Although the phrase “metaverse” is not new, Facebook appears to have taken advantage of being the first to bring the virtual world to life.
Facebook has decided to take Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) to new heights in the ever-expanding world of the internet with ‘metaverse.’ The social media platform has changed its name to Meta recently, signaling a fundamental shift in approach.
The corporation also hinted that it is working on several projects to bring the metaverse to life via its online presence. But, exactly, what is the metaverse, and how might it affect how we use the Internet today?
What exactly is the concept of the metaverse?
The phrase “metaverse” isn’t exactly new and was initially used in Neal Stephenson’s novel Snow Crash in 1992. Despite this, Menlo Park, a California-based firm, plans to bring that fictitious world to life.
There will not be a single firm that creates the metaverse. In an open letter published online, Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook Co-Founder, and CEO said, “Creators and developers create new experiences and digital items that are interoperable and unlock a massively larger creative economy than the one constrained by today’s platforms and policies.”
In his writings, Neal Stephenson, an American writer, defined metaverse as a shared virtual universe in which people connect virtually with others using the internet, virtual reality, and augmented reality. People were able to create their virtual avatars. The metaverse’s fundamental notion, however, has yet to be fully realized.
For quite some time, many firms like Apple, Google and Microsoft have been attempting to build their businesses through virtual spaces and native AR experiences. On the other hand, Facebook appears to have benefited from being first to market by announcing its interest in constructing the metaverse and branding itself Meta.
We’ve all experienced the COVID-19 pandemic. The concept of the metaverse, on the other hand, is a step in the right direction. It’s living in a world where you can communicate with others in virtual environments using your high-quality avatar. You’ll wear glasses or wear a headset to stay connected to the virtual world.
Why did Facebook rename itself Meta?
For quite some time, Facebook has been aggressively attempting to bring virtual reality and augmented reality closer to the internet. When it bought VR headset maker Oculus VR in 2014, the business signaled its intention in offering immersive experiences to the masses. However, Facebook intends to leverage the move to delve deeper into the virtual ‘metaverse’ and adopt Meta as its new moniker to make a significant change in its whole business.
We shall no longer prioritize Facebook over the metaverse. That implies you won’t need a Facebook account to use our other services in the future,” added Zuckerberg.
While launching its Horizon Workrooms VR Remote Work app in August, Facebook gave us a preview of what we should expect from its metaverse move. It has also begun investing millions of dollars in developing the metaverse, utilizing existing and new resources.
The timing of the business’s metaverse-focused initiatives and the new Meta brand name appears fascinating. The corporation is in legal disputes in global countries over its social media network operations. The firm favors political interests and fails to use its resources to curb fake news, misinformation, and hate speech. It has also recently been unable to control abusive content on its platforms worldwide despite knowing about it.
By moving its focus to the metaverse, some feel that Facebook will overcome some of these accusations and criticisms. However, the corporation has not yet stated how it plans to proceed with the new venture or incorporate any previous lessons learnt while creating new virtual experiences.
Meanwhile, some internet users compare Facebook’s metaverse to the metaverse in Neal Stephenson’s Snow Crash, which depicts the virtual world becoming infected by a computer virus.
Final words
Meta creates software that enables people to interact, form communities, and expand their enterprises. Facebook revolutionized the way people connected when it started in 2004. Messenger, Instagram, and WhatsApp are just a few of the apps that have given billions of people worldwide more control. Meta is now expanding beyond 2D displays to include immersive experiences such as augmented and virtual reality to aid in developing social technology’s next iteration.
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