Meta has unveiled its eagerly anticipated VR headset, Quest 3. The CEO of Meta Platforms, Mark Zuckerberg, introduced the mixed-reality device on Instagram just hours before the company's annual gaming conference, the Meta Quest Gaming Showcase.
Meta's blog post revealed details about the new headset, including its sleek design, which is 40% thinner than its predecessor. With Color Mixed Reality, an enthralling fusion of augmented and virtual reality elements, Quest 3 promises an unparalleled immersive experience.
The device features a new Qualcomm chipset, doubling the graphics performance and enhancing visual quality. Quest 3 will be available in the fall with 128GB of storage for $499.99, along with an additional storage option. Further information will be announced during Meta's VR conference in September.
“High-fidelity color Passthrough, innovative machine learning, and spatial understanding let you interact with virtual content and the physical world simultaneously, creating limitless possibilities to explore,” said Meta in a release.
Compatibility with Quest 2 games ensures a seamless transition for existing users. To stay updated on Quest 3, interested individuals can sign up for updates. Meta plans to enhance the performance of Quest 2 and Quest Pro through an upcoming software update that provides improved CPU and GPU performance and enables dynamic resolution scaling.
The social media giant has also announced a price reduction for Quest 2 to make it more accessible to enthusiasts. The price of the Quest 2 has been lowered by $100, with the 128GB version now priced at $299.99 and the 256GB version available for $349.99.
The company shared plans to release the Quest 3 during the third-quarter 2022 earnings call, highlighting an expected increase in operating expenses. The increase was partially attributed to expenses related to Reality Labs hardware, particularly due to the upcoming launch of the next version of the consumer-oriented Quest headset.
Notably, Meta announced the VR headset just a few days before WWDC23, Apple's annual conference, where Apple was expected to unveil its long-awaited mixed-reality headset. The new Apple VR headset is an innovative virtual reality device that aims to provide users with an immersive and advanced VR experience. It boasts high-resolution displays, powerful performance capabilities, and various sensors for accurate movement tracking. With Apple's focus on integration and ecosystem, the new VR headset is expected to deliver a compelling virtual reality experience. It represents a significant advancement in VR technology and opens up new possibilities for users to explore virtual realms.
That is how Meta and Apple are diving headfirst into the thrilling battle of virtual reality headsets! Why? For starters, the VR market is exploding with potential, and these tech titans don't want to miss out on the action. They're both eager to wow users with mind-blowing immersive experiences.
But let's not forget the competitive spirit that drives these giants. Meta and Apple have been locking horns in various arenas, and now VR headsets are the newest arena for their clash of innovation. It's a race to showcase their technological brilliance and claim the throne of virtual reality supremacy.
By releasing their own headsets, Meta and Apple take charge of the entire user experience, from hardware to software integration. They want to deliver a seamless, jaw-dropping journey into their immersive worlds, tightly integrated with their ecosystems. It's all about keeping users engaged, loyal, and hungry for more mind-bending content, applications, and services.
Indeed, Meta and Apple are competitors in the metaverse and VR space. Meta has a strong focus on social interactions and creating shared experiences, while Apple emphasizes hardware design and ecosystem integration. Meta benefits from a large user base and a robust developer community, while Apple brings its expertise in user experience and seamless integration with their existing products. Pricing varies, with Meta offering more affordable options and Apple positioning their VR headset as a premium product. Both companies aim to deliver cutting-edge features and technologies. As the metaverse and VR industry continue to grow, the competition between Meta and Apple will drive innovation and shape the future of virtual experiences.
And let's not overlook the fact that Meta and Apple are powerhouses in their own right, constantly seeking new frontiers to conquer. VR headsets allow them to expand beyond their traditional domains, opening up fresh markets and captivating the hearts and minds of tech enthusiasts everywhere.
So, brace yourself for an epic showdown between Meta and Apple in the realm of VR headsets. It's a battle that promises innovation, excitement and a dazzling array of choices for all the VR enthusiasts out there. Get ready to strap on your headset and immerse yourself in a world of limitless possibilities!
LAB51, a subsidiary of Adello and Swiss leader in the Metaverse world, recently hosted an exclusive event on the new trends and opportunities of the Metaverse.
ZURICH, SWITZERLAND, February 6, 2023 - LAB51, a subsidiary of Adello and Swiss leader in the Metaverse world, recently hosted an exclusive invite-only event on the new trends and opportunities of the Metaverse. Over 35 attendees gathered for the insightful event, led by Mark Forster, the founder of LAB51 and chairman of the IAB Switzerland Metaverse Focus Group.
During his presentation, Forster showcased the technologies driving the metaverse and explained that we are just at the beginning of a development that is growing faster than the Internet did in the 1990s. Despite the recent controversies surrounding cryptocurrencies, the future of the metaverse is looking bright.
Forster also outlined ten key topics that will shape the future of the metaverse, including Avatars, Virtual Reality, NFTs, AI, and Synthetic Media. He explained that these advancements will lead to "Augmented Humans," people who can understand and utilize AI to be more productive and creative in their work. This will revolutionize not just individuals but entire industries and companies.
Using virtual sneakers as an example, Forster demonstrated the difference between virtual and physical goods and why consumers are willing to spend thousands of dollars on digital NFT sneakers. He concluded his talk by saying that the big technology companies of today need to adapt to the changing landscape of digital worlds and that the opportunities for companies and agencies are just as vast as they were in the 90s with the emergence of the Internet or in the mid-2000s with the advent of mobile.
At the end of the presentation, Forster gave a free NFT to all attendees as a symbol of their journey into the metaverse. The talk was followed by an Apéro and networking party with the members of the expert group, where Martin Radelfinger, President of IAB Switzerland, welcomed the attendees and emphasized the importance of such events and the role of the expert group in educating and showcasing the concrete possibilities of the metaverse.
Learn more about the Metaverse from LAB51 experts
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Anna Pak
Adello Group
anna.pak@adello.com
LAB51 exclusive event - METAVERSE IN 60 MINUTES
The weekly sales volume of Non-Fungible Tokens has significantly increased from 100 sales in 2017 to an estimated 15,000 or even 50,000 by 2022. You may have heard rumblings about Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) recently, and the hype around this technology this year was truly remarkable. Do you remember the wild buying of Bored Appes for tens of thousands of dollars or the tales of those who got rich from buying low-cost NFTs?
However, people, who were investing heavily in NFTs these years, suddenly suffered major losses in NFTs value at the end of 2022. Q3 NFT sales dropped significantly, seeing a 60% decrease compared to the previous quarter. At the beginning of this year, Justin Bieber made headlines for purchasing an NFT from the BAYC collection for 500 ETH, which was around $1.3 million at the time. Later, his investment quickly devalued, with the USD value of his NFT dropping by more than 94%!
Big companies are still trying to close their eyes on the NFT drop and push their Non-Fungible Tokens further. Porsche and BMW are releasing their first NFTs, and Starbucks is announcing its NFT loyalty program, while their customers have growing doubts.
Do you remember at the beginning of the metaverse and NFT hype, different experts were saying it's an overhyped bubble? It seems that now they are giggling and rubbing their hands while reading the latest news. So, were they actually right, and will NFTs be graved in 2023? The short answer is no.
However, there is a sip of the truth in their words. Due to the swift NFT market decline, it calls into question whether or not this technology can indeed revolutionize the digital world. Or is it used correctly?
This could be a result of a few different factors. One key element could be the high benefits associated with NFTs, which could have attracted investors in an attempt to make quick profits.
A further issue could be the fact that many of the sales going through the NFT market are one-off transactions, which do not create sustainable growth.
The lack of a secondary market is another major issue contributing to the NFT market's downfall. A secondary market could provide liquidity, meaning that a seller could turn their NFT into cash easier. This is uncommon in the NFT market, which keeps prices stagnant and makes it difficult for sellers to make money.
Additionally, the lack of a viable market for NFTs leaves investors unable to assess their asset's value.
The growth of the NFT market has also been attributed to the rise of DeFi tokens. DeFi tokens are taking the spotlight away from NFTs as investors and speculators shift their focus from one asset class to another. This has slowed the growth of NFTs, as investors are quickly moving their money into other investments, like generative AI.
Lastly, recent regulatory decisions have had an impact on the NFT market. Several countries, including China, have begun to issue warnings about the risks associated with NFTs. This has led to some investors losing confidence in the market further.
That is why the attempts of the companies to invest in the NFT look like treading water.
Will NFTs, as they are now, recover, or will they be forgotten - we shall see. Perhaps, we will be more mindful of NFT applications and their value than in the past.
Nevertheless, the decline or change of the NFT does not mean the fall of the metaverse and other Web3 elements.
It is unlikely that the failure of NFTs would significantly impact the overall development of Web3 technologies and the metaverse.
NFTs are a type of digital asset that are unique and cannot be exchanged for other assets on a one-to-one basis. They are often used to represent digital art, collectibles, and other types of digital assets and have gained popularity in recent years. While the market for NFTs has grown rapidly, it is still a relatively small part of the overall Web3 ecosystem and the metaverse.
The metaverse is a virtual shared space, created by the convergence of virtually enhanced physical reality and physically persistent virtual space, including the sum of all virtual worlds, augmented reality, and the Internet. It is an emerging concept that encompasses a wide range of technologies and applications, including virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and other types of immersive digital experiences. The development of the metaverse is being driven by a number of different technologies and trends, including the growth of Web3 technologies and the increasing popularity of immersive digital experiences.
In conclusion, while the success or failure of NFTs may have some impact on the Web3 ecosystem and the metaverse, it is unlikely to significantly impact the overall development of these technologies and trends.
As the Western world watches the nonstop headlines about stock market declines, business bankruptcies, and big tech companies' headcount cuts, marketers are closely tracking the news on AI slowly stealing their jobs. ChatGPT questions the need for content creators; DALLE 2 steps on the way of artists and designers; web3-based social networks unites people into communities, changing the way they make purchasing decisions; the metaverse and NFTs set new standards for product presentation and promotion.
But before dropping it all and converting into Tibetan monks to find peace, think about how you, as a marketer, can use these mind-blowing technologies to achieve better results.
At the end of the day, with the lingering effects of the economic downturn and the continued geopolitical instability, it is more important than ever to stay ahead of the curve and be prepared for the changes that are to come.
In this article, we will explore the marketing trends shaping the industry in 2023 and how businesses can adjust their strategies to account for the hotter climate.
A focus on community and people is essential in marketing in 2023, as it allows companies to connect with their target customers on a more personal level. Through this kind of approach, companies can better understand their customers' needs, desires, and interests and tailor their marketing strategies to meet those needs. This will ultimately lead to increased customer loyalty and more efficient marketing campaigns that lead to enhanced brand awareness, higher sales, and greater customer satisfaction. Furthermore, by taking the time to build a strong community, companies can also create a more unified, cohesive brand identity that will extend beyond their products and services and create a lasting impression on their audience.
Participation experience (PX) is a great tool for marketing. It allows users to engage with a brand directly and on a personal level. In order to illustrate the participation experience, remember the sport. People get together in a sports bar to enjoy the game together, which creates a feeling of belonging and participation in something bigger. This experience is unique in comparison to when you do it alone.
Through PX, brands can create interactive and immersive experiences that are tailored to each user's individual needs and preferences. Furthermore, PX can allow companies to track customer engagement and preferences, meaning that they can more effectively target customers with relevant content and rewards. This can encourage customers to participate more and become more loyal to the brand. Additionally, PX campaigns can also be used to build trust and brand loyalty as customers feel more valued and appreciated. Ultimately, PX can help create a more powerful and rewarding connection between customers and brands - a key factor for successful marketing in 2023.
The latest releases of OpenAI are simply mind-blowing. From images to music to text – anything can be created in a matter of seconds. For example, former Square Enix game studio artist Christian Peñas recently created interactive concept art from Midjourney's creations. It looks like an entire scene from the game, which means that in 2023, brands will be able to use neural networks to create commercials and engage digital artists to do so.
Generative AI, for sure, has the potential to revolutionize marketing in a number of ways:
1. Improved Targeting: Generative AI can help marketers better understand customer behavior, allowing them to create more personalized campaigns and accurately target specific segments.
2. Automated Content Creation: Generative AI can help marketers create content more quickly and efficiently. This can lead to increased efficiency and cost savings.
3. Increased Conversion Rates: Generative AI can help marketers create campaigns that are more likely to convert, leading to increased ROI.
4. Improved Customer Insights: Generative AI can provide marketers with valuable insights into customer behavior, helping them to better understand their target audience and create more effective campaigns.
5. Enhanced Personalization: Generative AI can help marketers create more personalized experiences for their customers, leading to increased customer loyalty and satisfaction.
All these activities should still be aligned with a transparent data collection and processing strategy, but, for example, generative AI personalization could be particularly useful in e-commerce, where zero- and first-party-data-based personalized product recommendations and targeted ads could lead to increased sales and customer loyalty.
Extended reality (XR) is a new technology that is quickly revolutionizing the way businesses market their products and services. XR is a combination of virtual reality, augmented reality, and mixed reality, and it allows businesses to create immersive experiences for their customers. This technology has the potential to revolutionize the way businesses interact with their customers and create powerful and engaging marketing campaigns.
One company that has embraced extended reality in its marketing is Coca-Cola. In 2019, they launched their "Share a Coke" campaign, which used augmented reality to allow customers to virtually share a Coke with their friends. Customers could take a picture of themselves with a virtual Coke bottle and share it with their friends. This campaign was a huge success, and it showed how powerful XR could be in marketing.
Back in 2016, Adello ran an interactive mobile advertisement campaign for Heineken, where users could shake their phones to cheer their favorite beverage with friends.
Another example of XR in marketing is the virtual store created by IKEA. This store was created using virtual reality technology and allowed customers to explore the store and shop for furniture without ever leaving their homes. This was a great way for IKEA to engage with its customers and create an immersive shopping experience.
Finally, there is the example of Lowe's, which used extended reality to create an interactive experience for its customers. They created a virtual showroom that allowed customers to get a better look at the products they were interested in. This was a great way for Lowe's to engage with their customers and create an immersive shopping experience.
As these examples show, with XR, marketers can bring their brand communication to a new level:
1. Increased Engagement and Reach: Extended Reality (XR) technologies such as virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) can create immersive experiences that draw customers in and keep them engaged for longer periods of time. In addition, XR technologies can be used to reach new customers who may not be able to physically experience a product or service.
2. Enhanced Storytelling: XR technologies can be used to create stories and experiences that are more engaging and memorable than traditional marketing methods.
3. Improved Customer Experience: XR technologies can be used to create interactive experiences that are tailored to the customer's needs and preferences, resulting in a more personalized and enjoyable experience.
Metaverse is a decentralized virtual world that allows users to create and trade digital assets, such as NFTs. It is powered by the ETP blockchain, which is a decentralized platform that allows users to securely store and transfer digital assets.
One potential benefit of using the metaverse in marketing is the ability to create immersive, interactive experiences for customers. For example, a company could create a virtual storefront in the metaverse where customers can browse and purchase products in a virtual environment. This could be particularly useful for companies that are looking to create a more engaging and memorable brand experience. Nike, Chanel, and Walmart are good examples of interactive experiences in the metaverse.
In early December 2022, cosmetics brands L'Oréal and Charlotte Tilbury partnered with ReadyPlayerMe, a meta-universe avatar platform. Now meta-universe users will be able to try on the brand's cosmetics on their digital images and use them on more than 4,000 Web 3.0 platforms and apps.
NFTs, or non-fungible tokens, have become increasingly popular in the marketing world. They have been used to create unique digital experiences, drive brand engagement, and create a new form of digital currency. NFTs can also be used in marketing in a number of ways. For example, companies could use NFTs to create unique, collectible items for their customers. These could include virtual goods such as exclusive in-game items or digital art, which could be sold to collectors or used as part of a marketing campaign. NFTs could also be used to create unique, one-of-a-kind experiences for customers, such as virtual concerts or other events.
One example of a successful marketing campaign using both Metaverse and NFTs was by the company CryptoKitties. CryptoKitties is a game that allows users to collect, breed, and trade virtual cats. The game was able to generate over $12 million in sales using Metaverse and NFTs.
CryptoKitties used Metaverse to create a unique digital experience for its customers. They used NFTs to represent each individual cat and allowed users to breed and trade their cats. This created an engaging and interactive experience that was unlike anything else on the market.
Metaverse and NFTs have also been used to create a new form of digital currency. Companies such as BitClave and Binance have used the Metaverse platform to create their own digital currencies. These currencies can be used to purchase goods and services, as well as to trade with other users.
Game mechanics in digital projects are actively developing and becoming more popular. A study by Mordor Intelligence found that gamification increases user engagement with a brand by 30% on average, and the average annual growth rate for gaming mechanics will be 26.5% over 2022-2027.
As an example, Apple is using an achievement system to motivate users to exercise.
The number of people going online from a smartphone has reached 5.31 billion in 2022, compared with 5.19 billion in 2020. The mobile strategy ensures that businesses can effectively reach these consumers with engaging and interactive content such as videos, engaging graphics, and interactive experiences tailored specifically to their target audience's preferences. Even the metaverses go mobile-first.
Additionally, the mobile strategy helps to ensure that businesses have an up-to-date presence on popular mobile apps and platforms, allowing them to reach a much wider trackable audience. Furthermore, mobile strategy provides businesses with the tools and resources to measure, analyze, and optimize their marketing efforts in order to continually improve their performance and reach.
Agency On3 analyzed the results of companies' UX updates and found that 37% of brands increased revenue by implementing a smart UX design. Every year, the importance of user-friendly mobile web platforms or apps grows. Make sure your site is optimized and loads quickly, your autocomplete fields work correctly, and your design elements are conveniently located.
In addition, websites and apps should be designed with the ability to use animation formats and short videos. The ability to convey important information in small portions and with dynamics will be key in the fight for audience attention, and in the mobile version, this is especially important.
Many global brands are already using short formats in the UX design of Home and Product pages. For example, the Apple Music homepage has an interesting scrolling animation that helps diversify the experience.
As the technology continues to improve and become more popular, voice assistants are an excellent way to reach consumers in a non-invasive and natural way. They can be used to answer consumer questions quickly and accurately, enabling marketers to create more effective campaigns and better target potential customers. Furthermore, voice assistants can provide additional data and insights to help personalize marketing messages and offer more tailored content to customers. With the help of voice assistants, marketers can quickly reach their target audience and improve their chances for success.
In 2022, approximately 142 million people in the United States (42.1% of the population) are projected to use a voice assistant. According to Statista, 32 percent of US consumers owned smart speakers as of 2021, an 8 percent increase from 2020.
Personalization allows businesses to tailor their marketing messages to their customer's individual needs and interests, which makes it more likely that customers will respond positively to the marketing message. Personalization also makes customers feel valued and appreciated, as it demonstrates that the business cares about their individual preferences. Finally, it allows businesses to track customer spending and preferences in order to develop targeted campaigns and build better customer relationships. A McKinsey study showed that personalization could increase revenue by up to 25%.
In 2022, people paid even closer attention to how brands use their data. In 2023, this trend is likely to continue, and it is worth emphasizing the security of user data. Talk openly about how exactly you plan to use the information and strengthen the protection of sites and apps against hacking. 35% of customers will refuse to buy from the brand if it secretly collects its data and uses it for its recommendation system. So broadcasting your privacy concerns to customers will increase loyalty and attract a new audience. For example, Google is preparing to abandon cookies in favor of the Privacy Sandbox project, indicating a growing concern about the security and ethics of data access.
Cookieless advertisement targeting has the potential to revolutionize marketing, as it not only enables marketers to target audiences effectively in more privacy-friendly ways but also gives them access to more accurate audience insights, retaining their trust.
By 2023, it is expected that cookieless targeting delivered by an AI-driven technology provider will be essential for marketers to continue succeeding in the digital arena. With the ability to target users without cookies, marketers can reach a larger, more diverse set of users, giving them the potential to gain deeper insights and reach new customers.
As an alternative to the cookies, it is recommended to use zero-, first, or second-party data or cookieless alternatives.
From the very beginning, AdCTRL™ by Adello has been committed to protecting user privacy by obtaining user consent, analyzing anonymized user behavior, and adhering to the strictest data collection and storage rules, like GDPR and CCPA.
Undoubtedly, 2023 will bring new challenges and opportunities in the marketing industry. With the right combination of advanced technology, creative content, and targeted strategies, organizations can stay ahead of the competition and maximize the success of their marketing endeavors. With the ever-changing world of digital marketing, staying up-to-date with trends and creating a comprehensive and effective marketing plan are essential for success.
In the previous editions of Adello Magazine, we have been exploring and sharing ideas around Extended Reality (XR), which includes Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), and Mixed Reality (MR), and its relation to the metaverse. Besides highlighting the exciting opportunities XR opens for users and businesses, we also expressed our critical views towards XR in general and described its limitations and existing problems.
In order to dot the i's and cross the t's, we would like to explain why XR is not the golden key into the metaverse and how the metaverse is mobile-first.
"The metaverse is mobile-first." This thought may seem quite controversial at first glance. Let's dive into the detailed explanation, and the arguments supporting this view.
To begin this discussion, one thing should be clear: The metaverse development is still in its infancy, and just like mothers imagine their children to grow up and become someone some day, each visionary or tech guru has a slightly different idealized vision of the metaverse in maturity.
In an ideal world, users can smoothly immerse themselves in the metaverse and enjoy the continuous fusion of physical and digital experiences. This limitless, decentralized world should offer a new level of inter-human communication and co-creation that would help us create a more inclusive and equal world.
We do not assume that there will be only one single meta-world. Just like today's Internet, the metaverse will be immeasurable. Think about it, the vast internet the average user can access and see is actually only about (an estimated) 4% of the entire Internet. 96% remains hidden in the deep and dark web!
The access to the metaverse varies by device and persona used. Like with the current Internet, we use different devices and browsers to access it and might create different personalities to represent our interests and be perceived in a unique way. (Imagine how different profile photos across CV’s, LinkedIn, Tinder, and Facebook profiles vary!) In the metaverse with avatars are disconnected from the actual physical self; likely, we will express our desires and imagination even further and our avatars can be more distant versions of our actual self.
Coming back to the metaverse access: to ensure a fully immersive, seamless experience, we, as users, will have a choice of devices to enter the meta-worlds. It can be lightweight glasses, lenses, 3D-rendered holograms, or any other new emerging technology.
This idealized version of the metaverse will set the vector for how software and hardware technology must develop.
Today, there is a misconception that, to get a glimpse of the metaverse that exists at this point, one absolutely must have VR glasses. In part, it is due to Meta (fka Facebook) trying to push their ailing platform as the only true metaverse accessible via their Oculus VR glasses. Is it realistic to believe we will spend hours every day wearing a VR headset (in essence a phone strapped to our head with a battery life of just about 2h)? While we are excited by VR headsets, that point of view seems delusional. Worldwide, we have about 6.4 billion smartphones. And about 25 million VR headsets (which, ask people who have them, are hardly used). Unfortunately for Meta, the numbers just don’t add up to a successful business case with mass adoption: it took the iPhone 2.5 years to hit 50m sold devices. It took the iPad just 1.5 years. After ten years Oculus/Meta quest have sold just 20m devices. A smash hit looks different indeed. We are curious to see whether Meta will adapt their strategy to reality over time.
Unsurprisingly, successful metaverse platforms, like Roblox or Decentraland, allow their users to be present in the meta-reality by using a smartphone or computer (the metaverse 2D experience). And this strategy is quite successful. Like with gaming, a majority of gamers, up to 83%, use smartphones as the main device. A successful metaverse might just require us to be open about a multitude of access possibilities.
In one of our recent Adello Magazine editions, Gabriele Romagnoli, Head of Business at ShapesXR and Senior Advisor at iconomy, shared:
"I think there are right now a lot of attempts to do that [to create a metaverse in 2D]. Some of them are really successful. Think about Roblox and other platforms for the desktop, for instance. Those became immediately successful and gained a broad audience. If the metaverse is a single environment that is interconnected with others, then the first step into it is to provide a platform for people. That can be anything, even mobile, so people will get used to it. And after that, you can implement immersive technologies like VR headsets, etc."
Indeed, why create user acquisition barriers by forcing them to buy VR headsets to enter the underdeveloped 3D environment of the metaverse when you can give them seamless access via devices they love?
This is important because the ability to enter the metaverse via smartphone or desktop sets an absolutely different direction for the metaverse development and may even accelerate it. Furthermore, it is already happening.
At the Meta Connect 2022 staged exchange between Vishal Shah, VP of the metaverse @Meta, and Andrew Bosworth, CTO @Meta, Shah rhapsodized about how great it will be when people can wander in Horizont World via the web. The experience, he says, "takes their ability to connect people to another level." But since you're not a first-class passenger equipped with the Quest's immersive VR goggles, it's on par with what you'd get in a web browser or mobile device. Bosworth hinted at why Meta might want to invite people to that second-class experience: "We can't give everyone an immersive experience," he continued, "But it'll be a while before there are enough headsets out there."
That is how Meta is working on a mobile and web version of its Horizon Worlds virtual reality platform. With this, users will be able to join Meta world without having a Quest VR headset. In addition, there are discussions about releasing Horizon Worlds on game consoles.
In fact, smartphones have been with us for more than a decade and have a special place in our everyday lives. During this time, we, as users, were witnessing the evolution of how cell phones were gradually transforming from low-functional bricks to very complex smart devices: First, they were given more functions, such as a calendar and basic games (remember that snake?). Then mobile phones with color screens were released. Following the implementation of the Internet access, and that's how the absolutely new era of mobile devices began. Now it's easier to tell what mobile doesn't have rather than what it has.
Today, mobile meets the metaverse. At one point, it may seem that the metaverse on smartphones is the final evolution stage of mobile.
Even though metaverse on mobile is considered a second-class experience, these are some benefits that mobile devices can offer to users.
Certainly, buying a VR headset is more affordable today than it was three years ago. Nevertheless, while everyone has a smartphone, a VR headset is a "nice-to-have" gadget with limited functionality and a bulky build that few people are ready to invest in. Why buy VR for the metaverse when you can try it on your smartphone?
The inescapable truth is that the VR glasses that exist today and are available for the masses are bulky and heavy. In comparison, mobile phones fit in the pocket and are always with users by default. On top of that, the smartphone's battery life is far superior (ca. 10h) to that of an average VR headset (ca. 2h).
The adoption of new concepts, like the metaverse, is usually faster and smoother through familiar channels. For the moment, smartphones remain the number-one device. People have been using it for years and now have most of their sensitive information (like banking, photos, messages, contacts, and social media access) connected to mobile.
Even though the idea of the metaverse on mobile seems quite attractive, it has flaws. Considering the idealized concept of the 3D immersive worlds, it may seem that mobile prevents the metaverse development toward immersiveness. What if the majority of the users are getting settled into the "second-class metaverse"? What if we come across stagnation in the hardware and software development for the immersive metaverse?
This problem generates another one that may have already occurred in your mind: How is this mobile metaverse any different from mobile games? Isn't it a step back?
No.
Unlike any game, the metaverse is real-time and endless. It is a parallel world where time never stops or pauses; where users define the course of actions and world development; where every item, action, or creation is saved and cannot be reset; and where everyone has a chance to become someone bigger without fighting "unfair" rules and promotional algorithms of social networks; where community matters more than sponsored voices. Metaverse goes beyond any digital game.
For now, it's too early to evaluate the full impact of mobile on the metaverse. The one optimistic point remains clear. Using mobile as an entry point into the metaverse will accelerate the growth of the metaverse. And if history has taught us one lesson: more users and usage drive innovation.
Last week's “NTR — The Metaverse Summit 2022” was a truly inspiring event that highlighted discussions centered on the long-term goals and fundamental concepts of the metaverse.
The all-encompassing forum featured thought-provoking keynotes from industry leaders and ideas exchanged by industry professionals on Web3 and metaverse technologies and innovative business models.
After an enthusiastic start with the startup pitch competition for AUREA Award, the Summit featured over 20 sessions and more than 40 speakers.
One of the key takeaways from the Summit was the importance of focusing on building the metaverse rather than trying to define it.
The metaverse, as we idealize it, has yet to arrive. Today, there is a myriad of visions about how the metaverse will look in the future and what experiences it can provide to its participants. As we move into a new era of interpersonal and social interactions, we should shift our focus from defining and framing novel concepts towards imagining the broader horizon of what they can become and how they influence our lives.
Another key point that was discussed was the concept of "spatial computing" rather than the simple term "virtual reality".
Spatial computing is a term used to describe technologies that allow people to interact with digital information in a three-dimensional (3D) environment. This can include virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and mixed reality (MR) technologies, as well as other technologies that enable people to interact with digital information in a more intuitive and immersive way.
Spatial computing can also refer to the use of 3D sensors and other technologies to enable computers to understand and interact with the physical world. In general, spatial computing is focused on using technology to enable people to better understand and interact with the world around them, both digitally and physically.
The metaverse is not just about digital experiences but about breaking free from the screen and experiencing the world in a new way.
The metaverse will essentially become a collective, phygital world that people can enter and interact with using spatial computing technologies. For example, spatial computing technologies could be used to create and populate the virtual environments of the metaverse, allowing people to interact with each other and with digital information in a more immersive and intuitive way.
Additionally, spatial computing could be used to enable people to move seamlessly between the physical and virtual worlds, allowing them to access and interact with the metaverse from anywhere at any time. Overall, spatial computing is likely to play a key role in the development and growth of the metaverse, helping to shape the way that people interact with each other and with digital information in the future.
One of the strongest potentials of the metaverse to address social issues, such as equity, equality, and inclusion, was also discussed.
Since the concept of the metaverse is still largely theoretical, it is difficult to say exactly how it will achieve it. However, it is likely that the metaverse will provide new opportunities for people to interact with each other and with virtual environments in novel ways. This could potentially lead to new forms of social organization and communication that could help address a range of social issues. It is also possible that the metaverse could exacerbate existing social issues, depending on how it is designed and implemented.
Ultimately, the impact of the metaverse on social issues will depend on the choices and actions of the individuals and organizations involved in its development and use.
Since decentralization and self-regulation are key Web3 topics, it is likely that we will see innovative approaches emerge.
The importance of community in the metaverse was also emphasized. The metaverse future is not just about technology but about bringing people together and creating a sense of belonging and connection.
In the metaverse, communities can come together and interact in ways that are impossible in the physical world. For example, people from different parts of the world will be able to meet and interact in virtual spaces, forming communities based on common interests or goals.
These communities will be able to collaborate and work together on projects and initiatives that are too large or complex for a single person or group to tackle. For example, a group of architects from different parts of the world could come together in the metaverse to design a new city, with each member contributing their expertise and knowledge to the project.
Furthermore, the metaverse will allow for the creation of virtual events and gatherings, like the Burning Man Project, where communities can come together to share ideas, participate in discussions, collaborate, and create together. These events will be able to reach a much larger audience than traditional physical events and will allow for greater participation and engagement from members of the community.
This way, the metaverse is expected to amplify the role of the community by providing new ways for people to come together, interact, and collaborate on a global scale.
In the metaverse, people will be able to interact with each other and with digital content in real-time, creating a shared virtual environment. The term Participation Experience (PX) was suggested instead of User Experience (UX) to better describe the metaverse and its focus on community.
This is because the metaverse is not just a product or service that people use, but rather a shared virtual space where people can interact with each other and with digital content. As such, the focus will be on creating engaging and immersive experiences that allow one to participate in and contribute to the metaverse. In terms of design, this shift from UX to PX will involve a more holistic approach that considers not only the individual user experience but also the collective experience of all participants in the metaverse.
This will require designers to consider a range of factors, such as the social dynamics of the metaverse, the role of digital content and artifacts, and the ways in which people can interact and collaborate within the virtual environment.
Overall, the shift from UX to PX in the metaverse will require designers to think beyond traditional user-centered design approaches and instead focus on creating engaging and immersive experiences for participants in the virtual world.
Lastly, personalization and self-expression were highlighted as key components of future experiences.
In the metaverse, people will be able to create and wear virtual clothing and accessories that can be customized to their unique tastes and styles. This will give the ability to experiment with different looks and identities in a way that is not constrained by the physical limitations of the real world.
The ability to personalize our experiences in the metaverse opens up new possibilities for self-expression and breaking free from the limitations of the real world.
Gaming in the metaverse was another key topic of discussion, with a focus on entertainment and community building. It is likely to play a significant role in the development of the metaverse.
The immersive and interactive nature of gaming makes it a natural fit for the metaverse, and many of the technologies and concepts that are being developed for the metaverse, such as virtual and augmented reality, have already been explored extensively in the gaming industry.
As the metaverse continues to evolve, it is likely that gaming will continue to be a major driving force, both in terms of the technologies that are used and the ways in which people interact with and experience the metaverse.
Overall, the Summit was a truly inspiring event, providing valuable insights and discussions on the future of the metaverse and its potential to change the world.
We are looking forward to next year's edition to hear more hands-on applications, success stories, and new discoveries of the metaverse.
Previously, we reported the metaverse expansion and appearance of whole new worlds and entire cities on the different Web3 platforms. The new meta-buildings are popping up, such as brand shops, fashion stores, offices, playgrounds, and even UAE's Ministry of Economy office. On top of that, more and more companies are creating their offices in the metaverse.
Recently, ArentFox Schiff, an American Law company located in Los Angeles, built their office in the metaverse. That is how the company became the first major US law firm to build and launch an office in this new virtual world.
ArentFox Schiff offers legal solutions "to achieve today's targets and anticipate tomorrow's problems". The main focus of the company is business-oriented legal counsel that helps their customers in order to achieve their commercial goals. Also, ArentFox Schiff is deeply rooted in government service and committed to the administration of justice. The company has clients in various fields. Their clients include Brooklyn Nets, Los Angeles Lakers, Diesel and Ferrari, Warner Bros, Discovery and many others.
The company ArentFox Schiff has always considered itself tech-friendly. On top of that, the Metaverse, Blockchain & Digital Assets team, among the largest in BigLaw, communicate with some world's top companies and help them create the strategies for Web3 adoption. For one, ArentFox Schiff was consulting PwC regarding becoming the first international professional services network to publicly enter the metaverse.
ArentFox Schiff Chairman Anthony V. Lupo, commented on the firm transition to the metaverse:
"The Metaverse stands to disrupt nearly every industry – fashion, sports, real estate, the list goes on – presenting immense possibilities and potential risks. ArentFox Schiff has been helping world-class brands in these sectors enter the metaverse, and now with our new office in Decentraland, we can call each other virtual neighbors."
ArentFox Schiff is located in the Luxury Fashion District in Decentraland.The office is designed by Voxel Architects, a Metaverse digital architecture studio dedicated to building virtual buildings. It has four floors featuring conference rooms and a private meeting space.
There has been a sharp decline in interest in the keyword "metaverse" in Google searches this year. However, while the excitement may be subsiding, companies are still interested in the virtual world.
In March 2022, companies either launched or revealed plans to build metaverse offices, which will be used for online meetings with international customers, improve working spaces, and optimize communication with users. While some employers may start experimenting with the metaverse, widespread adoption of such a virtual space with digital avatars will still need to wait at least a few more years.
Indeed, offices in the metaverse are not a new thing at all. Now we see how companies establish their offices on the different Web3 platforms. There are several benefits of doing this.
Land prices in the metaverse have been falling for weeks. Land prices in Otherside, the most popular metaverse project of recent times, have recently lost 15% of their value. Other metaverse plots with high market values are similarly declining in price. These include projects such as The Sandbox (SAND), Decentraland (MANA) and Axie Infinity (AXS).
This would be a good opportunity for companies who want to purchase land in the metaverse.
Large international brands, such as Walmart, recently entered the metaverse game to be closer to the younger generation, namely millennials and generation Z.
In the modern world, it is important for companies to declare their statement to their audience. Open-mindedness and sympathy for innovation can be good indicators for customers. In the case of ArentFox Schiff, that work with Web3 cases, transferring to the metaverse would be a logical decision to prove to potential customers that they are offering services related to Web3.
Some office ideas regarding the interior or location can never come true. The good news is that metaverse rent is way cheaper than real one. On top of that, any kind of wild ideas regarding how the office will look can be recreated in the metaverse. That will allow to create a unique place both for coworkers and to present the clients.
Since real estate in the metaverse is still a new thing that is hyped around, the companies can use this opportunity to draw the customers' attention and to brag before the competitors.
There is no guarantee that the money spent on the metaverse will bring high returns. Indeed, the metaverse office is a good feature, but it doesn't bring financial benefit directly. The companies should be considerate if they are willing to invest money in the metaverse land, which can quickly depreciate.
In order to justify the money spent on the metaverse office, the companies would have to determine the exact reason for such a purchase first. Is it a marketing movement, or is it just a fancy thing to buy, or maybe it is just excess irrelevant spending from the marketing budget?
You may be ready to buy the property in the metaverse, but your customers can not be adapted to such innovation yet. Perhaps the metaverse is an absolutely unknown word for your clients, and your target audience can be reached through different marketing channels.
So pick up that phone and call your friend, colleague or client to meet in person. It always creates stronger bonds.
As Mark E. Forster, Chairman of IAB Metaverse and Adello founder, during the panel discussion about the metaverse from the law perspective, mentioned:
“The legal frames follow the technical possibilities with a delay of a couple of years.”
Indeed, Web3, in general, is an absolutely new field that was almost untouched by government law. Nevertheless, contentious issues and unfair situations already take place in the Web3 world. For instance, one of our Adello Magazine authors, Lavinia D. Osbourne, took her law case to the High Court and managed to secure an injunction to freeze the NFTs that were taken from her wallet. In fact, in the Internet era, where users can officially own things, juridical regulations are essential.
Despite the fact that the law system for Web3 was not designed yet and regulated by the government fully, there are some juristic elements that help to protect users. One of them is smart contracts.
A smart contract is an agreement between two or more parties to establish, change or terminate legal rights and obligations. Part or all of the terms of a smart contract are written, executed, and/or enforced automatically by a computer algorithm in specialized software.
The use of digital agreements reduces financial, administrative, and time costs, as well as the likelihood of legal errors. Smart contracts involve the resources of the entire network rather than a separate segment of it. Introducing smart contracts into business turnover will increase the speed of business processes. Also, the use of smart contracts in traditional processes has the potential to create a more convenient environment for interaction between government, organizations, and citizens.
Traditional contracts are often so complex that they require third parties to enforce them. That is why there are lawyers who work on drafting and adjusting smart contracts for specific cases.
An important aspect of smart contracts is decentralization. The blockchain system processes direct debit transactions in which the recipient, not the sender, initiates the payment. Decentralized blockchain platform supporting thousands of transactions per second, the processing of which is cheap and does not require huge energy costs. This facilitates messaging and makes the process transparent. Moreover, decentralized management reduces the risk of manipulation and fraud by criminals.
Smart contracts are made between two or more parties or legal entities formalized not on paper but in the form of an algorithm.
In global practice, smart contracts are used not only in the financial market, including banking and insurance but also in public administration, retail, healthcare, initial public offering, and others. Smart contracts allow the tokenization of everything, including ownership rights to real-world assets and intellectual property. Generally, these tokens can be split into 2 groups: non-fungible tokens, also known as NFTs, and fungible ones.
This gives smart contracts vast potential. It is expected that in the near future, smart contracts can be more popular as more private and public organizations adopt them. This can be explained by the growing confidence in blockchain technology and the widespread use of Web3, as well as the rise of controversial cases related to ownership on the internet (including intellectual property).
The global economy is on the verge of a new digital revolution, which will lead to a mass usage of smart contracts in many different areas. The introduction of new technologies will result in a global acceleration of transactions and business processes. Smart contracts can completely change all spheres of the national economy. The world economy will become more flexible, transparent, and personalized.
With a smartphone, the user will be able to sign a contract with any business or person, no matter where they are located. Computer algorithms will help eliminate bureaucratic hurdles and create new incentives for business development. According to The Economist, smart contracts have the prospect of becoming the most important application of blockchain technology.
The application of smart contract tools gives impetus to the emergence of new business models, which impacts increasing competition and the development of new services in the financial market.
Smart contracts can become legally significant if they comply with the laws of the state. For this purpose, smart contracts must contain conditions and restrictions established by the legislation of the country.
Smart contracts bring opportunities as well as risks. Blockchain technology could render hundreds of professions redundant, leading to a dramatic increase in unemployment on a global scale. The complete digitization of documents will lead to the emergence of hacker groups that specialize in hacking distributed databases. In the event of a successful attack, cybercriminals could gain access to vast amounts of information that would be used to steal money.
Currently, smart contracts are still far from perfect. The blockchain infrastructure is still in development, and the code has critical bugs. In addition, there are many gaps in the regulatory framework for smart contracts, and oracle programs still need to be developed. This makes it harder for organizations and individuals to use smart contracts in their everyday work.
Also, sometimes lawyers and programmers need help understanding each other. This communication gap prevents law professionals from controlling the correctness of will or deal expression.
Another issue is decentralization. Decentralization, as we mentioned, is an important aspect of smart contracts. Decentralization itself suggests that a community of users establishes the rules. If the state governs this, the principle of decentralization is put into question.
On top of that, smart contracts are not functionally flexible. When using traditional mechanisms of making agreements, it is always possible to agree to or change its terms. Still, it is hard to make these kinds of changes during the execution of smart contracts. The lack of a formalized smart contract status in global legal practice can make it difficult to resolve disputes that arise when its terms are violated.
To date, the use of smart contracts in everyday life has been limited by technical, legal, and social factors. Nevertheless, it is already clear that smart contracts have a future. Perhaps they will revolutionize the world of management and finance or simply automate standard processes. Either way, the potential of this technology gives room for new ideas.
Blake Lemoine, a software engineer at Google, recently made a remarkable statement. He claimed that the corporation’s conversational AI bot LaMDA (Language Model for Dialogue Applications) had obtained a consciousness. Lemoine noted that the chatbot speaks its rights and perceives itself as a person. In response, company management suspended him from work - reported by The Washington Post.
“If I didn’t know exactly what it was, which is this computer program we built recently, I’d think it was a 7-year-old, 8-year-old kid that happens to know physics,” said Lemoine.
In fact, the capability of machines is becoming more advanced year after year, and Natural Language Processing (NLP) demonstrates prominent results. However, ones can protest in response: Then why do software like Siri or Alexa still barely cope with the most primitive tasks in languages?
For us, people, the language seems to be an ordinary and natural process. However, it doesn’t change the fact that natural languages are a very complicated system. Previously, there was a dominant idea that only humans could use logic, reasoning, and intuition to understand, use, and translate languages. However, human logic and intuition can be modeled mathematically and programmed. When computers became more advanced, people were trying to make them understand human speech. That is how the history of NLP went a long way from the virtual psychiatrist ELIZA in 1964 to the first automatically deciphers ancient language machine in 2010 and chatbots on almost every website.
Nevertheless, despite the long history of research, machines still have a range of serious limitations and barriers in terms of NLP. Machines can hear and read what we write, but they still do not completely understand what we mean since they don’t know the whole picture of the world. This is one of the problems of the century in artificial intelligence technology.
In the 80s-90s, at the beginning of the mass scale of the Internet, Web 1.0 users could only read the content. With the appearance of Web 2.0, there was the possibility to interact with text (Read-Write). That is why NLP technologies became especially useful and widespread in the second generation of the Internet. Thank to NLP, certain processes were facilitated, such as spam detection, chatbots, virtual assistance, and many others. Although the ability of machines to communicate on the human level remains relatively low, there are some quite interesting achievements:
Despite the fact that voice assistant was not developed to the level of the sophisticated interlocutor, they excellently perform their functions by assisting the user in different tasks.
Every day Google processes more than 3.5 billion searches. There are several advanced NLP models that are used to process the queries, including the most famous one, BERT (Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers).
An example of how BERT improves the query’s understanding: When the user was quire “2019 brazil traveler to the USA needs a visa”, it was not clear to the computer. It could be a Brazilian citizen who is trying to get a visa to the US or an American to Brazil. Previously computers were giving results according to the keywords. In opposite, BERT takes into account every word in the sentence. In this exact context, “to” means a destination.
As was mentioned, Web 2.0 allowed users to create text in the Web space. Hence, there was a high demand for text correction. Previously, users were relying on the built-in corrector in the Office 360 software that was pointing out mistakes. However, the mistake-detection technology in that software was quite vulnerable.
The new generation software that is AI-driven, such as Grammarly, uses NLP to help correct errors and make suggestions for simplifying complex writing or completing and clarifying sentences. They are more advanced and precise than the error-detection technologies of the previous generation.
Today there are a lot of websites that offer on their web pages chatbot assistant. Same as with voice-controlled assistants, they are not fully advanced and, in many cases, use simple keyword search and decision tree logic. However, it helps the users at a certain level and facilitates the work of the support team.
It may seem that NLP development doesn’t achieve the expectational level as it could be and has a range of serious limitations. Hence, in Web 3.0, we must deal with all those flaws of NLP we have today.
There is no doubt that NLP will be a critical and foundational component of Web 3.0. AI-driven speech recognition and analytics technology can be used in many fields, such as enabling voice-based user interactions, command-driven hands-free navigation of virtual worlds, connection and interaction with virtual AI entities, and many others. Those are the examples of how NLP technologies will be used in web 3.0 and what are the objectives we need to achieve in this new internet era.
When we are talking about navigating in the metaverse, we might think about handheld controllers, gestures, eye-tracking, or voice control. In fact, voice operation would bring the user experience to a new level. Meanwhile, NLP technologies would help generate audio responses with linguistic nuances and voice modulation.
Speaking about voice operation in metaverse, it is important to mention development of the voice operation in games. The representatives of such in-game technology were games Seaman, Mass Effect 3, Bot Colony, Nevermind and others. Their NLP technologies were not that precisive. However, they can be considerate as the inspiration of the voice control in metaverse.
Voice operation is already in the development process by Meta. The company launched a Voice SDK that allows VR developers to create virtual environments using voice commands.
In Web 3.0, the users would expect assistance in more daily tasks than in Web 2.0. Hence the virtual assistance would need to be upgraded to a higher level.
For the development of such a voice assistant, Meta took responsibility. Meta claims that their voice assistant will take presence in the metaverse, so it will probably have a virtual form of an avatar. Moreover, Meta wants its voice assistant to be more sophisticated, unlike the existing voice assistant in terms of understanding the context of the request.
“To support true world creation and exploration, we need to advance beyond the current state of the art for smart assistants,” said Zuckerberg.
The difference between the Virtual assistant and AI companion is that the first one is designed to serve the user, while the AI companion is designed to be a virtual friend who knows your interest, can maintain a dialog, and give advice.
Web 2.0 offered us different AI chatbots. New generations of AI chatbots go further. One of the most prominent examples is the app Replika. After creating an avatar of its virtual companion that can also be visible via AR, users can start a conversation. AI companion, unlike many other AI chatbots, is capable of memorizing information about users, such as name, date of birth, interest, hobbies, memories, opinions, and others. Also, for the paid subscription, the AI companion can also be a romantic partner.
Developing technologies of virtual assistants and AI companions is crucial for the Web 3.0:
If we manage to master those, it will pave the path to mastering other AI bots that will be responsible for the various jobs, such as psychologists or consultants.
Trade is one of the areas where AI-driven chatbots that will have the role of seller/consultant will be required. Trade, in general, has a great potential in the metaverse. That is how AI chatbots in this field will upgrade the purchasing process and improve the buyer experience.
In the 2000s, the developers were trying to bring to the life idea of social media with a built-in translator. Users could talk to different people around the world in their own languages, and everyone will understand each other thanks to the built-in translator. For some reason, those social networks didn’t gain popularity. Moreover, translation technology at that time was not that well developed and often provided awkward results.
Metaverse will be more than just social media, rather also a place for business, networking, education, shopping, sports, and so on. In that case, the automatic translation would be very useful. However, to achieve this, we need to make sure that AI-powered translators cope with their job precisely, fast, and flexibly.
Meta is already working on such a translator. This year the company announced they are developing an AI-powered c for languages in their metaverse.
Another prominent company that reached certain achievements in the real-time AI-powered translations is Unbabel. The software combines the speed and efficiency of machine translation with the accuracy and empathy of a global community of native-speaking translators. The merits of the company was noted by Windows, they said:
“We’ve seen CSAT scores jump as much as 10 points, and in one instance, we increased issue resolution by 20 percent.”
Those are just a few examples of how NLP technologies can be applied in Web 3.0, which will be used provided that the NLP technology is advancing fast enough. In fact, the development of NLP in the context of metaverse remains one of the underrated topics. Nevertheless, it doesn’t change the fact that the ability of machines to perceive text remains one of the prior tasks for AI today.
Social media is an integral part of daily online media consumption for many users. The number of social media users worldwide is estimated at more than 4 billion. This market has been dominated by Facebook (Meta) for years. However, the range of recent occasions provoked a significant decline in the popularity of this tech giant.
For several years now, it has been obvious that Facebook and its subsidiary, Instagram, are increasingly struggling with new competitors, such as TikTok. In fact, Facebook and Instagram look outdated compared to other social media. It’s time for the social networks to commit an important step into the web 3.0 and the metaverse.
Web 3.0 will bring significant changes in the many fields of the Internet, including social media. Let’s take a closer look at how Web 3.0 opportunities will transform social media.
When we are speaking about decentralized social media, we mean social networks operated on independently run servers rather than on a centralized server owned by a company. The benefits of decentralized social media are governance by users, freedom, and autonomy.
Decentralized social media already exist. Among them are Minds, Diaspora, MeWe, Mastodon, Signal, and others. Even though most of them may sound unfamiliar, those social networks have a great chance of obtaining popularity in the near future.
Social media has been providing people with interactive social experiences for decades. However, only digitally. Imagine that social media can be immersive, so all the features that social networks are offering will be available in the meta-reality.
We remind that immersiveness is an ability to dive into the world, connecting virtual and real experiences. It can be achieved by using special equipment such as VR glasses, AR applications and other technologies. The classical social media would have to rebuild themselves to be immersive.
Social media will provide some kinds of tokens in the near future.
NFT may appear on Instagram in the coming months, according to Mark Zuckerberg. In December, Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri revealed that the company is opting to use non-fungible token technology.
Moreover, Twitter started using and verifying NFT with a new profile picture feature. This feature is offered to users of the Twitter Blue subscription service.
Yet previously, social media users could picture any image of themselves. It’s the Internet where you can be whatever you want. In the social media of Web 3.0 creating avatars will be a must.
By the way, avatars and their skins will be closely connected to NFTs.
A very important challenge for Web 3.0 social media will be regulations.
Even today, within Web 2.0 there are several issues in social media, such as misinformation, data privacy, digital bullying, harassment, and many others. The range of the problem is yet not solved! Thus, Web 3.0 platforms will inherit those issues in order to fix them.
Considering that the social media of Web 3.0 will be decentralized and governed by the community, logically, a question arises: Will the users come to a certain consensus on what is acceptable in social media?
When the Internet became available for simple users, everyone claimed it was a new space separated from the government laws with absolute freedom. But the expectations don’t correspond to the reality of the Internet we know today. That’s why we can’t be sure that Internet Web 3.0 will guarantee safety and freedom.
Social media with elements of metaverse are not just a futuristic concept. Let’s take a look at examples of such social networks.
During the metaverse fever, Second Life developers can proudly say, “We were the first”. Second Life is a 3D virtual world developed with elements of a social network. This game project can be called not just an online game but a whole virtual universe. There are no mandatory missions or hero upgrades. Instead, users participate in communities of interest, create virtual goods, build, communicate in voice or chat, and travel this virtual world. Moreover, Second Life has its own currency Linden Dollar (L$), which can be exchanged for real money.
Don’t like the fact that Elon Musk could make Twitter private? Then Mastodon must be a good alternative!
Unlike centralized social networks, Mastodon is not controlled by individual providers and can be created at users’ own facilities. Any user can deploy their own social networking site or join an existing one. Nodes connected in a common network allow their users to communicate with each other. At the same time, unlike conventional platforms that implement SaaS, it has a decentralized architecture.
With the appearance of this social media platform, many were thinking that Meta was obtaining a monopoly on Metaverse. More than two years after testing began, Meta has finally launched its Horizon Worlds.
Horizon World can be entered with Oculus VR glasses. The users get into the Horizon universe, where they can create their own avatar, meet other users, find friends, and create Horizon Worlds.
Creators cannot earn money directly from their worlds. Instead, Meta put $10 million into a “creator fund” to reward community creators who win competitions. This is different from apps like Roblox, where creators can sell their games for in-game currency.
This social media became extremely popular in 2018 and, it seems, has a second wave of popularity with the metaverse hype.
Zepeto is an app from South Korean developer SNOW. This is a social network where virtual avatars generated using face recognition technology represent users. These virtual figures can then be customized by changing their appearance, clothes, and houses and creating unique greetings by combining various phrases with gestures or dances.
Zepeto has a digital currency used to buy new moves and greetings.
Technology is a driving force that makes the world a better place. The way we live, communicate and interact with each other changes. What will our communication look like in 20 years? Maybe, the metaverse world will become a big part of our lives, and one day we will hear in the news that Zuckerberg decided to delete Facebook forever.
One thing should remain clear: real-life communication should not be replaced by a virtual one.
