World Wide Web: The Seedbed of the Metaverse
- 8 minutes read - 1666 words
Table of Contents
Out of nowhere - suddenly - terms like web3, Metaverse, We will work in the Metaverse, Facebook rebrands itself as Meta, and NFT are populating timelines and search results. It seems obvious that everything will happen in the Metaverse in the future. That looks like a reason to ask questions.
Science Fiction, Games, and Networks
There are live concerts in Fortnite and digital art exhibitions in Decentraland (a virtual world owned by its users)
When people discuss the metaverse, it is comparable to when they discussed the internet in the 1970s and 1980s. As the new method of communication was being developed, individuals began to speculate about its appearance and how it would be utilized. Despite much discussion, few individuals understood what it meant or how it would function. Looking back, it did not transpire as some had anticipated.
As a market, the Metaverse is anticipated to be worth $800 billion by 2024. Facebook/Meta, Microsoft, Apple, Google, and venture capitalists are all investing significant funds in the development of the Metaverse.
Origins of the term Metaverse
In his 1992 science fiction novel “Snow Crash,” Neal Stephenson first introduced the term “metaverse.” Stephenson stated that the metaverse is a vast digital universe that coexists with the physical universe. “Snow Crash” is a cyberpunk novel, meaning that large corporations control the government.
In 1992, the Internet was still in its infancy, and there was no Internet browser (Mosaic appeared in 1993). Before w3catalog.com , there were no search engines.
Hence it was among the first. Each site was examined by hand (no crawlers).
In 1993, computer graphics only acquired color. It was typical for individuals to share links to intriguing websites (early social media and what Yahoo tried to do). Those with the most vital relationships had the most extensive link collections.
The original search engines were link databases; crawlers were not utilized until much later. After the initial crawler-based search, Google pioneered the Page-Rank algorithm, a relevance algorithm that makes material searchable based on its relevance.
IRC (Internet Relay Chat) and eMail were utilized to transmit messages. In 1992, this occurred. William Gibson wrote “Neuromancer” roughly eight years ago. Cyberspace refers to the entirety of the internet.
Services and Interactions
Before the Internet existed, science fiction authors attempted to imagine its characteristics. In this area, we find:
- connecting people
- 3D visualizations
- messaging
- 3d glasses
- discovering content
- systems that collaborate effectively
Technical limits
In 1992, networks and computers had limited bandwidth and few graphics processing units (GPUs). For computer games to function, it was necessary to apply various techniques to get the most out of the CPU.
RAM and disk space are pretty expensive. Therefore, it was crucial to pack as much as possible into them. In addition, it was challenging to create content because Photoshop had few functions when it was released in 1990.
Virtual Reality Displays
It isn’t easy to discern things in three dimensions, and it requires a great deal of processing power to make situations appear photorealistic. Because a new virtual world must be drawn and conceived every second, this will not change. Creating a virtual environment requires a great deal of computer power and, consequently, a great deal of energy.
Internet Raytracing is not yet good enough for Google to create a virtual environment that appears to have been created with it. A compact device requires numerous GPUs and batteries. There will be innumerable adjustments done to make things smaller.
AR headsets and VR headsets are not the only display systems that can be used to enter the Metaverse, a standard computer can also be used, but the virtual experience will be less immersive.
Mobile co-evolution
Initially, just the Desktop was capable of connecting to the Internet. WAP, the initial mobile Internet, did not function exceptionally well. Mobile Internet became popular after the first iPhone was released.
This is significant since producing powerful „Metaverse“ devices is comparable to paying robust mobile terminals—capable, internet-connected mobile PCs with substantial processing power.
Metaverse Manifestations
Metaverse may manifest in at least two distinct ways. The first depicts an abstract form of the Internet we already have, while the second allows you to explore a virtual world with others.
Protocols, services, and interfaces allow the Internet to connect disparate entities. Therefore, it is not sufficient to display something in 3D; you must also be able to swap objects in a particular manner. Next will be blockchain technology and NFTs. NFT marketplaces are an excellent example of how content can be traded using a standard ownership protocol (smart contracts).
You don’t need the blockchain for 3D worlds, but you do need it and non-fungible tokens (NFTs) to transfer assets across services. Most massively multiplayer online role-playing video games (MMORPGs) do not permit content sharing with other benefits. Examples include virtual clothing.
Metaverse and Second Life
Second Life is the closest approach to the current projected metaverse experience. It is a simulation that allows users to experience virtual reality. Allowing their avatar to shop, eat, take a shower, and perform all other activities they would typically perform in real life.
Interactions between people are always the same, regardless of their manifestation. Marriage is both a concept and a model. It can also occur in other ways, such as through the Metaverse.
It holds for both gold and land rushes. People are in a hurry to purchase property on virtual planets. However, there is virtual land upon which many Bored Ape NFTs are based. This implies that there is an essentially unlimited quantity of land and content, and it is difficult to see why one parcel of land would be more valuable than another.
In “Lord of the Rings Online,” you can buy your dwelling. Multiple copies of your home exist on the same server in other game areas. It matters more how they feel than what they require. “World of Warcraft” and “EVE Online” are other examples of MMORPGs that can be seen as early examples of the Metaverse.
Diverse methods of entering the Metaverse
Now, the Metaverse resembles the Apple App Store; the existing apps and services are not fully connected and occasionally interoperate. Platforms that enable virtual reality augmented reality, and extended reality experiences.
Similar to Yahoo, meaning it is not yet the Metaverse’s Google. Therefore, this may be why Google wants to participate.
Platforms such as Decentraland, Axie Infinity, Horizon, Sandbox, Fortnite, and Roblox provide access to Metaverse-like experiences.
Metaverse terminals and display technology
VR/AR/XR glasses are not required to use the early Metaverse. You may also utilize your computer, mobile device, or tablet. It is not as immersive, but it is an excellent way to find out what everyone is discussing. The current method of showing a virtual world on VR displays, which is the same way computer games do, might not work because there are many more things to process, and the virtual worlds are much bigger and more complicated.
The Metaverse is a digital world
If platforms could distribute material in a standardized manner, the digital economy could expand even further.
It is a virtual space combined with a social network based on defined transactions. The metaverse evolved more from gaming and social media than from search.
The Metaverse is the future of entertainment, fashion, games, and parties, but some experts believe it will be best used for education.
Education and the metaverse?
Some individuals spend so much time in the virtual world that they do not attend school or engage in other activities. Why not educate people in a captivating virtual world? The best approach to learning is still through interaction with others and practice.
Setup for augmented reality can be used to instruct auto technicians or assist a person trapped in an elevator to fix it remotely. Automobiles and aircraft have been manufactured in virtual worlds for decades, but there is no way for humans to collaborate.
Sharing the newest designs via NFT could provide a boost if done strategically . You may even use it to explore the digital twin of a plant in a digital world.
Dystopian nature
After a global pandemic, there was an economic crisis, a stock market meltdown, and a war in Eurasia. The conflict in Eurasia caused a food shortage.
Both “Neuromancer” and “Snow Crash” are set in dystopian worlds; we need to see if fiction turns into reality .
Data gathering Bonanza
Platforms for the metaverse will be able to track your eye and hand motions and the shape of your room.
Metaverse platforms may know significantly more about their users than Facebook. Perhaps they will have great and intelligent advertising helpers trying to sell me the most recent virtual fashion available in the real world .
It seems evident that the information obtained in the metaverse will be added to the information already collected about you, creating a virtual twin of yourself. Advertisement is just a one-way platform operator can finance operational costs; subscriptions are another approach.
Trading fees or transaction fees from tokens could be another approach to revenue for platform operators. However, a token-based economy approach might result in social inequality and, consequently, usage might drop .
Conclusions
One way to depict the Metaverse could be abstract, while another could show a virtual world. The most intriguing aspect is that services can exchange digital assets using a protocol. Still in its infancy, the Metaverse concept is 40 years old (if not older). For a truly immersive mobile experience, numerous hardware difficulties must be addressed.