In the fourth quarter of 2021, you will have heard the word ” Metaverse ” countless times. However, you may not be clear about what it is or how it works. If so, I can help you.
First, however, let’s take a small step back. After many rumors, the official news has finally arrived: Facebook Inc. has changed its name and has become Meta . A new logo also corresponds to this new name: the famous blue F has in fact been replaced by a symbol reminiscent of infinity , also blue.
This rebrand refers to the holding company Facebook Inc. and not the application we use every day to keep in touch with friends, read news, and share photos and statuses; in fact, from now on, under the name of “Meta” we will find Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Oculus and other companies.
At this point, I’m sure you’re wondering why this change. There is a great debate going on on this topic. In fact, some argue that this is a strategic move to “clean up” the reputation of the Facebook Inc. group, which has been significantly damaged by political scandals, data theft and other problems; From within the company, however, comes a very different explanation: the transition from Facebook to Meta is necessary to bring the Metaverso project to life .
What is this
The concept of the Metaverse is not as recent as you might think, nor is it a Mark Zuckerberg invention . The first time the expression Metaverse was used dates back to 1992, the year of publication of the novel Snow Crash, in which the author Neal Stephenson talks about a 3D world populated by avatars of real people .
Meta has taken up the concept of Snow Crash and has defined the Metaverse as » a set of virtual spaces that can be created and explored with other people who are not in the same physical space as you «, in an interesting article that you can read in this link .
Within this digital universe , you will be able to hang out with friends, work, play, learn, shop and much more, making the time you normally spend online more meaningful.
How it will be built
Now that you understand what the Metaverse is, you are probably eager to dive right into this new digital adventure. I regret to inform you that it is not that simple or that fast : the Metaverse project is huge and ambitious, and it cannot be built “overnight”.
Starting in 2022, the bases of the project will be developed. In any case, some of the products in this digital universe may be ready in 10 or even 15 years . Therefore, at present, we cannot know for sure how the Metaverse will be structured, but what we are sure of is that it will be an immersive experience based on virtual reality . Not surprisingly, Facebook Reality Labs is in charge of the project.
This also makes us understand that the Oculus Quest headsets could be the key to “unlocking the doors” of the Metaverse. In fact, Mark Zuckerberg presented, along with the rebranding of his company, Horizon Home , or the new «home» of the virtual reality platform Oculus, which allows the customization of this space, within which you can invite the avatars of your friends.
Companies involved
The Metaverse will not be able to “see the light” without Meta’s collaboration with other companies. In fact, collaboration is already planned between the former Facebook Inc. group and many other companies interested in this 3D and VR world , especially those working in the field of games and entertainment .
NFT support
Many have wondered if -and in what way- the Metaverse would have impacted on the reality of NFT ( non-fungible token acronym ), which are the digital collectibles that, in recent months, have gained great notoriety. The answer came directly from Mark Zuckerberg’s company, who said that Metaverse will support NFTs , thanks to a partnership with entities such as financial firms and regulators.
In short, it will be possible to sell and buy non-fungible tokens directly within this new 3D ecosystem, confirming that one of the goals of the Metaverse is to create new business opportunities.