In 2021, especially at the end of the year, the word Metaverse became a trend on the internet . It is a term used to designate a shared virtual space, where people can access through special equipment.
Interestingly, the term has been trending ever since Mark Zuckerberg announced that the Facebook company is now called Meta, for Metaverse. At the time, he said that the company's focus now is to be in the virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (VA) market.
After all, what is Metaverse?
The word Metaverse is used to designate a virtual environment that is characterized by being immersive, hyper-realistic and collective . In it, people can live together using customized 3D avatars, something we already see in games, for example.
But, the Metaverse brings this in an advanced and improved way. The proposal is to experience a virtual environment from the inside, in an immersive way. This is precisely why it has been seen as an evolution of the internet as we know it today.
One of the ways to access this virtual environment can be, for example, using special glasses, headphones and sensors, being able to access an online virtual world that incorporates augmented reality.
As you can see, it is a fictional space. Therefore, the sky is the limit and you can invent anything in this virtual environment .
Companies that invest in technologies for the Metaverse claim that people will be able to interact, collaborate and learn in these virtual environments in a more complete way than the internet currently provides.
A clear example of this is the virtual work meeting, which gained strength and became routine after the covid-19 pandemic. In Metaverse, the meeting can take place in a more interactive virtual environment, without having to leave the house.
But there is an important detail: experiencing this virtual environment in the way it is currently sold is not yet possible. It is necessary for companies to develop the technologies that will be used so that the concept becomes a reality for the population.
In addition, there is another fundamental point: this technology needs to be made accessible to the entire population. Otherwise, it will be restricted to a limited group , without being inclusive.
When did the Metaverse come about?
The term first appeared in a science fiction book by writer Neal Stephenson. The work is called Snow Crash and was published in 1992.
In it, Hiro Protagonist is a pizza delivery man in the real world. In virtual, he is a samurai hacker. This virtual reality was named by the author of the book as Metaverse.
There are other works of fiction that work with this concept, such as Ernest Cline's Ready Player One, which was published in 2011. The plot shows characters who spend hours in a video game in an attempt to escape their real life, which is difficult. Director Steven Spielberg was responsible for adapting the work to the cinema in 2018, a film that was named Player No. 1.
Another fact that many are unaware of is that Mark Zuckerberg is not the first to try to sell the Metaverse life . In 2003, Liden Lab released the game Second Life , which creates a 3D virtual environment for real-life simulation.
But the game has not established itself as innovative technology. One of the reasons given is the lack of a digital economy at the time, for gamers to earn money.
Interestingly, this is already possible today, especially with cryptocurrencies, which may give the Metaverse more strength today.
For those interested in games with this concept, there are several available on the market, such as Minecraft , Fortnite and Roblox .
When will the Metaverse come true?
While this concept has buzzed the internet after the announcement of Zuckerberg's company name change, experiencing it still feels like a long way off.
What you have in the market today that comes close to this concept are games. There is still no technology on the market that offers this immersion in a virtual environment in which it is possible to be and do whatever you want.
When he announced the Meta, Mark Zuckerberg said that the Metaverse could be part of our routine in five or ten years. But the market consensus is that this is not something to be implemented in the short term.
It is worth remembering that technological innovations take a long time to be implemented, especially in Brazil. A great example of this is 5G technology, which is approximately 100 times faster than 4G and more stable.
In Brazil, 5G is in the implementation phase and may take up to four years to become available to all mobile and broadband users.
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How to prepare your company for the Metaverse?
Despite the subject being on the rise, it is still too early to say if the Metaverse is really a trend that will be followed by consumers and how they will behave with this novelty.
What is known is that companies will face new challenges in the coming years if they want to invest in this segment. One of the ways for the company to prepare itself is to start thinking about how to use this environment in its favor, to generate new business opportunities.
It will be a new channel for the company, offering an extra possibility of acquiring customers. In addition, it will require new metrics to track results.
Content creation is something that can change in this virtual environment. In Metaverse, the focus is on the interactive experience through virtual reality and augmented reality.
Metaverse will also require the company to deliver a differentiated customer experience by starting research from scratch to understand network user behavior.
But, should the company abandon its digital marketing strategies today to bet on the virtual environment? As this is something new, the ideal is for the company to follow its strategies, be aware of possible changes and follow the dialogue that is carried out around this topic.
Thus, it will be able to adapt and take advantage of opportunities in advance as the Metaverse becomes a reality for the entire population. If you need help getting up to date on the topic, keep following our blog for the main news!
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