Axie Infinity has opened up new ideas for the meta-universe, and Facebook is also seeking to transform in the direction of the meta-universe.
Original title: ” 8 Questions about the Metaverse: Where is it born and where is it going?” 》
Written by: THE WEEK
Translation: MetaverseHub
Where did this idea come from?
From science fiction. In the science fiction novel “Avalanche” written by Neil Stephenson in 1992, Metaverse is a 3D virtual reality world in which people can escape the dystopian reality: a huge online game in which people’s avatars wander around. Communicate with each other, visit online services, go to virtual bars, or engage in virtual sword fights.
Today, technology companies use this term to mean different things, but from the most basic sense, it refers to the virtual space, you can collaborate and socialize with other people not in the same physical space there. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg described Metaverse as “an Internet where you are in, not just watching.”
Why is Metaverse becoming hot news?
In July of this year, when Zuckerberg announced that in the next 5 years, “I expect people will change from seeing (Facebook) as a social media company to seeing us as a meta-universe company.” News headlines.
Facebook already has Oculus, a leading manufacturer of virtual reality helmets, and the company is also developing Horizon Workrooms: This is a virtual meeting room with a capacity of 50 people, where cartoon avatars of you and your colleagues can gather, talk and do Gesture .
Even more ambitious is Horizon Worlds, which is a virtual world with both a social network and a gaming platform, where users can meet, play games, and create new gaming worlds. Zuckerberg said that in the future, “you can basically do all the things you can do now on the Internet, as well as some things that don’t make sense on the Internet, such as dancing.”
Hasn’t all this been hyped before?
The online world has existed for decades, and “Second Life” (Second Life) launched in 2003 was considered a step towards Matrix virtual reality. Nowadays, some of the biggest online games, such as “Fortnite”, “Roblox” and “Minecraft”, already have many meta-universe features.
Enthusiasts pointed out that in 2019, electronic musician Marshmello held a virtual concert in “Fortress Night”, which was attended by 10 million players .
However, this technology has now opened up new avenues in virtual reality and “augmented” reality. Facebook hopes that his new smart glasses will put the entire computing world in front of your eyes and merge the reality and the digital world together. Just as smartphones have transferred the Internet from our desks to our pockets, it has had various ripple effects on business and society.
Therefore, some people believe that the new platform will change our way of life again . The technology blog The Verge explained that the meta-universe “is a dream for the future to a certain extent” and is a way to encapsulate the changes that have already taken place.
How long will it take?
Andrew Bosworth, the head of Facebook’s Reality Lab, said: “Many products will not be fully realized in the next 10 to 15 years.” If you want to get up and running an online world similar to “Avalanche,” you still need to overcome many things. Technical obstacles. In addition to huge primitive computing power and a large amount of investment in virtual reality helmets, an effective meta-universe also requires innovation in all aspects from broadband networks to software protocols.
The most important thing is that virtual worlds should be persistent, that is, they will not freeze or end; they should provide a real sense of presence in the virtual world; and they should provide interoperability of data and digital assets.
What is interoperability?
The ability of different computer systems to work together, just as they do on the Internet. Currently, technology brands usually don’t let their products mix together: Microsoft Xbox users usually cannot play online games with Sony PlayStation users. However, the popularity of meta-universe games such as “Fortnite” meant that Microsoft and Sony had to change the rules. “Fortnite” is also one of the few places where intellectual property competing brands, such as Batman and Star Wars, are authorized to mix.
These are the developments that the supporters of Metaverse hope to see. This idea means that all your digital assets should be portable on different platforms, perhaps by using an irreplaceable token, namely NFT . “If you bought a virtual shirt on Metaverse platform A,” The Verge explained, you should be able to “redeem the same shirt on Metaverse platform B.”
If you don’t play video games, how will it change your life?
Due to the epidemic, we almost all understand the concepts of online work and social interaction, as well as the limitations of video platforms such as Zoom. In theory, Metaverse has provided tremendous improvements in this area. Coupled with a fully functional digital economy, users can buy in this world-and get paid for what they create. This is a technological futuristic dream or nightmare, depending on the experience.
Its supporters are enthusiastic about its exciting possibilities and its economic opportunities. Critics see it as a blueprint for “virtual reality with non-skippable ads.” In any case, big brands are already considering their meta The universe strategy.
How does this benefit Facebook?
Obviously, it wants to be at the forefront of technology, and has more users and user-generated content than any other platform in the world, and it is fully capable of controlling a meta-universe future.
At the same time, Facebook’s lobbying force is also keen to whitewash its damaged reputation. Cynics believe that repositioning itself as a meta-universe company can free Facebook from the predicament of social media and detract from its struggle with competition agencies and regulators in the Western world. The Washington Post stated that in Zuckerberg’s vision of Metaverse, ” people can play games, exchange Crypto payments, participate in meetings-perhaps most importantly, see how cool Facebook is again .”
What is the relationship between Metaverse and NFT?
Non-fungible token (NFT) is a digital certificate of ownership or authenticity. It gained fame in March this year. One of the auctions was auctioned at Christie’s for $69.3 million. The object of the auction was a digital piece by artist Beeple. Copyright of the collage. (The buyer is a Metaverse enthusiast and a Crypto investor named MetaKovan)
Like Crypto, NFT often appears in speculations about the meta-universe. Both use an underlying technology-blockchain ledger-without any company or authority to guarantee them : this is a good thing for tech libertarians and “interoperability” enthusiasts.
The best example of an existing meta universe project using NFT is an online game called Axie Infinity launched by a Vietnamese company in 2018. This is a trading and battle game similar to Pokémon. To play, you need to purchase AXS, a creature similar to a pet baby, which is digitized as NFT. If you can perform well in nurturing and fighting, you can accumulate a game currency that can be exchanged for Crypto.
“Forbes” reported that people in developing countries-mainly people in the Philippines-“in areas where banking services are hard to obtain and usually expensive, use Axie Infinity as their main source of income.” The annual revenue is approximately US$1.5 billion.
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