The parallel world of “Metaverse” whets the “appetite” of digital giants



[ad_1]

Imagine a digital world where you can live a parallel life without leaving your home. So welcome to Metaverse, which Facebook and other gaming and internet giants see as the next big step in the development of the World Wide Web.

From dancing in the nightclub with friends as an avatar, to climbing Mount Everest in a virtual reality (VR) headset, to meeting colleagues in digitally salvaged offices, Metaverse opens paths that push the boundaries. of the physical world. virtual worlds so close to the point of merging.

The concept was developed in 1992 by Neal Stevenson in the sci-fi novel Snow Crush, a landmark work for Silicon Valley entrepreneurs, until in recent months the term metaverse has become one. of the most popular words in the world of technology and video games. . . .

Even the biggest companies in the sector are investing millions of dollars in its development. The latest to join this domain is Facebook, which announced last Monday the creation of a dedicated Metaverse team.

“This is going to be a very big part of the next chapter for the tech industry,” Network Chairman Mark Zuckerberg told The Verge last week, noting that “Metaverse is the heir to mobile internet”.

360 degree virtual reality video which means you can move the mouse pointer to see everything around you.

The future of social interactions
Gradually, screens, holograms, virtual reality headsets and augmented reality glasses should allow flexible “transitions” between the virtual world and physical places, like “remote mobility”, according to Zuckerberg, who regrets smartphones limited access to digital spaces. .

However, the race in this area has taken off between new video game giants like Roblox (a platform that brings together countless games created by children and teenagers) or Fortnite, which dreams of making the rules set by social networks like Instagram and Tik Tok. And Snapchat is obsolete.

At the end of April 2020, at the height of the first phases of closure during the Covid-19 pandemic, five virtual concerts in which the American rapper Travis Scott appeared as an avatar (Avatar) on the “Fortnite” game, a achieved great success, attracting 12 million video players. .

Following this success, the game, which brings together 350 million players aged 14 to 24, also launched a film festival called “Short Night”, in addition to “Party Royal”, a giant virtual party hosted by DJs renowned.

An Epic Games official, who developed the game ‘Fortnite’ at the end of March, told AFP: “Especially at this point where the physical encounter has become more difficult, it is very important to have these virtual experiences. We really see Fortnite as a platform for connected social experiences, not just a game. ”

Better acceptance of virtual experiences
Does this open the door to an exciting future or are we heading towards a dystopian world? The next generation is more receptive to making real sense of virtual experiences and rooms, says Kathy Hackl, a technology consultant who advises companies on Metaverse.

She explains, “The first party I attended was at a stadium. The first party my son attended was for an American rapper, Lil Nas X, on Roblox. Bringing the party to life through the game didn’t make it any less realistic. “

Huckle also rejects the dystopian vision presented in the book “Snow Crush” of a virtual world in which people escape the horrors of reality, an idea that resurfaced two decades later in the novel “Player One” which was ported. on the big screen through a 2018 Film by Steven Spielberg.

To achieve its new goal, Facebook has invested heavily in technologies that make people feel like they’re somewhere else, like its Portal video calling devices, Oculus headsets and the Horizon virtual reality platform.

Promotional advertising for Facebook’s “Horizon” platform

But even Mark Zuckerberg admitted that today’s virtual reality headsets “have some flaws” and require further development of the kind of experiences he aspires to “in the next five years or so.”

Subscribe to “News” on YouTube here

[ad_2]
Source link