NAB
The metaverse is very much a work in progress, but the
fundamental principles are operational today.
article here
The following is a review of the metaverse in practice right
now and examples of the core technologies being used to create it.
Many of these will be familiar to even casual metaverse
followers, but the clarity and authority that futurist Bernard Marr brings
to bear is well worth acknowledging.
What Web3 Looks Like Today
Although exactly what defines a Web3 site, service or
application is still the subject of some debate, it’s generally agreed that it
will be decentralized, with infrastructure that is owned by the users and
creators. It will also be deeply linked to the real world due to being built on
Internet of Things (IoT) technology and to the concept of immersive, connected
environments (aka the metaverse).
Ethereum
The blockchain network that powers Ether, the world’s second
most popular cryptocurrency (after Bitcoin). It works as a platform for many of
the decentralized applications (dapps) that make up today’s iteration of Web3.
Pancakeswap
As cryptocurrencies and blockchain tokens are themselves
decentralized, Web3 apps, it makes sense that users would want to trade them
over networks that are decentralized themselves. Pancakeswap is an example of
an exchange for trading and investing in cryptocurrencies and other
decentralized tokens.
Secretum
A decentralized messaging app aiming to become the Web3
version of WhatsApp or WeChat. According to Marr, Secretum aims to prioritize
privacy and security by allowing users to connect without an email address or
phone number, “both of which can generally be traced back to individuals due to
the centralized nature of the service providers which host them.” It also has
built-in trading functionality for secure trading of cryptocurrencies and
blockchain tokens such as NFTs.
DTube
A decentralized YouTube-style video streaming platform that
attempts to put power in the hands of its users, with all decisions on video
visibility governed by views, shares, and likes. That is pointedly contrary to
the YouTube of Web2, which is a centralized corporation (owned by Alphabet)
that controls which videos can be seen, when they appear in users’ feeds, and
which users can earn money (and how much). DTube has no “owners,” in the
traditional sense, who can censor uploaded content by simply removing it from
their servers.
Filecoin
A decentralized cloud storage for personal files — like a
decentralized Google Drive or OneDrive. It is fully open source, so anyone can
examine the source code to determine that it is actually doing what it says it
is doing and that there are no potential security holes that attackers could
use to get at the data being stored. Users can offer up their own spare storage
space to the network and get paid for doing so in the service’s own
cryptocurrency.
Steemit
A decentralized social blogging site, similar to Reddit,
where users can get paid for their content based on community voting.
Everledger
A private, centralized company that offers a number of
decentralized solutions operating on private blockchains. It is somewhat
different from other examples of Web3 applications in that it is built on
Hyperledger Fabric, originally developed by IBM, and its focus is on creating
proprietary, industry-specific solutions. Marr says, “this demonstrates the
fact that there are many different views on what constitutes Web3 and where the
future of the decentralized internet is heading.”
What the Metaverse Looks Like Today
The baseline that Marr uses for being part of the metaverse
is a “persistent, connected digital environment which focus on providing
immersive experiences for users”.
Nonetheless, he acknowledges that he can find no examples
that tick all the boxes of what many consider to be a thoroughbred metaverse.
Instead, he has chosen platforms that do one or more of the core elements
particularly well.
Meta Horizons (Facebook)
Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg has bet the farm on the
importance of the metaverse to the future of digital communications,
socializing, and living. So far, the result has been several projects,
including Horizon Worlds (a virtual worlds platform), Horizon Venues (events
platform), and Horizon Workrooms (virtual office). All of these platforms are
interconnected and allow users to create avatars that represent them as they
explore and interact with other users.
Marr says, “One interesting aspect that arises from the
existence of Horizon is that it forces us to confront questions about whether
we want a metaverse where ownership is centralized under a corporate owner or a
more distributed, decentralized model of ownership and governance.”
Fortnite
Epic Games’ online multiplayer game Fortnite is “potentially
game-changing.” Two main strands that are being followed in order to turn the
world of Fortnite into a proper metaverse: live music concerts from global
superstars such as Ariana Grande, and Billie Eilish; and brands including UK
broadcaster ITV and supermarket Carrefour have used Fortnite to take their
first steps into the metaverse.
NVIDIA Omniverse
NVIDIA’s attempt to build a creative metaverse platform for
3D design professionals. It builds on technology developed by Pixar, which
created the Universal Scene Description (USD) language that enables 3D objects
and environments to become portable across different toolsets. This allows, for
example, characters to be designed collaboratively, with facial animators,
clothing designers, and other creatives all using tools that they are familiar
with.
“As 3D environments become increasingly more detailed and
immersive and require more work to build, this kind of creative framework will
become an essential tool for studios creating metaverse content.”
Roblox
Another hugely popular online gaming platform. It lets
anyone create and even monetize their own game worlds, which all exist within
an interconnected metaverse and share aspects like avatars and currency. Brands
including Nike, Forever 21, NASCAR and Vans have all used the platform to set
up virtual worlds where users can interact with their brands.
“While anyone can create their own game within Roblox, it’s
designed, so they will all have a similar look and feel, meaning that once a
player has logged in and experienced one of them, they will feel comfortable in
any of them.”
Decentraland
Something of a cross between a game, a marketing channel,
and an experiment in creating a digital, decentralized democracy, Decentraland
is deemed by Marr as a true Web3 platform. It’s governed by a Decentralized
Autonomous Organization (DAO) which implements rules and regulations via a
democratic process and comes with its own cryptocurrency, known as MANA. Using
these, users can buy or rent plots of virtual land using the platform’s own
cryptocurrency, called MANA. Many brands (and celebrity brands) have already
done this including Coca-Cola, Adidas, Samsung, and Snoop Dogg. A ‘plot’ of
land currently goes for anywhere from $10,000 to well over $1 million.
The Sandbox
This mobile game was ported to the Ethereum blockchain in
2018, “becoming one of the first truly decentralized metaverse platforms”. It
includes its own object creation tools that allow anyone to build 3D items,
characters, vehicles, or anything else they can think of, which are then minted
as NFTs, and can be imported into other Sandbox worlds. These NFTs can also be
traded and sold via the platform’s built-in marketplace. Sandbox is another
platform that has proven popular with brands wanting to establish their
metaverse presence — “landowners” include HSBC, Warner Music, PwC, and Paris
Hilton.
Pokémon Go
The go-to “killer app” for augmented reality (AR), which is
predicted to be one of the cornerstone technologies that the metaverse will be
built around. “It’s one of the best examples of how metaverse will involve the
merging of the real and digital worlds,” says Marr. Creator Nintendo further
blurred the boundaries by allowing real-world businesses to establish a digital
presence within the poke-verse by launching advertising and promotional
campaigns.
One to watch: Otherside
This one has only just been announced, but since it launched
by Yuga Labs — creators of the immensely successful Bored Ape Yacht Club series
of NFTs — this is deemed a project to keep an eye on. Its developers state,
“think of it as a metaRPG (role-playing game) where the players own the world,
your NFTs can become playable characters, and thousands can play together in
real-time.”
No comments:
Post a Comment