Technology has advanced to the point where virtual reality is now a viable space where people can interact in an immersive setting. It was only a matter of time before one of the larger social network companies threw their hat into the ring.
Meta’s concept of the Metaverse looks to a future where everything is connected to the online world in which users can interact with anyone anywhere via holograms or VR headsets.
The interconnectivity Meta wants people to have with the world and the ability for anything they own to be used in any virtual space reminds me of the sci-fi film, Ready Player One. The movie had a massive online space where people could communicate with one another in ways that felt realistic and believable, which is something Meta hopes to achieve with the Metaverse.
People can and have bought virtual properties and products within the Metaverse alongside attending various events. I find the idea fascinating, but buying at that scale isn’t a new concept as it has been done before in multiplayer games like Final Fantasy XIV (FFXIV). In FFXIV, those purchases are only a bonus since it’s a video game that offers an engaging world-space to play online with friends or strangers. Metaverse does offer playable games, but nothing as expansive in scope since it’s limited by the need for a VR headset.
The virtual products are also advertised as a way to differentiate your avatar from everyone else and show your personality, but there is already an existing game known as VRChat that’s free and lets people do the same thing. You can upload a unique avatar for yourself or choose from a variety of pre-made ones in almost any of the rooms.
VRChat also doesn’t require a VR headset to play, so the barrier for entry is low.
At the moment, I don’t think Metaverse is something people should buy into since it doesn’t offer anything new to the online space.
Existing products have the same features that metaverse advertises and they present them in a better fashion despite nothing being carried between games.