What is the Metaverse? Explained by two media and information experts
Posted: Sun Jan 26, 2025 9:05 am
By Rabindra Ratan, Associate Professor of Media and Information, and Yiming Lei, PhD Candidate in Media and Information, Michigan State University, article reproduced under Creative Commons from The Conversation website
The metaverse is a network of always-on virtual environments in which many people can interact with each other and with digital objects while operating virtual representations—or avatars—of themselves. Imagine a combination of immersive virtual reality, massively multiplayer online role-playing games, and the web .
The metaverse is a science fiction concept that many in the gambling data uk tech industry envision as the successor to today's internet . It's just a vision for now, but tech companies like Facebook aim to make it the framework for many online activities, including work, play, study, and shopping.
The metaverse has three essential aspects: presence , interoperability , and standardization . Metaverse is a portmanteau of " meta ," meaning transcendent , and " verse ," from the word universe . Science fiction novelist Neal Stephenson coined the term in his novel Snow Crash (1992) to describe the virtual world in which the protagonist, Hiro Protagonist, socializes, shops, and defeats real-world enemies through his avatar. The concept predates Snow Crash and was popularized as "cyberspace" in William Gibson's groundbreaking 1984 novel Neuromancer.
Presence is the feeling of actually being in a virtual space, with other virtual people. Decades of research have shown that this sense of embodiment improves the quality of online interactions . This sense of presence is achieved through virtual reality technologies such as head-mounted displays.
Interoperability means that people can move seamlessly between virtual spaces with the same virtual assets, such as avatars and digital objects. ReadyPlayerMe allows people to create an avatar that they can use in hundreds of different virtual worlds, including in Zoom meetings through apps like Animaze . Meanwhile, blockchain technologies , such as cryptocurrencies and non-fungible tokens , make it easier to transfer digital assets across virtual borders .
Standardization is what enables interoperability of platforms and services across the metaverse. As with all mass media technologies – from print to messaging – common technology standards are essential for widespread adoption. International organizations such as the Open Metaverse Interoperability Group define these standards.
The metaverse is a network of always-on virtual environments in which many people can interact with each other and with digital objects while operating virtual representations—or avatars—of themselves. Imagine a combination of immersive virtual reality, massively multiplayer online role-playing games, and the web .
The metaverse is a science fiction concept that many in the gambling data uk tech industry envision as the successor to today's internet . It's just a vision for now, but tech companies like Facebook aim to make it the framework for many online activities, including work, play, study, and shopping.
The metaverse has three essential aspects: presence , interoperability , and standardization . Metaverse is a portmanteau of " meta ," meaning transcendent , and " verse ," from the word universe . Science fiction novelist Neal Stephenson coined the term in his novel Snow Crash (1992) to describe the virtual world in which the protagonist, Hiro Protagonist, socializes, shops, and defeats real-world enemies through his avatar. The concept predates Snow Crash and was popularized as "cyberspace" in William Gibson's groundbreaking 1984 novel Neuromancer.
Presence is the feeling of actually being in a virtual space, with other virtual people. Decades of research have shown that this sense of embodiment improves the quality of online interactions . This sense of presence is achieved through virtual reality technologies such as head-mounted displays.
Interoperability means that people can move seamlessly between virtual spaces with the same virtual assets, such as avatars and digital objects. ReadyPlayerMe allows people to create an avatar that they can use in hundreds of different virtual worlds, including in Zoom meetings through apps like Animaze . Meanwhile, blockchain technologies , such as cryptocurrencies and non-fungible tokens , make it easier to transfer digital assets across virtual borders .
Standardization is what enables interoperability of platforms and services across the metaverse. As with all mass media technologies – from print to messaging – common technology standards are essential for widespread adoption. International organizations such as the Open Metaverse Interoperability Group define these standards.