Metaverse notes from Dubai

I was in Dubai last week for two metaverse conferences.? What is going on in Dubai with respect to metaverse activity is impressive.? Below are 4 takeaways that I noted:

Business activity in the metaverse is happening now

You can read studies like McKinsey’s that point to $5 Trillion in value will be generated by 2030.? That is a really big number and tough to grasp.? But, when you see what Samsung is doing with 837X it is easy to see the that the metaverse will at least provide the next generation of ecommerce.? But, that is just a start.? For instance, hybrid NFTs are combining the physical world with the virtual world. Alfa Romeo is using NFTs in new vehicles to record vehicle data. Other companies are using NFTs to guarantee the validity of exchange of carbon credits.?

It may have been hard to envision what the internet had to do with selling books.? But, companies that can envision novel uses of the metaverse will be able to create market disruptions.

We are all experiencing aspects of the metaverse today

One of the speakers at the conference made a good point about people making mistakes about criticizing the UIs that exist today in avatars or the lack of intuition associated with a web 3.0 wallet.? He noted this will all get better.? Anyone who remembers what it was like to configure IP addresses in a router way back when knows that experience did not prevent the internet from flourishing.? It just got better over time as will the UI for metaverses.

But, even if you have not experienced minting an NFT or using a web 3.0 wallet, you still most likely are experiencing aspects of metaverse today.? Have you worn a VR headset?? If not, at least 3D glasses in a movie theater?? How about, have you watched a youtube video rather than read technical documentation?? If you answered yes to any of these questions or at least played an immersive video game, you are experiencing the metaverse.

There are specific tech skills that a business needs access to

One of the speakers stated that “it will not be enough to build websites, or own virtual land.? We must give creators the tools to build worlds”.? That may sound vague, but it is not.? Some specific technical skills that will be needed to build worlds in the metaverse include:

• Unity and Unreal gaming engine development skills
• Blockchain/NFT skills
• Web 3D development skills (i.e. Webgl, three.js, etc)

If you can envision a market disruption that you can create with metaverses and you have access to people with these skills, you can start creating a new world for your business.

Put your hands on WASD keys, play a bit and think

One speaker talked about the need to experience this technology as a precursor to envisioning a business roadmap for a shared immersive experience to generate value.

I created a simple “metaverse” for you to do that.? I created this simple site on github pages where you can explore using the WASD keys.? Grab the green dot, hover over the NFT I created and click to see it for sale:).? Here is the link.? Then take a look at the code. It uses A-Frame.io. I used this tutorial.??

By using this little toy and looking at the simple code, you have started your journey to tap into that $5 Trillion economy that McKinsey talks about.? And if you need more information on ways to get started, of course, contact The Gouge at any time:).

Mark

[email protected]