Missing Bitcoin, but also the Metaverse?
Since ancient times, human beings have had the instinct to explore the universe. As scientists slowly unlock the mysteries of the material world, people begin to incarnate into gods and build the virtual world in science fiction step by step. With Mihayou inside and Facebook and Epic Games outside, companies began to rush to the “metaverse” track. Besides going down the river, how can we stand firm in the tide of the “metaverse” and successfully pan for gold?
01. Definition
From the perspective of Chinese characters, “宇 Yu” is interpreted as space, and “宙 zhou” is interpreted as infinite time. The vast and boundless space and time form “universe”, which can also be interpreted as a general term for all existence.
The word “元 Yuan” means transcendence. Therefore, the “metaverse” can be understood as a virtual world that transcends physical limitations and is inhabited by a large population, a universe that is more perfect than the real world, without the barriers of time, space, and region. It is not only used for entertainment, but also can realize functions such as work, consumption, social interaction, and travel. Users can follow their business models, buy and sell land in the “Metaverse”, and have face-to-face meetings with multinational investors as virtual avatars.
Entering the “Metaverse”, you can use a head-mounted VR device to enter a realistic virtual environment to enjoy an immersive experience.
Just imagine that you can quickly enter the virtual world through a pair of thin and light glasses, and the device next to it provides immediate sensory stimulation. In the same place, you can feel the fragrance of flowers and the swaying of green grass, just like watching a 4D movie. However, this time, it is no longer passively accepting the film’s bridges but can roam and perceive the virtual world according to self-awareness. Although the technology to display virtual reality is not mature, this is the ultimate ideal of ”metaverse”.
02. The connection between the world view of Avalanche and the Metaverse
“Snow Crash” is a science fiction novel released in 1992, which sublimated the concept of “Metaverse”. The 20th century described by the author is a new type of society in which technology and human beings are opposed. With the continuous advancement of science and technology, human beings are gradually unable to control the high-speed technology train due to physical limitations. The human beings living in it gradually lose their ego, and the pain of reality and the work of the machine make them urgently need to find a spiritual relic.
The protagonist Hong, an elite class of society, proficient in computer science, is engaged in the most popular occupation at the time: takeaway. Together with his friends, he created a virtual world in which 60 million people indulge: “Super Yuanyu”, a world larger than the earth. People enter the “Super Meta Domain” through computers and eyepieces, and the eyepieces will present clear three-dimensional dynamics comparable to what the naked eye sees in reality. With headphones, people can live immersively. The inhabitants of the virtual world all live on a single street on the equator. To build a building on the street, a company must first obtain approval and apply for a license, and also need to buy land. The only difference is that they can build buildings beyond physical constraints, such as building buildings several kilometers high.
To travel between different areas more efficiently, the trains in the “Super Meta Domain” have greatly reduced the time cost of traffic in the virtual world. People can make their avatars in it, and the defects such as height and face, in reality, are completely solved in the virtual world. In the future “Metaversee”, people will also have the opportunity to teleport, have more perfect external conditions, and have cheaper consumption in the virtual world, such as rent. The gap between people will gradually narrow.
This reflects a characteristic of the “Metaverse”: breaking through the limitations of space, time, and the fragile human body. But the economy, life, and entertainment in it are no different from the real human society, echoing the above-mentioned “Metaverse is a virtual world that transcends physical limitations”.
With the development of science and technology, everything about science fiction movies will become reality. Such a perfect and irresistible virtual world seems to be slowly becoming the home of our future lives.
03. Working in a virtual world: Facebook’s Horizon Studio
A typical example of a virtual world is “Minecraft”. But why are these virtual worlds not defined as “Metaverse”?
Precisely because they only have game properties. People are just playing in them, but when it comes to consumer friendships, these virtual worlds are hard to meet people’s needs. And because human beings have to work in reality, it is doomed that people cannot stay in virtual reality for a long time, how can they attract people to live in it for a long time?
The emergence of Facebook’s “Horizon Studio” symbolizes that work also seems to be slowly moving into the Metaverse.
The currently used video conferencing software cannot imitate the atmosphere of a real meeting: flat portraits, lack of eye contact, and difficulty in private communication and negotiation make video conferencing always have some defects.
And this studio provides a simulated workplace, where users can cross geographic barriers through virtual avatars and have immersive meetings with colleagues, in which your body and mouth movements will also be presented in the virtual workplace so that More realistically simulate the scene during the meeting.
04. Discussion
What types of jobs can move into the “Metaverse”? Comments to share your views!
