Since Zuckerberg changed Facebook’s name to Meta, many people have become more interested in knowing what it was all about. Additionally, the incursion of many international brands brought even more spotlight on it.
What’s the Metaverse?
The Metaverse can be defined as a combination of numerous technologies, and most of them include virtual reality as one of its main devices. In addition, some also implement eye-tracking and augmented reality to provide a fully immersive experience.
These features are used to create ultimate experiences and immersive worlds such as The Sandbox, Roblox, or Fortnite.
Where Does the Term Metaverse Come From?
The term “Metaverse” was first used in a novel by Neal Stephenson called Snow Crash in 1992. This science fiction novel applied it to the thoughts of a very futuristic and bit distant world, but the truth is that the current earth is already very digitalized.
Other adaptations have delved into this Metaverse topic, such as the novel and movie Ready Player One. This world is set in 2045 when most people use virtual reality to escape their dystopian world.
What’s Needed to Get Into the Metaverse?
Most of the Metaverses support several virtual reality devices, which include Oculus, HTC Vive, and Steam. However, most of them support normal computer devices, meaning that a PC is enough to get in and a good internet connection.
Each of these Metaverses has unique features, worlds, sites to visit, and activities, meaning many places to discover. Knowing this is one of the first steps for topics like Metaverse for beginners, where people do not know where to start.
Main Characteristics of the Metaverse
Every Metaverse and its worlds need to have certain key properties that make it engaging for the public, such as:
- Multi-user: shared virtual spaces that enable interaction between many users worldwide.
- Total ownership: users can buy and own the assets they acquire or create and trade them for digital currency.
- Avatars: players are fully represented by 3D avatars, which they can fully customize to seem like their real-life appearance.
- Decentralized: there is no single entity that controls the Metaverse. This is one of the core principles of Web3.
These characteristics make it one of the most interactive places on the modern Internet.
Best Things to Visit and Do in the Metaverse
Most of the Metaverse remains mysterious for people who aren’t used to it, but the truth is that anyone can get in and discover the many things it offers.
Every virtual world contains multiple 3D avatars, most of which are created by the users from a huge selection of assets like clothing and bodies. In addition, video games, businesses, and various events that are held all around the Metaverse also complete this list of common activities.
Most of the activities in the real world are slowly being adapted to the Metaverse, with the difference that virtual worlds provide this from the comfort of the house. Players can also teleport to different locations from one second to another and even chat with people worldwide.
Types of Currency Used in the Metaverse
With new economies, new types of currencies appear. It’s important to acknowledge that most Metaverse platforms use different cryptocurrencies. Cryptos are the only accepted currency in virtual worlds; some have personalized ones.
For example, the native currency of the globally known Metaverse world Decentraland is MANA. Other worlds make it simpler and straightforward for users, such as CryptoVoxels, which accepts common crypto like Ethereum (ETH).
Other Most Common Concepts of the Metaverse
Along with knowing what the Metaverse is and how it is conformed, users need to learn about certain concepts that make these would be what they are. These are some of those words that every user should know:
Interoperability
One of the main features of the Metaverse space comes from its uncertainty of sharing certain assets between companies and their offerings. For example, no one knows if their avatar, clothes, or other assets from a Metaverse can work in another.
The solution to this would be interoperability, but it would require a set of rules where every developer follows a set of rules instead of creating their own. In June 2022, almost 40 companies signed the foundation of the Metaverse Standard Forum to achieve this change.
Blockchains, Crypto, and NFTs
In today’s world, the Internet is a global web where millions of computers are connected, sharing data and information spread in seconds.
Blockchains use the web for encrypting digital currency that is publicly visible transfers. These distributed databases are also nodes that conform to a network, maintaining a secure and decentralized method of acquiring and selling cryptocurrency.
Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) are digital assets that can include art, clothes, or many other creations, which, thanks to blockchains, are guaranteed as being unique and having an owner.
Creator Economy
Every Metaverse world is created for and by its users, where developers and designers collide to make the most realistic 3D designs of objects, buildings, and experiences. This is key to making people populate these worlds with immersive locations.
Certain platforms like Meta also offer revenue and sharing deals to make this development of digital assets, which attracts more people to do it.
Most Known and Successful Metaverses
Many virtual worlds platforms have earned themselves a name among the most successful Metaverses due to their immersion and huge player base.
Achieving such a hotspot can be very difficult, but there are always methods to simplify it. For example, most companies acquire the services of integrated marketing agencies like Exonite to run their ad campaigns. This helps communities to grow, as well as optimize the world to increase its popularity.
Generating this type of marketing meanwhile focusing efforts on search engine optimization methods can ensure a virtual world to ensure a spot between the greatest ones, such as:
CryptoVoxels
Built on the Ethereum blockchain, CryptoVoxels is a user-owned virtual world where people can visit and do many things they want. It only requires a stable internet connection and a computer to log in. What makes it so special is that there’s no need to have a parcel or virtual wallet to enjoy this place.
Users can create, buy and sell their created and owned assets made by the in-game voxel builder and trade them in off-site places like OpenSea.
Decentraland
Being one of the most popular Metaverses to visit, this world built on Ethereum Blockchain allows users to build real estate land known as LAND to build whatever they want.
To obtain one lot of LAND in Decentraland, users must also have Decentraland’s fungible cryptocurrency, which is called MANA. This token allows one to spend or exchange it for a parcel or similar assets.
Users can also spend time worldwide without having a virtual wallet, but they won’t be eligible to participate in certain events or earn rewards.
The Sandbox
Starting its development in 2018, The Sandbox became one of the top three most-played Metaverse virtual worlds by the community. Based on a voxel blockchain game, people can create, earn and trade their assets and creations, expanding the world non-stop.
Its mechanics ensure that anyone can build games and assets inside this world due to its simplicity and user-friendly interface. Moreover, for those who decide to become The Sandbox’s verified artist, it’s possible to export creations to earn cryptocurrency with them.
Somnium Space
While lesser known by a big part of the community, Somnium Space is still a very social and extensive virtual world for many players to visit and spend time in. Furthermore, its economy and currency are all tied together, simplifying most users’ issues.
Moreover, Somnium Space’s Metaverse allows people to enjoy this virtual world with most of the major VR headsets, being compatible with almost anything. They’ve even partnered with Sony to use their 3D model creation technology to build avatars effortlessly.
Conclusion
The Metaverse is a place that is always developing non-stop, attracting many people to it. Many users are charmed by discovering new experiences, such as traveling or communicating with people from around the world in less than seconds.
Such an influx of new people visiting these places attracts audiences that do not know much about them. That’s why knowing about certain topics such as blockchains, cryptocurrency, and NFTs, as well as how a Metaverse is conformed, is so important.
Knowing what it is about and what can be done will undoubtedly help in a quicker and simple adaptation of that Metaverse for beginners users who want to know these amazing virtual places.
