Metaverse, a hotly discussed topic in the present-day tech era, stands for a virtual reality space in which users can interact with a computer-generated environment and other real time users. The word metaverse is made up of two words ‘meta’ and ‘verse’. The word ‘meta’ is derived from Greek, it is a prefix that basically means ‘beyond’ and the ‘verse’ is taken from ‘universe’. This world is basically used to refer to an artificial world (or world beyond universe). In 1992 an American science fiction writer Neal Stephenson coined the term metaverse in his book Snow Crash, which depicts dystopian future world where real life has been destroyed and the outdoors wasn’t liveable for humans anymore, so everyone’s lives got confined to their buildings and rooms and spent their lives in Virtual Reality. That Virtual Reality, the artificial world, was referred to as metaverse by him.

In science fiction, the “metaverse” is a hypothetical iteration of the Internet as a single, universal and immersive virtual world that is facilitated by the use of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) headsets. In colloquial usage, a “metaverse” is a network of 3D virtual worlds focused on social and economic connection.

Gaming with Metaverse

Components of metaverse technology have already been developed within online video games. In 2003, the virtual world platform ‘Second Life’ is often described as the first metaverse as it incorporated many aspects of social media into a persistent 3D World with the user represented as avatar. But it wasn’t true, as the historical claims of metaverse development started soon after the term was coined. Many popular games described as a part of metaverse include Minecraft, Fortnite and game creation platform Roblox, etc. In these types of games users can create their own characters and play with their friends while talking to each other.


NFT and Cryptocurrency

Cryptocurrencies are the money of the virtual world, and are therefore necessary to buy land, art, clothes or even experiences. In this way, a property in the metaverse can increase or decrease in value just as it does in the real world. Another way of transaction in the metaverse is through NFT. NFT is the abbreviation for Non-Fungible Tokens. These are unique digital files, and can be very valuable.



Photo by Milad Fakurian on Unsplash




Metaverse: Pros & Cons

Pros

1. A lot of things are possible today, like a ride over the Grand Canyon but not everyone has the time and money to do that. But with metaverse, we are able to live the life we want to live.

2. Users can expect not only to have new experiences in metaverse they will also be able to share those experiences In real time with friends, family or anyone they want.

3. Metaverse will let people more accurately see and interact with physical objects as if they were real. For instance, a user can visit an auto dealer to examine car models and test drive as if in the real world.

4. As the metaverse Promises to mimic real world social interaction and accurately represent physical objects in 3D, individuals will be able to collaborate as if they were in the same room. In fact, using VR headsets, a surgeon in USA can successfully treat a patient in India.

5. New business opportunities will be created with the help of metaverse. The metaverse’s unlimited potential reaches beyond technology companies and gaming platform.



Photo by Kampus Production

Cons
1. Individuals will have to buy the technology to get into the metaverse. But the equipment cost is very high, so everyone can't afford to buy it.

2. Individuals with auditory or visual disabilities may have difficulties in the metaverse. Moreover, some people can suffer motion sickness during immersive experiences.

3. The metaverse, more so than video games, can potentially be addictive to some people who are looking for an escape. They may lose the ability to distinguish between reality and virtual reality.



Conclusion
In a nutshell, Metaverse is a new yet interesting technology, and advancement in it should meet the two basic needs of people: to connect with others and to interact with physical objects as if they were real. This technology (along with many others coming up) assures us, the Future is Exciting !