Facebook’s announcement at the end of last year that they are now Meta, a company focused on building the metaverse, piqued our collective imagination and launched (at least) 1,000 think pieces, concept videos and even entire companies based around the concept of a gamified, perpetual and decentralized virtual space. Are we talking an immersive metaverse nearly indistinguishable from our real-world existence? A responsive AR layer that makes the world around us seamlessly interactive? Or will it be a multiverse with offshoots for different verticals and communities? Will we be able to agree on a common set of digital standards to achieve true interoperability? Amidst all the question marks, JP Morgan predicts the metaverse is a $1 trillion annual market opportunity. These are mind-boggling concepts and speculation is rampant. So let’s pause, take a deep breath and start at the most logical place – the beginning. The truth is, the Metaverse is what you’ll make of it. Yes, you. The creators, brands, agencies, and everyday users who are just now breaking ground on our digital future, ready to start building, block by block. As we move from a 2D to 3D visual web, here are a few key milestones we have our eye on:
Connected 2D profile picture – consistent profile across different worlds.
Image Source: NFT profile picture on Twitter
3D avatar in different worlds.
Image Source: Boonji at Taj Mahal
Programmable avatars – programming your avatar to do or say things in any language.
Image Source: Microsoft
Programming trigger events between avatars and 3D objects – connecting assets to do things together.
Image Source: Geenee X Ready Player Me CryptoPunk avatar
Body Tracking – wearing avatar in different worlds.
Face Mocap – avatar is connected to your facial expression.
Image Source: Veeso
3D clothing for avatars – for your avatar in games.
Image Source: Roblox
3D clothing for human body (body tracking) – for your human body in sharing video, video chat or via AR glasses.
Handtracking
- change the graphics that teams are viewing
- ability to grab and store digital items
- ability to store your items in a interoperable visual 3D wallet
Shared digital locations
- virtual places / lands / settings
- leaving digital artifacts at digital locations – multiple
Image Source: Pokemon Go