The Metaverse Is Coming, Whether You Like It Or Not.

In my day Virtual Reality was a blocky, glitchy mess that only appeared in the likes of films like Lawnmower Man. The masses are entering a new frontier where VR is becoming readily available at a consumer level, with a suite of apps,games and experiences becoming accessible.

We take a look at the impending emergence of the Metaverse and how Virtual Reality will change our physical world.

Terminology

Much of the glossary of terms, at least on the corperate side of things, has been established but i think it’s important at this early stage to define the words we’re using. (Also it’s 2022 and we’re all about labels, right?)

It’s also a dangerous trend to label Virtual Reality as a whole after a corperate invention such as the Metaverse. Much like how “Googling” something is the go-to phrasing for anyone wishing to use a search engine. It’s a slippery slope and a marketing wet dream.

The Virtual Frontier

There was a slight amount of guffawing when Facebook decided to change the company name to Meta. It came at a time when Facebook was embroiled in many ongoing privacy and data scandals across a number of countries, as well as a high profile case regarding the company culture itself.

The announcement seemed much like a smoke and mirror distraction from their ongoing legal troubles and the more cynical minds out there would see it as just another shuffling of the deck, so to speak. An effort to change the publics perception of a company painfully in need of a new image.

But with this announcement came a radical shift in the perception of the companies wheelhouse. No longer will Facebook be associated with selling user data or perceived shady business practices – Meta will pave the way for a new dawn in connectivity and communication or so they envisage. Mark Zuckerberg (acting as the self-appointed captain) will helm the pioneering of this new virtual frontier and much like the frontiers of the Old West – there is much settling to be done.

If it aids understanding via the Old West analogy – VR is an infinite desert wasteland. Big Zuck is the Sheriff of a new town called Metaverse.

The exciting end of this however is that one day we will have a real Ready Player One -style Oasis. (You can read our article on this blueprint here)

Digital Currency

It’s clear to see that the likes of Bitcoin and Ethereum will one day become the core currency for this bold new frontier. (I’m not getting into a debate regarding your latest favourite Emoji-based crypto – i’m just using an example here)

I scoffed along with the uneducated masses at the emergence of Cryptoccurreny but as time has told, it is not only an inevitability, it is the end of an era for fee gouging fat cat bankers who will readily dip into your funds to reward themselves a tasty salary bonus.

I can’t say I’ve become as equally enlightened with regards to NFT‘s. Having wrapped my head around them I can safely boil my own viewpoint down to a simplistic and personal platform : I don’t waste money on in-game cosmetics so you can keep your monkey doodles. Thanks.

Aside from a notable flex NFT‘s represent another form of digital currency, or in this case, a digital property.

For vendors like Zuck and Meta this is very much the state of things to come. It doesn’t take a crystal ball to see that major industries have and are currently moved into digital over the last number of years, with the music industry being one of extreme prominence.

Digital Commute

Zuckerberg and the boys forsee a Metaverse (or to label it more specifically – Virtual) life largely replacing the daily life we know and love. Working in the Virtual Reality : a digital commute to a virtual office. This is simply deductive reasoning at this stage.

There’s echos of this reasoning in films like Wall-E (the fat chair dwellers) , Surrogates (the surrogate system itself), Ready Player One (the Oasis), to name but a few.

It’s Happening

Point is, you may scoff at the notion of a digital commute, of humans using VR to operate real world machinery from inside this reality…. but it’s happening and its happening right now. And its only going to keep growing and expanding into every aspect of life as we know it. A tad dramatic I know, but you get the idea. Social events. Concerts. Exercise classes. Gaming. Education. Dating.

With the emergence of haptic feedback accessories users will be able to experience Virtual Reality in all aspects of the senses. (“Nudge, nudge, wink, wink – say no MORE!”)

This is literally the tip of the iceberg. NFT‘s, cryptocurrency, virtual merch, skins…… it’s happening.

Where does it end? It doesn’t. Get used to it 😉

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