#virtual #life #metaverse #crypto #digital #avatar
“A virtual reality universe is imminent”–Paul Ebeling
In the metaverse, it is becoming possible to travel to different virtual worlds and create an avatar to live a virtual life. Here I break down the history of the term and review some of the most important uses, as follows:
There is no 1 definition of the term accepted by everyone. Most often the phenom is described as a network of 3D virtual worlds aimed at social connection or a simulated digital space focused on creating a real world-like environment for users’ interaction.
The term “metaverse” is not as new
It was first coined by Neal Stephenson in his science fiction novel Snow Crash in 1992. It is used in the book to depict the imagined dystopian future in a virtual reality world.
Even though the concept was introduced 30 yrs ago, it has become a hot topic recently. Today, the metaverse is the hottest buzzword, especially in the tech, finance and business industries.
Some of the best examples are a virtual reality platform Second Life launched in Y 2003 and video games such as Roblox and Warcraft.
The reason why the metaverse is becoming so popular is that is projected to be the successor of the internet. Many compare the metaverse at this stage to computers and mobile phones at the end of the 20th Century. This is only the beginning for the metaverse, and it is hard to predict what will become of it in the future.
There are already many metaverse projects of different kinds. Some of them present virtual reality video games and platforms with avatars like the ones discussed above. Others develop virtual spaces for streaming concerts and sports games, art galleries, virtual property, and more
The metaverse is pretty tightly interconnected with crypto blockchain technology. NFTs are often used for purchases inside virtual reality projects.
Let’s take a look at some of the most prominent virtual worlds and see how they work:
Second Life
As mentioned above, Second Life is one of the 1st virtual worlds that got its start back in 2003 but is still considered 1 of the most popular metaverse platforms. The Linden Lab product quickly reached 1-M users worldwide.
Second Life residents can create their own 3D avatars and live their lives inside the virtual world, engaging themselves in different activities, from entertainment to dealing with virtual businesses and property.
IMVU
Similar to Second Life, IMVU offers its users the ability to create a 3D avatar and enjoy life in the virtual world. The platform was founded in Y 2004 and now has over 100-M active users. The game starts in an empty virtual apartment that the players get to customize. IMVU stands out by the large number of virtual items users can acquire, there are now 30-M items.
Minecraft
Minecraft is a sandbox video game developed by Mojang Studios and released in Y 2011. It is 1 of the most popular games in the world with over 141-M active players. Minecraft includes several virtual worlds and gives complete freedom of creation to its users.
The Sandbox metaverse
The Sandbox is a well-known NFT-based virtual world game. The alpha version of its metaverse was released only at the end of last yr. The platform provides virtual land that users can buy and use for whatever they want whether it is a concert, a sports event, an NFT gallery or just a video game. It is possible to sell the creation within the game using the SAND token.
Decentraland
Decentraland is one of the newest and hottest 3D virtual world platforms that was open to the public in 2020. Users can buy plots of land as NFTs and enjoy various activities in the game. The platform has its own ETH-based cryptocurrency called MANA that can be used for internal purchases. The game is managed by the non-profit Decentraland Foundation.
Somnium Space
Somnium Space is a virtual reality world built on the Ethereum blockchain. The project is supported and entirely run by its strong community. Users can play and interact with each other, as well as build and acquire virtual property, host different events within the space and more. The creations of the game can be monetized with the help of its native currency.
Axie Infinity
Axie Infinity is an example of a play-to-earn video game. Users can collect and mint NFTs represented by creatures called Axies, raise them and receive rewards. The Ethereum-based project has recently exceeded $4-M in sales.
The growing popularity of the metaverse is undebatable but what will actually come is unpredictable.
The Big Qs: Will it really become the future internet, can it bring any use to humanity?
The Big A: That remains to be seen.
But, many people spend more time in virtual worlds than in reality. Because, many people try to run away from reality. It is easy to appear confident and happy on social media but not so much in real life. And lately this has started to manifest at a whole different level. With the help of the metaverse, it is becoming possible to travel to different virtual worlds and create an avatar to live a virtual life.
Have a happy weekend, Keep the Faith!
