Difference between revisions of "Metaverse"

Revision as of 03:23, 10 February 2022

The Metaverse is a concept originally proposed in science fiction that describes an experience where you can fully engage with the virtual world rather than watching through a window ^[1]. In concept it is often viewed as a theoretical successor or evolution of the internet ^[2]. Although mainly still a dream for the future of digital interactions, it is currently embodied through some current trends in online infrastructure, such as a surge in popularity of immersive 3D worlds ^[1]. Due to conflicting opinions over what a Metaverse is and what it should be, there is no current all encompassing definition – the Metaverse represents an experiential idea for the future of interactive technology that connects cohesively to our own tangible world ^[1].

History

The term Metaverse was coined by Neil Stephenson in his 1992 novel “Snow Crash” in reference to an online virtual world people could visit through avatars ^[3]. Inhabitants of Stephenson's universe used the Metaverse as an escape from their dissatisfaction with the world around them, and could engage with every aspect of life in the virtual realm ^[3]. The prefix "meta" means beyond and the suffix "verse" represents the universe ^[2]. It is now being used in the tech industry to represent what is supposed to come after or succeed the internet ^[2].

Even without the term, examples of Metaverses have existed for decades. The first attempted implementation of the Metaverse was 3D reality platform Second Life which came out in 2003 ^[4]. What set Second Life appart was the lack of objective associatiated with most video games; it was designed as a place to hang out ^[4]. Second life has maintained followers for decades since it's launch, and still has a dedicated following to this day.

What sets the Metaverse apart is the desire to integrate seamlessly with all aspects of real life. Rather than a platform to simply play video games, it serves a destination for shopping, entertainment, services, and more all in one place ^[5]. Primitive versions of this integration can be seen today with applications such as Uber or Roblox ^[5], and aim to extend past the current bounds of the internet.

Examples in media

Initially proposed in science fiction as a use of escapism from dystopia, it has evolved from a niche genre to worldwide knowledge through increasingly popular works. Beyond Stephenson's original novel, the concept gained increasing notoriety through both the 2011 novel and 2018 movie adaptation of Ernest Cline's Ready Player One ^[6] The main character dons a headset similar to the VR of today and enters a world called 'Oasis' where he can live in a beautiful world and abandon his real life issues ^[6].

Many Video games have begun to explore Metaverse territory. Epicgames made a large investment into Metaverse technology for their popular game Fortnite, where they hope to move from simply a game to a brand new medium ^[7]. Attempting succeed into a multimedia platform and beyond, chief Creative Officer Donald Mustard said, "“Our lofty goal is to create the entertainment experience of the future. I think some of that is feeling our way into what feels like it’s going to be a new medium, where it’s this blended entertainment experience that has interactive elements. It has linear elements to it. It has things that would look more like a concert" ^[7].

Popular children's game Roblox is also a 30 billion investment into developing their Metaverse technologies, with the creators saying "It is about making a game into something more - a social space and entertainment venue" ^[8]. These companies are opening up their platforms to cross company collaborations and marketing opportunities, allowing for wide integration of different entertainment platforms.

Real life and the future

The Metaverse became a buzzword ^[9] in 2021 when tech conglomerate Facebook rebranded their company to Meta and announced their plans to develop a Metaverse (CITE). Having experienced similar internet hype surrounding the concept upon the release of Second Life, the resurgence in popularity is due in part to an advance in graphical quality that could serve to increase immersion and blend with reality (CITE).

Other contributors to the rise of popularity include increased desire for social interactions in the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic (CITE1?), as well as the popularization of decentralization in the form of cryptocurrency and NFTs, which could act as receipts for intangible things and potential carry between different Metaverses (CITE1?), although this is a potential challenge (CITE).

Facebook’s movement towards the Metaverse represented a cultural shift – for a tech conglomerate of its scale, it set a looming precedent ^[1]. With over 20,000 people working in Facebook's Virtual Reality lab as well as a 10 billion dollar investment ^[10], many other companies followed suit. Companies like Microsoft have launched competing platforms such as Microsoft Mesh (CITE), and the race to make the definitive Metaverse began in full (CITE). The rush to the new digital frontier has brought investors to buy digital land and place their stake in the growing industry ^[11] . By artificially generating scarcity of their products, early pioneers in Metaverse spaces are able to generate value from something that would otherwise be unlimited ^[11].

While current technology is still limited and clunky, the vision for the future is a sprawling cyberspace linking both augmented reality and virtual reality in order to create a seemingly real communal space ^[2]. For this shift to happen the equipment required to do so will need to be both in demand, affordable, functional, and visual appealing in order to attract and maintain a wide consumer base ^[2]. Additionally, the technology conglomerates that embody Big Tech will need to stop competing to make their own Metaverses: the vision for an all encompassing Metaverse has no room for competing companies or monopolized products^[2].

Ethical Criticisms and Concerns

Legal Implications

The dream of having a fully decentralized metaverse run by decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs)^[11] raises many issues of its own. Under this management style, any user gets a say in what happens, and with no company holding responsibility no repercussions are placed on users who may partake in inappropriate behavior or language ^[11]. The issue of governance and responsibility in virtual worlds is too new to adhere to any real world laws, which creates a new and lawless frontier for users to do what they please within the allowances of the game's code ^[4].

Even with company liability in place, the Metaverse still poses a number of issues regarding safety protocols and enforcements. Facebook’s current platform Horizon Worlds has faced criticisms due to lack of safety on the platform, receiving claims of sexual assault ^[12]. Other problems that already exist on the internet face the possibility of being exacerbated in the metaverse ^[13]. – data security, misinformation, hacking, and other scams are major concerns ^[9]. Many critics believe that the race to be the first to implement the metaverse may lead to glossing over safety protocols needed for such a platform to address these issues ^[12].

Laws and norms in digital spaces are also difficult due to limited ability for enforcement. Users who get banned for misconduct can simply create a new account, and repercussions often don't hold any serious weight. As virtual spaces begin to take more central roles in day to day life, it is hard to adjust the punishments to fit the severity of the crimes^[14]. Technology is advancing at a faster rate than the current legal system can keep up, and legislation lags behind the current issues happening in digital spaces. The dilemma of what should be considered a crime in the Metaverse is difficult with no clear answer ^[14]. Experts are having a hard time distinguishing what counts as real life or fiction on a platform that aims to seamlessly blend the two into one. Virtual realism is the belief that virtual reality is genuinely reality ^[14], and thus experiences there are just as impactful as in the real world. As the Metaverse becomes more developed and users generate real attachment to virtual avatars, belongings, and settings, these issues become more complex.

As it stands today, most users believe murder in a virtual space such as a video game is morally permissible, but sexual assault is not. ^[14]. The philosophical dilemma arrises when what counts as a crime in these spaces where the laws of reality and fiction don't align. Does robbery in a virtual space carry less weight than in reality? Most users say no ^[14]. What about when real world currency is used to buy said items, or they begin to hold significant personal value to the user? As more factors are introduced the moral web becomes more tangled, and conflicts like these involving virtual theft have even been taken to court in real life ^[14].

Accessibility

It is likely that Metaverse applications will only supplement the internet rather than replace it ^[1], but it is worthy to note that there are advantages to non-real time interfaces: computers and headsets required to run them are often expensive, and pose problems for people with mobility or vision disabilities ^[1].

The majority of Metaverse applications currently require expensive VR headset, and as such target users of higher socioeconomic status ^[15]. While these prices are trending downward over time ^[15], the price tag attached limits the accessibility to a wide user base.

Social media and advertising

A common criticism of the traditional internet model has been the emergence of ad targeting and for-profit advertising, specifically through social media ^[16]. The shift into the metaverse has parties on both sides of the marketing debate hopeful: for those in favor of marketing it offers a platform for brands to be engaged with like never before, and for those against it the Metaverse is a clean slate free from the onslaught of ad targeting (CTIE). In this regard, many criticize Facebook's Metaverse aspirations as an avenue for the tech company to bypass regulations set by companies like Apple and Google, who manufacture the phones their current platform relies on ^[2]. Apple's recent change to their privacy settings had a major impact on Facebook's ability to collect data on its users, and situations like this would be circumvented on their own platform.

It is also thought that the desire for more comprehensive social media platforms will be what drives users from new demographics into Metaverse spaces ^[2]. Currently occupied mainly by people who play video games, broadening the scope of applications and connectivity with others seems to be a main driver for the development of the Metaverse.

References

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5} Robertson, Adi (2021-10-04). "What is the metaverse, and do I have to care?". The Verge. Retrieved 2022-1-27.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7} Brown, David "What is the 'metaverse'? Facebook says it's the future of the Internet". Washington Post.2021-08-30 Retrieved 2022-02-03.
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} Neal., Stephenson (2007). Snow crash. Rizzoli. ISBN 978-88-17-01682-7. OCLC 799825166.
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1 4.2} Tidy, Joe (2021-11-05). "Zuckerberg's Metaverse: Lessons from Second Life". BBC News. Archived from the original on 2021-11-13. Retrieved 2021-11-17.
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1} Dwoskin, Elizabeth, et al. “How Facebook's 'Metaverse' Became a Political Strategy in Washington.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 26 Sept. 2021, https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/09/24/facebook-washington-strategy-metaverse/?utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=wp_main&utm_source=twitter.
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1} Grady, Constance (2018-03-26). "The Ready Player One backlash, explained". Vox. Retrieved 2022-01-04.
7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1} Webster, Andrew (March 18, 2021). "Fortnite's Experimental Story Is An Attempt To Create 'The Entertainment Experience Of The Future'". The Verge. Archived from the original on May 3, 2021. Retrieved May 3, 2021.
8. ↑ "Roblox: How the children's game became a $30bn bet on the Metaverse". BBC News. 2021-03-10. Retrieved 2022-01-09.
9. ↑ ^{9.0 9.1} Fischer, Sarah (16 November 2021). ""Metaverse" is Wall Street's new favorite buzzword". Axios. Archived from the original on 4 December 2021. Retrieved 27 January 2022
10. ↑ Roose, Kevin (2021-10-29). "The Metaverse Is Mark Zuckerberg's Escape Hatch". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 2021-10-30. Retrieved 2022-1-27. (subscription required)
11. ↑ ^{11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3} Ravenscraft, Eric. "The Metaverse Land Rush Is an Illusion". Wired. ISSN 1059-1028. Retrieved 2022-1-27.
12. ↑ ^{12.0 12.1} Jones, Stephen. "Meta launched an investigation after a woman said she was groped by a stranger in the Metaverse". Business Insider. Retrieved 2022-1-27.
13. ↑ What Is the Metaverse and Why Should I Care?". Time. Retrieved 2022-1-27.
14. ↑ ^{14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 14.4 14.5} Chalmers, David. "What Should Be Considered a Crime in the Metaverse?". Wired. ISSN 1059-1028. Retrieved 2022-02-2.
15. ↑ ^{15.0 15.1} Neiger, Chris. "Virtual reality is too expensive for most people — but that's about to change". Business Insider. Archived from the original on 2021-10-25. Retrieved 2021-2-3.
16. ↑ Peck, Andrew (2020). "A Problem of Amplification: Folklore and Fake News in the Age of Social Media". Journal of American Folklore. 133 (529): 329–351. doi:10.5406/jamerfolk.133.529.0329. ISSN 1535-1882. S2CID 243130538