HIGHLIGHTS
The word metaverse was first used in Neal Stephenson's 1992 science fiction novel Snow Crash.
Thanks to Facebook and Microsoft, there is now a growing interest around this idea.
Metaverse is expected to be a next-gen internet built of technologies like Augmented Reality.
Metaverse is supposed to be, or rather it already is in some ways, so big that a giant like Facebook recently changed its brand name from "Facebook" to "Meta." At the same time, the Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that his company is now committing itself to build a "metaverse" and that this would be the next-gen internet that people will in the coming years be able to experience through Facebook products. Zuckerberg's announcement was soon followed by Microsoft, which too decided that it wanted to commit itself to "metaverse."
So, what is metaverse? Ask anyone about Metaverse, and they will all have one common answer- it is a blend of virtual reality, augmented reality, mixed reality and web. You will be further given examples of Hollywood movies like Matrix and Ready Player one in case you are still confused about what exactly it means or what it does. But having said that, let's take a closer look at it.
What is metaverse: the origin of the name and idea
The internet is swamped with information on Metaverse, every website trying its best to explain what it is, why it has become a buzzword overnight or how it is going to change our web using experience. While the concept has been around for a while, thanks to Facebook and Microsoft there is now a growing interest around this idea. Before we delve on what Facebook and Microsoft are bringing on a plate with Metaverse, let's understand what Metaverse is first.
The word metaverse was used in Neal Stephenson's 1992 science fiction novel Snow Crash, where humans, in their avatars, interact with each other in a virtual space. To be more specific, the word Meta has a Greek origin, which means beyond or across. Metaverse can be said to be a virtual realm in which things could look as vivid and living as real.
Remember Shahrukh Khan starker Ra One that released in 2011. Well, it pretty much sums up what Metaverse could look like. Shikhar, a gaming programmer, works for Barron Industries -- a company that launches a technology that allows objects from the digital world to enter the real world using the wireless transmissions from multiple devices. Shikhar creates a special suit for the protagonist which acts like a VR device. It connects your digital avatar to your physical being when worn. The digital space in which the game takes place can be called metaverse, and the suit here can be thought of as AR and VR devices that we will need to access the metaverse. What is Facebook's metaverse?
Why sudden hype amongst people? Facebook when last month announced that it was rebranded as Meta, it also released a video in which the company's founder is seen walking through his home and telling us about the company's future plans with this futuristic idea. Just a few weeks later, Microsoft also joined this bandwagon
Explaining how life in the meta world could actually look like, Zuckerberg's digital avatar in his patent black t-shirt and jeans is seen playing cards with his metaverse mates in a floating spaceship. In between, he calls up his friend using the Messenger on his smartwatch, and she tells him that she's running late as she and her friend are checking out a 3D street art piece. She shares the link and next moment we see Zuckerberg and his mates exploring the 3D art piece by piece and appreciating it.
All this and more that is shown in the video can leave a regular Facebook user full of questions like if or how this metaverse will change his or her daily social media using experience, or do they have to wear VR headsets while using Facebook now. Well, the change will happen to the social media experience if Facebook succeeds in its metaverse plan. But that change will take a while. Facebook's metaverse plans can take around 10 years to fully unfold. What Facebook aims to do here is to create a virtual space where users can access its various platforms using AR and VR devices
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