The metaverse can make the real world better

If you’ve been paying attention to the media, you will have noticed that “the metaverse” is one of the most discussed topics in 2022. It allows us to explore the infinite possibilities of the virtual world, transitioning from platforms to space. A space where we can enjoy the conveniences of the Internet without the limitations of physical interactions. This might sound like a big step forward into achieving technological utopia, but are such advances really what we want?

While “the metaverse” sounds attractive, it can also be a risk.

Do we really want a future where we spend more time indoors in Virtual Reality headsets, or even worse, glued to our screens while we are outdoors? Even Neal Stephenson, who first used the word “Metaverse” was clear in his 1992 science fiction novel?Snow Crash: “the metaverse” has made life in the real world, worse.

And what does “the metaverse” mean for us, Strollhunt , a company that gamifies city exploration?

For the past year, we have been learning through talking to young people in cities around the world that nothing beats spending time outdoors in the real world with friends and family. And despite the trend of the virtual world, based on our interactions with users, we believe that experiences of the real world are irreplaceable — strolling through your favorite neighbourhood, breathing in the fresh air, and sharing moments with the people you love.

Technology should not become an organism that overtakes the real world, instead, it should be a tool that combines with what we know and enhances our experiences. Which is why we are less excited about the coming of “the metaverse” and more excited about the emergence of a multitude of “real world metaverses”, digital experiences that make the real world even more interesting and enjoyable ( John Hanke , CEO of Niantic, Inc. , the company behind Pokémon Go, wrote?a good piece?on how the “real world metaverse” is preferable over “the metaverse”).

Strollhunt’s “real world metaverse”’ transforms cities into playgrounds and exists for visitors and locals to have fun, with friends and family, all the while learning about the city they’re in.

Strollhunt doesn’t overlay a fictional universe on top of the real world as we find the real world to be vastly interesting enough, for those who have their eyes open. And to help you be more present in the real world, the app is designed to require little of your attention and is only here to send you off on an adventure, and there again for you to interact with your physical discovery (because for us it’s about the real world and not the digital world). Our game mechanics are designed for you to explore the real world freely (we purposefully don’t put points of interest on a map to avoid you exploring the city by going from point of interest to point of interest), providing you helpful hints to help you find the hidden gems the experience creators want you to discover, making you take photos of your answer to the clues using our Magic Camera, checking in at points of interest with our Magic Radar, or answering questions based on your observation of the real world around you.

And for what reward, you might ask?

The pleasure of having spent time outdoors, (optionally) with people you love, and satisfaction of having unearthed some of a city’s secret, enabling you to now see the city in a slightly different light (plus the fascinating stories you earn about the historical and cultural significance of the points of interest you discover, the points you win and can trade for hints, and the medals you collect).

Here’s a video of what it’s like to explore a city with Strollhunt.

And here’s a demo of users playing Strollhunt in cities around the world.

If you’re an iPhone user, Strollhunt is now live in over 50 cities (and growing) around the globe.

And for Android users, I’m delighted to announce to you today that Strollhunt will finally be making its way to your phone in just a couple of weeks now (we are entering our private beta testing phase this very week)!

So let’s hear the prophetic warning signs of the father of “the metaverse” against a “metaverse” that makes life in the real world worse and build metaverses that make the real world better!

Strollhunt is our contribution to building a metaverse that makes the real world better, and we would love it if you would give Strollhunt a spin and tell us what you think of our “real world metaverse”.

And remember to Walk, Play, Learn...

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