real. It makes the user feel physically immersed in their surroundings. Usually, users put on a headset and can see and operate within a digital world [2].

Web2: This is how we know the Internet today, 2D websites or e-commerces that we scroll through and click to interact [4].

Web3: The next evolution of the current Web2. It’s a decentralised internet built on foundational technologies like blockchain and DAOs rather than centralised on servers owned by individuals or corporations. Users will benefit from peer-to-peer transactions, transparency and data democracy, as well as experiences crafted by machine learning, artificial intelligence, and virtual reality that will facilitate more intelligent and practical virtual applications [2].

With the context provided by these key terms, we can start defining “the Metaverse”.

Origins

Initially, let us start by looking at the components of the word Metaverse itself. It is a combination of two items. First, the prefix meta means something of a higher or second-order but also transcending. It originates from the Greek word meta, meaning ‘with, across, or after’. Second, verse, in this context, is simply short for universe. So, the word itself implies something that transcends, is beyond or comes after the universe.

More specifically, Metaverse was coined and used for the first time in Neal Stephenon’s 1992 novel Snow Crash [5]. It is also worth noting that the term Metaverse always appears capitalised in the book. As envisioned by the author, this is a computer-generated universe drawn on goggles and transmitted in earphones by goggles. Its foundation is a 65,536 kilometres-long round, grand boulevard going around the equator of a black sphere. But as the book clearly states, or rather reminds the reader, this is a world that does not really exist [5].

“The people are pieces of software called avatars. They are the audiovisual bodies people use to communicate with each other in the Metaverse,” clarifies Neal Stephenson [6]

With this context in mind, let us proceed to a more thorough definition.?

A comprehensive definition

Matthew Ball, the author of The Metaverse [7], defines the concept as:

“A massively scaled and interoperable network of real-time rendered 3D virtual worlds that can be experienced synchronously and persistently by an effectively unlimited number of users with an individual sense of presence, and with continuity of data, such as identity, history, entitlements, objects, communications, and payments [6].”

Now let us unpack each of the components of this definition.

• ‘Massively scaled’ means that the Metaverse with a capital M will contain multiple virtual worlds, which, in theory, should also drive adoption.
• ‘Interoperable network’ refers to the ability of users to take and transfer their virtual assets across different virtual worlds. Their play history should be exportable and transferrable as well. This key feature depends on the ability of platforms to exchange and use information with each other. Interoperability is essential for creating an open and inclusive Metaverse economy that accelerates value creation and distributes rewards more fairly.
• ‘Real-time rendering’ enables live, shared, and immersive Metaverse experiences. It fuels the unpredictability and excitement of live happenings, such as games, interactions, or events.
• ?3D: although some Metaverse experiences available today can be consumed on 2D devices, the actual transition of human culture and labour from the physical to the virtual realm would happen with 3D. 3D is one of the key differences between the current version of the Internet and the vision of immersive virtual reality.
• ?‘Virtual worlds’, as discussed in the previous section, are computer-simulated digital environments where all the action and matter of the Metaverse resides. Virtual reality offers the possibility for alter egos and theoretically unlimited action potential, a key feature of the Metaverse.
• ‘Synchronous’ simply means happening concurrently, at the same time. This would enable the consumption of shared experiences where multiple users encounter the exact same things simultaneously.
• ‘Persistent’ means maintaining the latest realised state indefinitely. If a tree falls in the Metaverse, you would expect to find it still on the ground and not missing or regrown when you rejoin. Most games and digital environments today do not support full persistence, which differentiates them significantly from the real world as we experience it. The Metaverse aims to bridge that gap by making forever-lasting environments.
• An ‘unlimited number of users’ with an ‘individual sense of presence’ should be able to co-participate in the Metaverse just like in the real world. However, the challenge is that concurrency exponentially increases data processing and, thus, computing needs. Nonetheless, this ability of massive numbers of people to reside in the Metaverse simultaneously is essential if it aims to transcend the real world as its name implies.
• Finally, ‘continuity of data’ links back to the concepts of persistence and interoperability. The data and records of the Metaverse must be lasting and transferrable across platforms.

Evidently, this definition omits terms such as ‘blockchain’, ‘Web3’, or ‘decentralisation’. Ball clarifies that this is because, while both Web3 and the Metaverse may be seen as successors to the Internet, they are different. In short, Web3 is a vaguely defined future internet built around decentralisation and independent developers. However, it does not require synchronicity, real-time rendering or 3D experiences. Although the Metaverse could also be seen as a successor to the current web, it does not strictly require blockchains, decentralisation, digital ledgers, or empowerment of users [7]. But is this the end of the story??

An alternative view

Author of ‘Step into the Metaverse’ Mark van Rijmenam, on the other hand, formulates six key characteristics of the Metaverse [8]. Three of them, ‘interoperability’, ‘spatiality’, and ‘persistency’, overlap with Ball’s definition. However, the other three – ‘decentralisation’, ‘community-driven’, and ‘self-sovereignty’ intertwine with Web3 thinking and terminology. Since we covered the former three in the previous section, let us focus on the latter three.

1. Decentralisation determines the balance of power, control, and ownership of digital assets created and residing in the Metaverse. In theory, a decentralised system of operation and governance would favour a fairer and more inclusive distribution of wealth in the Metaverse economy. Conceptually, it aligns with the original intent behind the creation of the Internet, which was to place power and control in the hands of individuals rather than a handful of tech giants [8].

Blockchain technology can become a fundamental pillar for creating decentralised Metaverse platforms. It can act as a single source of truth independent of central authorities and ensure that data is immutable, traceable, and verifiable. Additionally, this would enable efficient tracking of digital assets’ provenance. Moreover, some high-throughput blockchains can support the near-instant settlement of transactions and automation of rules and governance principles through smart contracts [8].

In Mark’s view, decentralisation is critical for the success of the Metaverse because of its role in proving ownership and enabling users maintain control over their assets, data, identity, and reputation. However, he thinks blockchains cannot still support the Metaverse with decentralised data storage, computing power, and bandwidth because of the exceedingly high demands of immersive virtual worlds. Nonetheless, Mark maintains that decentralisation would promote an open, interoperable Metaverse. One that empowers all users and creators and allows them to participate in its economic potential [8].

2. The community-driven characteristic of the Metaverse aligns with humans’ social nature. Hence, he argues that social experiences with elements of leaderboards and gamification will dominate VR. Moreover, he maintains that the community will be not simply participating but also co-creating many of these immersive experiences. Therefore, brands wanting to market in the Metaverse must respect, interact, and learn from communities. Above all, brands need to meet and engage Metaverse communities where they are and how they want to be engaged [8].

3. Self-sovereignty, his final characteristic, means that users keep control over their data and identity instead of the platform they use. This is an evolution from Web2, where we sacrificed freedom and ownership in exchange for conveniences, to Web3, which is all about decentralisation, freedom, and empowerment.

Identity is an ever-changing, evolving, and expanding collection of attributes and representations we use in virtual worlds. The fundamental drive is to enable individuals and things to keep control over their data, information, reputation, and identity without reliance on central authorities. Again, blockchain technologies, including zero-knowledge proofs and smart contracts, can enable and automate verification without revealing any unnecessary user data. These identity verification technologies would be crucial in the Metaverse to mitigate the risk of impersonation and deep faking [8].

Another key related concept is anonymous accountability, which is possible only with self-sovereign, verified identities that enable users to build a reputation across platforms while remaining anonymous. For example, information gathered and verified by a bank as part of ‘know your customer’ (KYC) can be stored on a blockchain and connected to a user’s Metaverse identity (avatar) and a digital wallet. If this connection is maintained even as the user switches avatars, they can continue building a portable reputation anonymously. This would mean that users can be accountable even if they remain anonymous. Ultimately, self-sovereignty should encompass users’ data and digital creations, becoming the cornerstone for creating a truly open, inclusive, and decentralised Metaverse [8].

Now that we have an exhaustive definition of the Metaverse and multiple perspectives on all its essential characteristics, it is time to explore two opposing paradigms.

Utopia vs Dystopia

Nicola Rosa, the author of Understanding the Metaverse, argues that within VR, we will move from telling stories to living them [9]. This is a far more immersive and impactful approach with profound implications for gaming, socialising, and perhaps, most importantly – learning. But with greater power comes greater responsibility. So, let us explore the two possible scenarios for how the Metaverse’s potential could unfold that the author presents [9].

• Rosa sees the utopian Metaverse as an inclusive democracy. Like van Rijmenam’s arguments favour decentralisation and self-sovereignty [8], Rosa maintains that in an ideal scenario, users rather than corporations own and maintain the Metaverse [9]. For example, Decentraland [10], the Ethereum-powered platform, exemplifies some of these principles by enabling users to create, experience and monetise applications and content. The native cryptocurrency ‘MANA’ can be used to buy digital items and NFTs as well as virtual space within the platform. Decentraland’s ethos also aligns with Ethereum co-founder Gavin Wood’s original vision for Web3. An idea of a decentralised internet where everyone can be a co-owner with specific rights and an opportunity to participate in value co-creation and sharing. Rosa sees this Metaverse form as ideal since it will encourage creators and users to build on each other’s work to benefit the entire community [9].
• On the other hand, there is the risk of a dystopian Metaverse based on mass manipulation and control [9]. In this disturbing scenario, user data could be used for nefarious purposes, including identifying key trigger points for manipulation. For example, advanced AI running off our psychological profile data can go rogue and attempt to control us by adapting its behaviour to manipulate us. Implementing the appropriate rules and regulations is the key to mitigating these risks. For example, according to Rosa, using granular information, including heart rate, pupil dilation, and fine body movements collected by modern VR headsets, must be carefully regulated to prevent misuse [9].

Of course, the direction we must favour is the utopian one. Additionally, Rosa points out the importance of developing device-agnostic infrastructure [9]. This would lower barriers to entry and promote wider adoption and participation in VR.

With a clear understanding of the two extreme possibilities for the Metaverse, let us now converge on a more realistic narrative about its future.?

Imagining the Metaverse

Once ‘it arrives’, there will be just one Metaverse like there is just the Internet. So we could travel seamlessly across integrated virtual worlds that we can access on any device. The Internet will become far more pervasive. The Metaverse will be a complete convergence of the physical and digital worlds. But let us explore what the experts think.

Definitions

“There will be different layers of realities that we can all be experiencing, even in the same environment or physical space. We’re already doing that with our phones to a certain extent—passively in a physical environment while mentally in a digital one. But we’ll see more experiences beyond your phone, where our whole bodies are fully engaged, and that’s where the Metaverse starts to get interesting—we genuinely begin to explore and live in these alternate realities simultaneously.” Tiffany Rolfe, Chief Creative Officer at the global branding and marketing firm R/GA [11]

The concept of embodiment and the feeling of presence are fundamental to how we will be experiencing the Metaverse. Importantly, people will be able to choose their level of immersion from a spectrum based on what they want to experience at a particular time and what they feel comfortable with.

“The Metaverse may appear as real as ‘real life’ for those participating, thanks to the level of resolution and quality of today’s technology. It’s all pointing toward a more immersive entertainment experience that engages all senses while staying true to the creator’s intent. I can see the consumer entertainment aspects of the Metaverse becoming the main driver, and there are plenty of other applications I can easily picture: education and research, industrial, even IT and security.” Tyler Ishida, Deputy President for Consumer Business Group, Sony Electronics [11]

Most observers recognise the massive potential of the Metaverse in gaming and entertainment thanks to its immersion and multisensory engagement. Additionally, these qualities can find meaningful applications in a complex educational setting requiring fine body coordination or operating sophisticated machinery.

“The Metaverse is less of a ‘thing’ and more of a computing era. Contextual computing enables a multitude of new types of interactions and apps: VR sculpting tools and social hangouts, self-driving cars, robotics, smart homes.” Timoni West, VP of Augmented and Virtual Reality, Unity [11]

The Metaverse era could unlock new capabilities based on aware devices, which capture and respond to real-time user data. Contextual computing can transform our lives in the Metaverse in multiple areas, including facilities management, retail, project management, sales, government, and healthcare [12].

“It will be possible to experience the Metaverse with all of our senses and being. Today, each of the senses can be used to heighten immersion in virtual experiences by mirroring reality; however, the opportunity also exists to apply the senses in alternative ways that are in contrast to what we may experience in physical reality. This opens up a new gateway of possibilities, including even creating new senses.” Dr Helen Papagiannis, Augmented Stories, best-selling author of ‘Augmented Human’ [11]

The Metaverse would engage our senses on a spectrum offering unique opportunities for immersion and could even enable people with certain disabilities to experience things impossible in the physical world.

“It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that without AI, the Metaverse won’t exist; as carbon is to the organic world, AI will be both the matrix that provides the necessary structural support and the material from which digital representation will be made. Of all the ways in which AI will shape the form of the Metaverse, perhaps most essential is the role it will play in the physical-digital interface.” Nitzan Mekel-Bobrov, Chief AI officer, eBay [11]

The same AI, a protagonist in the presented dystopian vision of the Metaverse, could be a massive enabler of unique and personalised experiences.

“[Metaverse users] have the opportunity to exchange ideas, creativity, emotional intelligence, and ultimately dream with billions of people instead of being victim to real-world barriers such as socioeconomics, borders, and language. This planet requires balance to sustain. It just may be that the Metaverse provides another essential component of balance for humanity.” Raine Maida, Singer, Our Lady Peace [11]

What stands out here is the recognition of the Metaverse’s potential to promote social and geographical mobility and inclusion and promote a more balanced existence.

With these essential understandings covered, let us explore how the Metaverse can reconnect us with the physical world.

Bridging virtual and physical

“We imagine the Metaverse as reality made better, a world infused with magic, stories, and functionality at the intersection of the digital and physical worlds. Through it, we think there is the potential to make people and society better by nudging us to get out, exercise, and rediscover the physical world around us.” John Hanke, CEO of Pokémon GO, creator of Niantic [11]

Indeed, being in the Metaverse in a dynamic and physically involved way would mitigate some potential downsides. AR could help us get fit in a more immersive and enjoyable way. For example, imagine the superimposition of specific targets and checkpoints or real-time biofeedback data as you run. Or representing a friend of yours running somewhere else as a digital avatar you can see and interact with in real-time through AR wearables.

“Rather than building the “Metaverse,” a separate and fully virtual reality that is disconnected from the physical world, we are focused on augmenting reality, not replacing it. We believe AR–or computing overlaid on the world around us–has a smoother path to mass adoption but will also be better for the world than a fully virtual world. From reimagining entertainment to redefining the way we shop, AR is already changing the way we live our daily lives, and there are countless creative and useful experiences yet to be invented.” Carolina Arguelles Navas, Global Product Marketing, Augmented Reality, Snap [11]

The important point here is that AR, instead of fully-immersive VR, could reach mass adoption sooner. Critical factors here could be higher utility and similarity to real-world experiences.

“We believe that the Metaverse will fundamentally change the way we use technology to interact with each other. The best version of it will be based in reality, meaning users will be able to digitise their actual physical surroundings and interact with each other as lifelike human images as opposed to cartoonish avatars in pre-built virtual worlds. Empowering people with the tools they need to seamlessly bridge the real world with the unlimited flexibility of the virtual world will ultimately pave the way for all of us to teleport to anyone’s environment around the world. In the reality-based Metaverse, we will be able to more effectively design products of the future, meet and collaborate with our colleagues far away, and experience any remote place in real-time.” Urho Konttori, Co-founder and CRO of AR/VR headset maker Varjo [11]

Seeing the numerous uses and case studies listed on Varjo’s website [13], including aerospace, automotive, medical, training and simulation, design, education, and marketing and sales, is a perception shifter. VR and XR could fundamentally transform how we work, learn, and create new things.

“Personally, the more time I spend in VR, the more in awe I am at how well-optimised our bodies and minds are to this physical earth. If we ditch these sci-fi assumptions and come to the idea of “the metaverse” with fresh eyes, then a world of exciting possibilities awaits. I prefer to think of the Metaverse as simply bringing our bodies into the Internet” [11], comments Catherine Allen, CEO of immersive tech research consultancy Limina Immersive. Once again emphasising that we should aim for phygital integration.

Having covered the importance of bridging the physical and the virtual world, let us explore perspectives on the commercial opportunities in the Metaverse.

Business and branding

“Building the Metaverse at large will be a collaborative effort between brands and consumers, and the winning brands will be those who manage to engage and include their audiences in the creative process. For example, if a shopper can co-create a garment, as we did with H&M and Star Wars in AR, they will be so much more engaged with the product, and subsequently the brand.” Emma Ridderstad, CEO and Co-founder of AR/VR Brand Experience Developer Warpin [11]

The Metaverse is more immersive, engaging more of our senses simultaneously. Naturally, we would expect and want to be more involved in whatever we do. Considering that gaming is still the top use case, brands that want to be successful would want to optimise user engagement and participation.

“Ideally, the Metaverse is highly customisable and as separate or integrated into our physical realities as necessary—and desired. Therefore, the metaverse experience can be altered from the individual’s point of view and shaped or curated by any number of agents—whether human or AI. In that sense, the Metaverse does not have an objective look beyond its backend. In essence, the Metaverse, together with our physical locations, forms a spatial continuum. The very materials of the Metaverse are maths and imagination, so we should expect buildings or garments made here to function in new, more ambitious, and inspired ways than their counterparts in the physical world.” Nandi Nobell, Senior Associate at global architecture and design firm CallisonRTKL [11]

This is a great reminder to dream big and boldly in the Metaverse and design it with customisation to cater as precisely as possible to user needs.

“Our vision of what the Metaverse looks like is a digital twin that mirrors what is happening in the physical universe on a real-time basis allowing remote employees and on-site employees to interact in a single branded collaborative environment and allows you to bring your 2D digital world to a 3D world. Those interactions can then be applied to metrics and using machine learning can optimise your business in literally hundreds of different ways.” Erin McDonald, CEO of real estate management and IoT firm Environments [11]

This is a reminder of the Metaverse’s potential to transform our work processes fundamentally. We will be able to transcend the rigid categories of remote, in-person, and hybrid to move along the phygital continuum and optimise job collaboration and efficiency.

“Human connection and accountability are at the heart of what has been most successful in improving consumer health and fitness. The broad history of the Internet has been to enable this between people who aren’t standing next to one another. Now, we’re entering a new chapter with modalities that can amplify or deepen connection, and these are going to be critical for allowing people everywhere to access expertise, coaching, and the partnership required to live a healthier life.” Rishi Mandal, CEO of concierge-style fitness app Future [11]

Immersive VR experiences could bring us closer to each other and closer still to ourselves when aimed at nurturing health and well-being.

However, not everyone is as optimistic, so let us acknowledge some of the concerns.

Concerns

“The Metaverse could be anything from a form of escapism as an alternative reality that is fun and engaging to an absolute hell where the current problems Facebook is facing with misinformation and abuse will feel way more real. First and foremost, it will be used by Facebook to further monetise on consumers.” Carolina Milanesi, President and Principal Analyst, Creative Strategies [11]

It is worth acknowledging that the Metaverse could amplify some of the problems of Web2 and social media through its deeper immersion and engagement. However, as with any emerging field, ethical design is critical to realise the social value and contribution of the Metaverse while mitigating the risks.

“We have already shown, through our research, practical security weaknesses in VR as it lends itself to new types of immersive attacks like our discovered Human Joystick attacks and the Man-In-The-Room attacks. In one attack, we can control the movement of a person in VR without their knowledge or consent. In the other, we can step into private environments, “rooms” and snoop on people without their knowledge or consent.” Ibrahim Baggili, Founding Director, Connecticut Institute of Technology at the University of New Heaven [11]

Indeed, hackers would aim to compromise user safety and security. New types of attacks would emerge. Therefore, we must focus on developing the appropriate measures to address these risks through platform design, user education, and proper prevention structures and tactics.

“I picture [the Metaverse] almost like The Truman Show. Only, instead of walking into a television set, you walk into the Internet and can explore any number of different realities. It’s the tech moguls’ dream of re-coding the DNA of society. But will we feel more connected? Or lonelier than we are today?” Chitra Ragavan, Chief Strategy Officer, Elementus [11]

Ultimately, the Metaverse would be a powerful tool, and influence will be one of its primary uses. However, I believe individual gullibility will be the primary determining factor of whether such manipulation occurs. Still, I maintain that virtual world creators and operators would have a responsibility to design environments that promote individual freedom and expression instead of slavery to ideologies.

We have explored the views of prominent practitioners. The only missing piece to fully defining the Metaverse is a survey of what academics say.?

The Metaverse defined from various scientific lenses

This section will explore various definitions and observations related to the Metaverse from different research fields.

Arts and Humanities

“What makes the metaversal worlds different from the other online environments and graphically similar —even better— online games is the idea of the user-created content. The inhabitants are not presented with a ready-made world, but they can design and possess the real-world copyrights of their designs; they can construct their identities from scratch, study or work to earn real money, and socialise by participating in any kind of group activities. Thus, they create collaboratively not only the graphical and interactive content but also the economical and social structures in these 3-D worlds [14].”

Computer Science

“Metaverses are immersive three-dimensional virtual worlds (VWs) in which people interact as avatars with each other and with software agents, using the metaphor of the real world but without its physical limitations. This broad concept of a metaverse builds on and generalises from existing definitions of VWs Metaverses provide virtual team members with new ways of managing and overcoming geographic and other barriers to collaboration. These environments have potential for rich and engaging collaboration, but their capabilities have yet to be examined in depth [15].”

“These virtual worlds, or metaverses, are in fact true social networks, and they are useful for interaction between people in different locations [16].”

“Metaverses use the metaphor of the real world but without its physical limitations. A virtual world is a specific instantiation of a metaverse, also referred to as a virtual space or virtual world environment. Virtual worlds provide virtual team members with new ways of managing and overcoming geographic and other barriers to collaboration. These types of environments allow for rich and engaging collaboration among team members [17].”

“The word Metaverse is a portmanteau of the prefix “meta” (meaning “beyond”) and the suffix “verse” (shorthand for “universe”). Thus it literally means a universe beyond the physical world. More specifically, this “universe beyond” refers to a computer-generated world, distinguishing it from metaphysical or spiritual conceptions of domains beyond the physical realm. In addition, the Metaverse refers to a fully immersive three-dimensional digital environment in contrast to the more inclusive concept of cyberspace that reflects the totality of shared online space across all dimensions of representation. The progression of development culminates in a complete Metaverse that involves multiple MetaGalaxies and MetaWorld systems. A standardised protocol and set of abilities would allow users to move between virtual worlds in a seamless manner regardless of the controlling entity for any particular virtual region [18].”

“When the Metaverse is brought to life as it was designed, it will be possible to perform many daily activities such as working, travelling, shopping, going to school, and having fun by creating a 3d avatar in a digital universe. Any change users make in the Metaverse will be permanently visible to almost everyone, thus providing users with greater identity and continuity of experience [19].”

Environmental Science

“There is no single, unified entity called the Metaverse. Rather, there are multiple mutually reinforcing ways in which virtualisation and 3D web tools and objects are being embedded everywhere in our environment and becoming persistent features of our lives [20].”

Social Sciences

“In this world [Metaverse] individuals interact through a perceived three-dimensional landscape by creating avatars (artistically created virtual representations of individual users) that need a limited connection to the appearances of the people they represent. Each avatar is visible to all other users, and avatars interact with each other in this communal virtual space through software-specified rules [21].”

“The metaverse,” a kind of cyberspace world that could be considered a glorified chat room with total-body surround made possible by a sophisticated system of earphones and goggles that allowed individuals to live and act in a cyberspace peopled by iconic representations known as “avatars”. These avatars could be crude artifacts with little reality, rented by the hour. In hour. In appearance, these down-market avatars are some what wooden icons like those we use today. They could also run all the way up to dramatically realistic or specially constructed representations created by talented hackers either for their own use or for sale to wealthy clients [22].”

“In particular, we consider the role of a Metaverse, understood as a globally accessible 3D virtual space and computing infrastructure—and today still a conceptual vision—as a mediator between technology trends and societal and business applications [23].”

Evidently, there are a lot of similarities, precision, and even some conservatism among the proposed definitions from scholars. For our purposes, this brief review of the scientific opinions rounds and completes the discussion on definitions of the Metaverse.?

Conclusion

This article explored key terms relevant to the Metaverse to contextualise the subsequent discussion. Then it presented a comprehensive definition exploring essential Metaverse features such as scalability, interoperability, 3D virtuality, synchronicity, and persistence. Next, we added a layer to that definition that emphasises the importance of considering the Metaverse from a more decentralised and democratised perspective. Afterwards, we explored the utopian and dystopian extremes that could materialise in theory. Next, we imagined the Metaverse through the views of various practitioners, covering more definitions, concerns, and opportunities. Finally, we surveyed the Metaverse definitions presented by scholars across multiple fields. So, how much better do we understand what the Metaverse means? Well, the true measure of understanding is simplicity. Therefore, let us conclude with a short, concise, and clear working definition.

The Metaverse is a digitally enhanced, shared parallel reality.

?

Precise enough to give a general sense of what we mean and broad enough to allow scope for this article’s various nuances.

Summary

• Understanding what “the Metaverse” means requires familiarity with basic concepts such as AI, AR, avatar, blockchains, cryptocurrency, DAO, decentralisation, digital asset, digital twin, XR, interoperability, ML, MR, persistence, VR, and Web3, among others.
• A comprehensive definition of the Metaverse must cover its key aspects, such as scalability, interoperability, real-time rendering, three-dimensional, virtual worlds, synchronous experiences, persistence, continuity, and individual presence.
• Embedding Web3 concepts and principles is essential for realising a fully-functional and inclusive Metaverse economy that benefits all participants. In particular, decentralisation, self-sovereignty, and community co-creation are the most important.
• A utopian Metaverse is similar to an inclusive democracy and built on the principles of decentralisation and inclusion. A dystopian Meraverse is dominated by agents focusing on mass manipulation and control for personal gains.
• Practitioners imagine the Metaverse as including key features such as embodiment, multisensory engagement, contextual computing, empowerment, AI integrations, and social inclusion. Others emphasise the need for integrating the physical and the digital, arguing that AR, MR, and XR would reach mass adoption before VR as they are more natural and aligned with how we experience the world as human beings.
• Brands and businesses will likely co-create VR with users in a collaborative process focusing on high customisation, deep immersion, and human connection and accountability. Nonetheless, some are concerned about the risks of excessive escapism, more sophisticated cyber attacks, and mass manipulation.
• Scientific research has also contributed substantially to defining and understanding the concept of the Metaverse. For example, whereas the arts and humanities field has focused on user-created content and collaboration, computer science focuses on the functional benefits, such as transcending limitations and doing things better or doing new things.?

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