Capturing the Metaverse | TV technology
The metaverse… can you tell me exactly what it is? We are repeatedly told that the metaverse is “the future of the internet”. Some say they are hyper-real video games; others say it’s a new way to experience music and sports; while others say it’s the collaborative workplace of the future. But I haven’t heard a really clear definition of the metaverse.
A year ago, Mark Zuckerberg changed Facebook’s name to “Meta,” a nod to its focus on the metaverse. Yet even now, the definition of Zuckerberg’s grand vision hasn’t gotten any sharper. As far as I know, metaverse still means very different things to different people.
Matthew Ball, a theorist who has written about the Metaverse, has a definition: “The Metaverse is a massively scaled and interoperable network of real-time rendered 3D virtual worlds that can be synchronously and persistently experienced by a virtually unlimited number of users .” an individual sense of presence and with continuity of data such as identity, history, claims, objects, communications and payments.”
OK, understood! I can certainly imagine the metaverse in very realistic video games. This is what Roblox is working on with its online game creation platform, which allows users to program and play games created by other users.
“Completely existent”
But how does Facebook (now Meta) describe the Metaverse? The key to understanding the company’s vision is the new Meta Quest Pro headset ($1,499). It’s being touted as “a whole new way to work, create and collaborate.”
With this headset, Meta goes beyond gaming with virtual reality, allowing users to be part of events such as concerts or sporting events and actually work while remaining anchored in the real world.
The idea is that while wearing the glasses, users can collaborate in mixed reality while working on collaborative projects – like designing cars or buildings; make works of art; or even mix audio with virtual screens. Users can walk around the inside of a house or building before it’s built, or pick up a skyscraper with one hand to check its structural integrity.
“Authentic avatar expressions mimic your natural facial expressions, allowing you to be fully present at meetings and gatherings with friends and bring more of your true personality to life in VR,” Meta writes in its press material.
Meta created “Workrooms”, a virtual space that allows employees to be more personal productive, while “Workplace” is a business communication tool that uses groups, live video, integrations and other well-known features to help employees share information help. Perhaps most appealing to those who prefer to work from home, as it makes it easier for teams to collaborate regardless of where they are located.
Of course, the Metaversum is also about sales – from concerts and sports to furniture and virtual clothing. One can only imagine how Meta will entice you to part with your money in new ways.
What’s the difference if you replace the word “metaverse” with “cyberspace”? For the most part, the two are essentially the same, although the metaverse is likely to have more realistic visuals. These images are mostly virtual and augmented reality, combining parts of the digital and physical worlds.
Some companies are promoting the metaverse as a kind of new digital economy where users can create, buy, and sell goods. Maybe one day it will be, but not yet.
Big tech companies like Microsoft and Meta are already trying to interact with virtual worlds. Nvidia, Unity, Roblox and Snap create infrastructures to bring virtual worlds closer to physical life.
virtual production
In the video industry, Epic’s Unreal Engine 5 platform (version 5.1 was released just last month, making the platform more user-friendly and efficient) is being used in digital cinema for virtual productions – an innovation that is already reducing the cost and complexity of some projects. However, whether the metaverse will become a central part of future television productions or largely a competitor remains an open question.
Today, the term “metaverse” is so widely used that everything from a virtual reality concert to a video game falls under the same category. There are no hard and fast rules for a definition.
The future of the metaverse ranges from human pessimism to overblown fanaticism. All the hype aside, there are some very useful new technologies being developed for the metaverse. Things like mass connectivity of people and tracking tools that can track a person’s eye and hand movements. On their own, these new technologies are a real promise for future innovation.
But the headsets required for this experience are still bulky and expensive. They can cause motion sickness and physical pain in some if worn for too long. Maybe with time this problem will be solved, but right now it’s hard to imagine a mass launch of such a cumbersome device.
The market’s euphemism for these limitations of the metaverse is ubiquitous. After so much hype, many in the industry are weary from the slow progress and wishful thinking. Progress is gradual.
Many compare these early days of the Metaverse movement to the early years of the internet. The technical quality of the internet improved with time and technical development. But even when Metaverse technology is perfected, there is still no guarantee that it will catch on with the masses. Will people even want to be in a virtual office, attend virtual concerts, or play virtual games? It’s an open question.
Apple CEO Tim Cook recently pointed out that it’s important for people to understand a product before they buy it. “I’m really not sure the average person can tell what the metaverse is,” he said.
Whatever becomes of the metaverse is not there yet. Real people have always resisted carrying excessive gadgets — let alone bulky goggles. That alone is a real challenge.
However, many of the technologies that will be developed from Metaverse research will find valuable applications in everyday life. But today, none of us can predict the future of this emerging new field of engineering exploration.
0 Comments