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The meaning of metaverse is still a mystery to many people although it has been around for quite some time. During the COVID-19 pandemic the internet and social media allowed us to connect with our loved ones, friends and coworkers. Even during periods in which we were otherwise completely isolated.
However our existence on the internet wasn’t without its flaws. Even though you were able to see and communicate with other individuals the exchanges seemed cold and impersonal. We couldn’t help but feel that we were missing out to see the world and enjoy life to the fullest.
The metaverse is gaining traction among a small yet expanding group of people. It offers futuristic virtual reality worlds that can augment our own reality. This has led to increased engagement in online gaming, social networking and VR-related purchases.
The meaning of metaverse has various narratives. Understanding the metaverse and its narratives is crucial before considering investment. Should you or your brand invest in a virtual reality world? In this article we will cover a detailed meaning of the metaverse. We will further look into topics like accessing different virtual worlds and exploring its brand potential.
What is the meaning of Metaverse?
The meaning of metaverse is a world within a universe! Within the realm of virtual reality, the term refers to a virtual environment in which users are able to discover new places, interact with other people and create different realities, appearances or ways of living. Currently Various companies have created virtual worlds. These virtual worlds are generally called the metaverse. Tech giants like Microsoft, Facebook and Nvidia are actively developing their own solutions for the metaverse. Facebook even renamed itself to Meta and introduced it’s metaverse called the Horizon Worlds. This was Meta’s first move to build a metaverse that can bring users together in a virtual space.
Are meta and metaverse the same?
As mentioned before there are several entities who are building their own metaverses. Meta is only the owner of one of the multiple metaverses both in the actual world and in the virtual one. Meta’s Virtual Reality (VR) world is known as Meta Horizon Worlds. You can access it through the use of the company’s Meta VR headsets (Previously Oculus). However early adopters have been utilising a wide variety of different metaverses for many years.
Life in the Metaverse!
To give you a better understanding we are going to go into a few different kinds of metaverses. We will discuss what you or your business can accomplish in each one. But before we go any further here are key definitions that you should commit to memory.
Terms you should know
To better understand the meaning of metaverse you should know the following terms.
- NFT: This well known non-fungible token is a digital token that is either limited in supply or one of a kind. It can take the form of digital art, avatar clothes or other VR-based goods. You can purchase ownership or a share of NFT. There is a certificate that may be found deep inside the blockchain-based coding of the object. The certificate states that you own it or have ownership in it. (This is far more complex than to fit into a simple description.)
- NFT Real-Estate: A non-fungible digital home or parcel of land in the metaverse that can buy, sell or even rent out as an investment opportunity. Buyers are provided with a digital deed or certificate stating that they are the legal owners of the property.
- Blockchain: A transactional certificate and contractual record kept digitally in a ledger.
- Cryptocurrency: You may buy, trade or invest in digital currency and use it to buy things online or in a virtual world called a metaverse. The value of each kind of digital currency is distinct from the others. Bitcoin, Ether and Dogecoin are a few examples of popular cryptocurrencies.
- Open-source: All users are able to edit and a particular company or organization does not controll the platform. Developers can start open-source metaverses, who will also later promote the world and do maintenance on it. However, open-source metaverses may not have a clear corporation that owns them, which might make it difficult to get customer care if something goes wrong. On the other hand, they often provide the users a great deal more leeway.
Now that you have a basic understanding of what the meaning of metaverse is, let’s take a look at some of the most often discussed metaverses that are currently available.
Popular Metaverses and Their features
To further expand on the meaning of metaverse we have concentrated this article on the three metaverses. They are getting the most excitement at the moment. Even though there are a lot of other metaverses out there and we’d love to speak about all of them.
I’ll break down brand opportunities (and show you some instances of them) in the next part. Many different metaverses offer a lot of potential for companies that are quite similar to one another.
Meta Horizon Worlds
Meta headsets, which are available for purchase from the firm, provide access to the Meta universe (which were previously called Oculus headsets). This realm is now only accessible through headsets. However, Mark Zuckerberg has broached the subject of trying to broaden the experience. This may be through contact lenses and even holographic experiences in the not too distant future.
Once you’ve entered Horizon Worlds, you’ll have access to practically every feature that was available to users in prior versions of metaverses, such as the following:
- Developing a digital representation of yourself, sometimes known as an avatar.
- Having conversations with other players within the universe of Meta Horizons.
- Participating in games alongside other users of Meta Horizons.
- Questioning a Meta support representative, who is likewise located in the metaverse.
- Using teleportation to go to other parts of the cosmos and have new experiences there.
- The Horizons Marketplace is where you may buy digital goods such as simulated apparel, among other things.
Horizon Worlds Distinct features
Two key things that make Horizon Worlds different from other major metaverses we’ll discuss below are:
- That it is centralised, which indicates that it is run by a single entity. Hence there are restrictions placed on how the platform itself may be utilised and that users are required to comply with certain regulations. If you enter Horizon Worlds you are agreeing to its terms of service and are required to obey its regulations. Otherwise you risk being kicked out of the game. In the meanwhile some decentralised metaverses have few rules, administration and restrictions since they often have original founders or developers. However, the owners of these platforms walk away from site on the platforms and offer the users freedom. In point of fact, virtual Meta employees are often present in each public place to ensure that users are acting appropriately and learning how to utilise the Horizon Worlds environment.
- You can’t buy land or monetize your brand in Horizon Worlds just yet. Even while Horizon Worlds provides access to a broad marketplace, the platform does not provide any other obvious means for users to earn money. On the other hand, one of the most common objectives of users on other metaverses, which we will go into more detail about below, is to purchase, sell or otherwise make money off of virtual real estate.
The Sandbox
The Sandbox is one of the decentralised game metaverses that has been around the longest. Since its inception as a video game in 2018, it has undergone a rapid transformation into the metaverse. Today it has garnered attention from investors in both the metaverse and NFTs. As soon as your character enters this metaverse, they will be able to use a type of cryptocurrency called SAND or LAND to purchase land and construct buildings on it. From there, you may sell your land, rent it out, meet people and build connections. You can also pay for and acquire additional land through sandbox services such as a builder or landlord.
Playing sandbox on the desktop resembles the awesome version of the LEGO universe with elements of Minecraft.
The Sandbox is home to many wealthy early adopters who already own real estate there. Early adopters included big game companies like Atari, clothing brands like Adidas and rapper Snoop Dogg. Sandbox’s age and reliability in the Metaverse space makes it an interesting position. The value of buildings and token value in this metaverse has increased in recent years. This is because the amount of land created and SAND tokens to be issued in the game is considered “limited”.
Decentraland
Decentraland has quickly become one of the most well-known and most-invested-in virtual worlds (or “metaverses”) among early adopters. Developed in Argentina by Ari Meilich and Esteban Ordano, it has become famous for the massive towns it has. It offers millions of dollars in virtual land and NFT real estate. A quick search on Google reveals that there are already several virtual real estate businesses that focus on the sale of NFT land in Decentraland and other metaverses. These agencies compete with one another to be the best at what they do.
As you may guess from the name of the platform, Decentraland is also decentralised. This means that anybody can contribute to the open platform that is the virtual world. In contrast to Horizon Worlds this virtual world is solely accessible via personal computers.
Early opportunities in the Metaverse
Another part that contributes to the meaning of metaverse is how it is related to business. How can you use the metaverse for marketing and generating money? The activities, settings and demographics of the audiences from each virtual world are slightly unique from one another. Different virtual worlds provide a number of options for businesses that are interested in embracing developing marketing strategies. There are various methods you can use to make money in the metaverse. as a place to make money. The following list is just some methods companies may take use of the metaverses around today :
Virtual Events
Decentraland, Sandbox and other virtual worlds host a large number of landowners who are willing to rent out their virtual space for events or virtual parties. Horizon Worlds is still developing virtual events for general businesses. In contrast Decentraland and Sandbox host a large number of landowners who are willing to rent out their virtual space. In a same vein, several businesses and independent business owners have constructed their very own lands. This is done with the intention of using them to host gatherings such as NFT art displays, conferences or meetings.
You may generate crypto money or awareness from individuals as long as you are able to conduct an event, host an event or even sponsor a portion of an event. In addition, you can generate awareness for your product or service during the process.
Owning Shops, Games and Avatar Fashion
In a number of metaverses like Decentraland and the Sandbox, companies with sizable budgets have the opportunity to own and brand real estate. This could be art galleries or storefronts in which users may make purchases using NFT. Even if Meta Horizon Worlds does not now provide this chance, it will very certainly be an extended feature at some point in the future. However, it is possible that this feature will be more organised than decentralised worlds, which have fewer restrictions.
One example that you can experience is the possibility of Walmart stores appearing in Meta Horizon Worlds. 2021 saw the publication of a demonstration by Walmart of their concept for a metaverse shop. This store would let customers in virtual reality place orders for tangible goods sold by Walmart which would subsequently be delivered to the customers’ real-world locations.
Decentraland and Sandbox, have had digital shops (primarily for purchasing NFTs), car and teleportation device dealerships, art galleries and paid brand experience locations for years. Even though Horizon Worlds is just beginning to investigate ways to monetize experiences for companies.
Sponsorship and advertising
Even while this may be more difficult and a little bit riskier in decentralised metaverses, companies can contribute financial support to creators, events, games, experiences, storesand galleries in order to have their products, logos or NFTs referenced or promoted in some way.
You can research land owners of NFT that have previously advertised. This may be an option for you when you are just strating. During the course of my research for this article, I came across a company by the name of NFT Plazas. The company asserts that it owns NFT real estate and plazas, which are places where a large number of avatars congregate. These plazas and buildings will have advertisements, QR codes or other types of unique digital experiences.
If you don’t have the resources to build your own virtual land, this is an excellent way to get the word out about your brand. However, in order to maximise your chances of success, you should take the following precautions. Make sure you know who the creators are in the real, non-virtual world. Make sure you trust them and watch out for scams. Whenever possible, use paper trails or contracts that are simple to understand.
It is important to keep in mind that you are in a decentralised environmen. There won’t always be a customer service representative or legal organisation that you can contact if you provide coins to avatars who can’t be located afterwards.
Building communities and Influencer marketing
In the metaverse you are able to talk to other people. You can talk about your products or even wear NFT clothing with your brand. You can also give it to individuals who have knowledge of Metaverse to help you spread the word. If you find that a specific metaverse has a large number of people who are interested in your product, then try to connect with these users. Even if you don’t have the right business skills.
For example, hold a meeting in your brand’s virtual land or a part of the metaverse that’s open to everyone who wants to talk about your topic of choice. Engaging in fun games and bonding is another way to promote your business. You will build relationships, promote your brand and spread the word about your products. This will also attract individuals who are interested in information related to your specific business niche.
Inbound marketing and Networking
Many marketers and sales people find themselves texting, zooming and emailing prospects in order to tell them about their company’s product or service in today’s world. Occasionally, we’ll even attend a networking event or a meeting where we may have direct conversations with potential customers.
Imagine now performing all of this in a digital setting using avatars instead of real people. You won’t have to pay anything to go exploring or to interact with other people in practically any metaverse. This indicates that if you sell or promote a B2C product, you might mention the product in an off-the-cuff manner during a discussion. This is just like you would with anybody else you are networking with and then tell people where they can discover more information about the product.
Even though you might not be able to send them to a branded experience, virtual shop or have them click a link to your website just yet, you can still spread the word to multiple people on a more personal level than an email without having to leave your seat. This is possible even though you might not be able to send them to a branded experience, virtual shop or have them click a link to your website just yet.
If you operate in the virtual reality (VR) industry, you might even leverage sales in a more extreme fashion. For example you can sell non-fungible commodities, such as virtual vehicles, art or real estate. This is a video of a transaction that took place between a customer and a dealership salesman in a metaverse. It appears that many virtual salesmen do not film their sales and make them available for the public to view online.
Best rated Book To Read on the Topic
The following is a bet seller and highly rated book about the Metaverse. If you want to learn more in detail and delve into the world of metaverse then this is the book for you.
