The Metaverse’s Momentum
6 min read
Though it feels like the metaverse's momentum has been recent, it’s been building for decades. In the early 2000s, games like Habo and Second Life attracted millions of users to their unique worlds and brought us early versions of the metaverse. Yet, it’s clear that the metaverse has become much more than just a virtual gaming hub. What’s changed and why has the metaverse's momentum gained speed recently?
The era of smartphones and social media
There is an entire generation that was born into the internet era. Especially for those under 30, their digital and physical worlds are so intertwined, many don’t feel the need to separate them. Smartphones have been an integral part of their lives since they were young.
These digital natives have also been using the internet since they were children, interacting with their peers and the world around them through the lenses of social media platforms.
Launched in 2003 — a year before Facebook was conceived — Second Life has allowed players to take part in virtual worlds for 20 years. With over 73 million accounts created since that time, millions of those same users have now become adults.
These users are familiar with the metaverse concept and it’s easy for them to see a path for integrating their adult activities into the non-gaming world. Even non-gaming digital natives easily embrace the fun social aspects of the metaverse. Many — if not most — are already part of traditional social media platforms, so as the metaverse evolves, it will keep attracting more active users like other social media.
Web 3.0 promises to connect the digital and the physical
Cryptocurrencies emerged about 10 years ago, and their usage has helped to form another aspect of Web 3.0: decentralised economics.
This works well for the metaverse since it creates the foundation for the financial infrastructure in virtual worlds. Participants can move their digital assets between the worlds or cash out into real currency using crypto.
Fast-growing virtual worlds like Decentraland and Sandbox are built with this Web 3.0 promise. In turn, this attracts many existing users, who may not be social gamers but are firm believers in the decentralisation of economies.
Public cloud and gaming platforms make creating virtual worlds easier than ever
Public clouds
Public cloud platforms such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud have become essential for creating virtual worlds in the metaverse. Virtual worlds typically require significant computing power, storage, and networking resources to render realistic 3D graphics, simulate physical interactions, and support large user populations.
These cloud providers offer scalable, on-demand computing resources and services that can be easily leveraged to build, host, and manage virtual worlds.
Cloud gaming services have also played a significant role, allowing users to stream games and virtual worlds from remote servers. This eliminates the need for high-end local hardware, making the virtual worlds more accessible. Greater accessibility has led to a broader audience reach.
Gaming platforms
Gaming platforms such as Unity, Unreal Engine, and Roblox have also played a significant role in democratising virtual world creation within the metaverse. Such platforms provide powerful game development tools and communities, enabling content creators and developers to create, share, and monetise their virtual worlds.
With user-friendly and intuitive development environments that require little to no coding skills, even content creators with limited technical expertise can use them. Tools like visual scripting and drag-and-drop allow users to assemble prebuilt components, assets, and interactions in a graphical interface.
Artists, designers, and storytellers are empowered to express their creativity and bring their virtual visions to life. Furthermore, gaming platforms offer social features and monetisation options such as social networking, chat, virtual currencies, and virtual goods. Creators can engage with users, sell virtual goods, offer premium experiences, earn royalties, and generate revenue.
Hardware advances enable new experiences
Hardware technology advances have significantly contributed to the evolution of virtual worlds and the creation of new ones. Consumer-grade virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) devices, including VR headsets and AR devices, have become more affordable and accessible. This equipment provides high-quality, immersive experiences that blur the lines between physical and virtual realms.
Graphics processing units (GPUs) have also improved, allowing for realistic and visually captivating 3D graphics. Input devices have advanced with motion sensors, haptic feedback, and eye-tracking, enabling more natural and intuitive interactions with virtual objects and environments. It has meant developers can create more complex and visually stunning virtual worlds with realistic simulations.
These hardware advancements have made virtual worlds immersive, interactive, and accessible. They have provided endless opportunities for creativity, socialisation, and entertainment in the metaverse. As hardware technologies continue to evolve, we can expect even more exciting and transformative experiences in virtual worlds in the future.
The metaverse’s momentum
Early versions of the metaverse first emerged decades ago. Now with the era of smartphones and social media, entire generations of digital natives, hardware technology advancements, and cloud computing improvements have brought the metaverse to its current state.
This growth has been further amplified by the rise of cryptocurrency and decentralized economies. It’s easy to see why opportunities abound for those who want to take this new path towards the metaverse.
Before that happens, it’s crucial to know the current state of the metaverse along with its limitations. Be sure to join us next week as we uncover where the metaverse stands.