What is the Metaverse?
If there is anything I’ve learnt about the metaverse, it’s that it isn’t here yet. It isn’t something you can go experience right now, despite all the hype, because it is all still theoretical. There is technology that can give you a taste of the metaverse, or will be used in the metaverse one day (VR headsets, augmented reality, virtual concerts), but the real metaverse is still some years away.
This is because the metaverse should be fundamentally interoperable (a new word I’ve learnt in my research). Meaning, there can only be one metaverse, and going from one experience to the other needs to be seamless. The product or system must be accessible through the same interface. Rather than watching a virtual concert in Fortnite and then attending a virtual meeting through Oculus on Facebook, the true metaverse will enable you to experience both through the same interface, log in and Avatar. For this reason, the metaverse isn’t a specific piece of tech, but the bringing together of tech to create a seamless virtual experience without borders or physical distance.
But still - what is the metaverse?? The problem with trying to describe the metaverse, is that we don’t yet have the shared language to do so. Imagine trying to describe the internet to someone - It’s email but also TikTok, and I can get it on my laptop but also on my SmartTV, and I use it to talk to friends but also people I’ve never met in person. And you get it from a little box in your apartment, but also you can get it almost anywhere in the world on your phone. It sounds ridiculous.
One person described it to me as the dematerialisation of physical space and items, another as the era of virtualization where digital interactions and worlds are treated just as real as the physical world. The other one I liked was “the internet built by game developers”. And most importantly, it should feel immersive.
So the metaverse isn’t virtual reality, but it may be a way that we access the metaverse. And Fortnite isn’t the metaverse, but it could be one of the worlds we experience in the metaverse. But it might also be a hybrid approach, where augmented reality allows for the metaverse to layer over our physical world through glasses (or even contact lenses!). Imagine a virtual pet that you could see in your physical living room but doesn’t leave messes (the evolution of a Tamagotchi!).
All of this and I haven’t even gone into NFTs or crypto! (yet)
Lastly, what does this mean for filmmakers? To be honest, I am still figuring that out, let me know if you have any clue!
It's all very fascinating if still quite nebulous. As Hayley says, the promised and hyped-for version of the Metaverse every brand and their dog is spruiking is still very much theoretical. I've been testing the (rightfully very polarising) waters of crypto, NFTs, VR, etc... just to better educate myself. The underlying technology is interesting and while the general mission of the Metaverse and "Web3" is decentralisation - an extension of "interoperability" as Hayley puts it so well, we're still quite a few steps from this and I have many questions whether the blockchain tech is being used the right way/is even necessary in the Metaverse. Tracking and proof of ownership is somewhat contradictory to decentralisation but for all the utopian visions of the Metaverse, may be necessary for smooth operation and immersion. And above all, safety and security.