Metaverse, Like I'm 5
A few months ago, it was NFTs, WEB 3, Cryptocurrency, and now it's 'Metaverse'?😫
I was ok with the universe, multiverse, and now the Metaverse?
Send help, heavens!
Oh, you're reading. You're enjoying that outburst. I keep getting confused by these buzzwords. A few months ago, it was NFTs and Cryptocurrency, and now it's the 'Metaverse?
I am yet to see the universe entirely, and now I also need to prepare for the Metaverse.
A few months ago, I spent hours trying to understand the concept of NFTs and attempted to share what I understood from my research. I understood that NFTs are 'Overpriced digital assets," and the value of an NFT is based on the value we (humans) place on them. You'll be able to read about it here.
In October 2021, Facebook rebranded and changed its name to Meta, shifting its focus from NFTs to the Metaverse. Funny enough, no one has a clear understanding of the Metaverse. Its implementations have cut across immersive video games, NFTs, Cryptocurrency, holograms, virtual meeting rooms, and Web3.
This article highlights another curious journey into understanding what the Metaverse is and how it affects me as an individual. Let's get some answers.
What is the 'Metaverse'?
A metaverse is a digital world where you can be represented as an avatar with a job, buy and sell stuff, and play games to relax, all from the comfort of your couch.
Wikipedia defines the Metaverse as
a hypothetical iteration of the Internet as a single, universal, and immersive virtual world that is facilitated by the use of virtual Reality (VR) and augmented Reality (AR) headsets."
Technically, the Metaverse is an advanced virtual reality level with more immersion. Web3 highly drives this concept - Web3 is a kind of Internet built on decentralization.
Fun Fact - The term "metaverse" originated as a unique mix of "meta" and "universe" in the 1992 science fiction novel Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson.
Understanding Metaverse Like I'm 5
The Metaverse sounds like an intense version of gaming or living generally. Because this is how it could work:
You wear a headset and enter a virtual world. You have an office that you can walk into, possibly using your unique ID in this world. After signing in to work, you walk into a board meeting and meet other team members who are already seated.
During your break time, you decide to play a game. You're feeling adventurous, so you play Fortnite or Minecraft. And just at the close of work, you shop for a pair of Nike sneakers to fit your upgraded avatar - all in this new world.
Remember, all of these happen in this virtual world, and an avatar represents you in that world.
An avatar is an icon or figure representing a particular person in a video game, internet forum, e.t.c
The image above is my grand effort to create an avatar for my Instagram profile. I think she looks cooler, but you get the point of an avatar now, right?😄
Why should I be interested?
Well, for starters, FOMO. Yes, I said it. I got interested because I couldn't stop feeling I was missing out.
However, if you find this an exciting concept, you can be a creator or consumer.
As a creator, you can learn skills for creating quality graphic designs, animations, virtual Reality, gaming, 3D computer graphics, and content.
As a consumer, you become educated about this new technology and look forward to a time when the internet figures out what the "multiverse" really is, and then you can be a part of it or not.🤷🏾♀️
In summary,
The Metaverse is a sophisticated digital, 3-dimensional world that connects users across all aspects of life. Augmented Reality will drive the Metaverse, and each user will be represented by an avatar.
There is no whole picture of what the Metaverse is. However, there is a current wave of creativity and development surrounding NFTs, virtual Reality, and the 3D world, which are the elements believed to make up the new Verse.
Please let me know what you think in the comments section.
Further reading
Meta's vision on Metaverse by Mark Zuckerberg.
