What is Metaverse Technology?
The term metaverse comes from the combination of two terms - 'meta' meaning beyond and 'verse' meaning universe. Metaverse technology can be defined as a combination of virtual realities existing over the internet.
A virtually empowered physical reality, metaverse technology is a virtual world that consists of experiences, environments, and entities over the internet. With the help of virtual reality technology and tools, the metaverse technology is progressing at a rapid speed.
The physical world has diminished in importance and the growing demand for virtual accessibility has helped the masses to get used to technology. With technological advancements glorifying the power of the New Media in the 21st century, the internet has become the hotspot of information and entertainment for millions.
That said, multiverse technology is perceived as the future of the internet, given that it is going to propagate the access and use of the internet. Furthermore, the ongoing pandemic crisis has pushed the masses to rely on the virtual world by minimizing the scope of a physical connection.
The metaverse combination of the VR world involves virtual platforms and environments that connect people from one corner of the world to the other. While this technology is here to stay for a long time.
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Features of Metaverse Technology
A set of features constitute the structure of metaverse technology. They are as follows -
A metaverse is an interactive group of virtual worlds that are combined to act like the real world. Interactive in nature, a metaverse involves social connections, global infrastructure, and other real-world traits wherein more than one person can be a part of the metaverse at the same time.
This means that it lets two users interact with each other, and with other elements of the metaverse.
The technology of the metaverse is persistent in nature. Unlike the internet that can be shut down or closed at any moment, a metaverse cannot be shut down or put away instantly.
It is persistent in nature and does not let virtual reality slide away from that easily. With vast amounts of information bottled up in a metaverse, virtual reality stays in the metaphorical world that users enter into.
For whatever purpose the metaverse is created, it is going to stay for as long as the technology exists.
Real World Replica
Another striking feature that must be noticed in the case of the metaverse is that it is a replica of the real world that we are living in. A source of escaping the reality of our lives, a metaverse will soon become a way of entertainment and sustainability in a virtual reality experience.
Owing to the current pandemic situation across the world, the virtual world has gained even more importance. Perhaps a real-world replica is a path to a universe beyond reality.
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A case study can help us understand the concept in a better way. In recent times, the popularity of a virtual game - PUBG has increased substantially. A virtual representation of people fighting among themselves, the game is a perfect example of how the metaverse blockchain is making its way into our lives. More such virtual world games are using the metaverse technology to induce reality into technology.
A gaming landscape wherein a number of people (connected with the help of the internet from multiple corners of the world) fight against each other, the game involves real-world elements like buildings, houses, clothes, vehicles, planes, ammunition, and weapons.
On its way to establishing one of the most renowned metaverse games, the parent company of the game - Krafton claimed in an interview while saying, “Krafton wants to create a “complete interactive virtual world” for its fans through its ambitious projects.” PUBG Metaverse
Origin of Metaverse Technology
The term metaverse was coined in 1922 in a science fiction piece titled Snow Crash, written by Neal Stephenson. In this fiction, humans converse and communicate with each other in a 3D virtual environment that is similar to the real world metaphorically.
From hereon, the term metaverse has been used to explain the occurrence of a separate world based on virtual reality. Thanks to the constant development and progress in the field of technology, the origin of metaverse can be traced back to the 20th century when the internet was on its way to becoming a widespread amenity.
Today, the world sees the internet as a basic amenity that is an easy escape out of the physical world.
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Companies using Metaverse Technology
While metaverse technology is conceived as the near future, the world has already entered the era of metaverse technology. In this segment, we will understand the way top tech metaverse companies are using the metaverse technology.
A tech company based in the USA, Microsoft is a computer software manufacturer that was founded in 1975. A leading tech company in the contemporary scenario, Microsoft is working with the technology of the metaverse in order to create an 'enterprise metaverse'.
In terms of enterprise management and operations, Microsoft is implementing metaverse technology to make way for a 3D virtual world apart from the physical operations of the enterprise.
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A social media platform, Facebook is a pioneer when it comes to empowering netizens and connecting them from one world to the other. Launched in 2004, Facebook has always managed to pull off the magic of the internet and is a leading metaverse stock.
Facebook uses VR (metaverse technology)
Be it social media or digital marketing, the world knows Facebook for its dynamic nature. Yet, the company is on its way to join hands with metaverse technology.
A buzzword that originated in the Silicon Valley, California, USA, the term metaverse has begun to draw the attention of millions of techies from all around the world as Facebook prepares to unfold a virtual reality that will take place through a VR world software.
Launched in 1994, Amazon Inc. has given the world what no other e-commerce firm could. It is not only successful, but it has crossed huge milestones in its way to become one of the finest tech companies the world has ever seen.
Yet, there is an interesting touch to the way this firm is collaborating with metaverse technology. An e-commerce platform, Amazon is about to create a virtual economy with the help of the metaverse blockchain that will boost its popularity and expand its customer base.
More than that, it will also help this tech company to bring together a virtual world where the company's assets will play a central role.
Let alone tech-based companies, but even cartoon franchises have initiated to build the technology of metaverse further. With an intent to create a virtual theme park with the help of artificial intelligence, Robotics, and other technological advancements,
Walt Disney is aiming to achieve a metaverse that will help it to build its own legacy in the field of technology. Launched in 1923, Walt Disney has been a leading cartoon channel for almost a century now.
Along with the help of the Internet of Things (iot) and artificial intelligence technology, this company will soon open the doors to a virtual theme park that would be accessed by people from all over the world.
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A leading AI stock, Nvidia Corporation was founded in the year 1999. A manufacturer of Graphical Processing Unit of Computers, Nvidia is another tech company that has decided to expand its scope in the world of the metaverse.
Its own creation, NVIDIA Omniverse has been created with an aim to combine different virtual worlds and put them together. As rich as the real world and as accessible as any other virtual platform, NVIDIA Omniverse has successfully accomplished the dreams of AI.
Digging deep into the concept of Omniverse by NVIDIA, we discovered that it is working towards replicating the physical world by creating virtual twins of factories and buildings.
All in all, a variety of companies are working towards bringing the mere thought of the metaverse into reality. Be it cartoon characters or hardware equipment, the metaverse is soon going to take over the prowess of the internet in no time.
Future of Metaverse Technology
The contemporary world has already tasted what is about to be brought to the table. Virtual reality is a significant concept that is making heads turn and really thinking about the question, “What if there was a world other than the real one?”
Even though the pandemic has made us familiar with the situation that the technology of the metaverse would be like, humans are still unfamiliar with the dystopian era that is all set to arrive ahead of them.
An era of no physical contact, virtual connections, and the virtual economy will be one of a kind that will take away the taste of social connection in the real world. Still, this technology will only add to the technological progress that the world will ever see in the coming centuries.