Metaverse Is – In an era as sophisticated as today, new terms about technology have also developed. In addition to the multiverse, there is also the metaverse which is currently being touted as being able to facilitate human activities, especially in the digital world, including in the fields of business economics to marketing.
Yes, this metaverse concept is considered to be the gateway to the virtual world which of course will be closely related to the digital world in the future. Later, all things in the future will be easy to achieve because the digital world is so closely related to technology, especially in the technology on our smartphones. So, what is the metaverse that is predicted to be able to revive the digital world in all fields?
How does it work and how does it rely on sophisticated technology? What is the difference between metaverse and multiverse? How is the relevance of the metaverse concept to human life? So, so that Grameds understand these things, let’s take a look at the following review!
What Is Metaverse?
The term metaverse, if explained linguistically, will be two things, namely “meta” which means ‘outside or beyond’, while “verse” is interpreted as ‘universe’. Both words come from Greek which means “outside the universe” or “beyond the universe”. The term metaverse first appeared 30 years ago, precisely in the early 1990s. At that time, metaverse was considered a method that connected humans (society) with the concept of avatars which were very dependent on technology.
It should be noted that in this virtual metaverse world, there are 3 main elements, namely:
Virtual Reality (VR) and Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Web 3.0 Technology
Blockchain Technology
Currently, there are quite a number of well-known companies that are involved in the metaverse world. Starting from Samsung, Microsoft, Meta (formerly Facebook), Google, to Adidas. In Indonesia itself, the metaverse world has apparently been eyed by a number of companies, some of which are BRI (Bank Rakyat Indonesia) and BNI (Bank Negara Indonesia) which are ready to expand into the virtual world. The two banks will later enter the metaverse world with development carried out by the WIR Group under the name METAVERSE INDONESIA.
Many experts have defined what the metaverse is according to their understanding. According to Nicely (2022), he argues that “The metaverse refers to a shared online virtual world, similar to video games such as Second Life or Pokémon Go. It (the metaverse) is a realistic three-dimensional environment where people can explore and interact with others in real time.”
Then according to Weston (2022), metaverse is “Metaverse refers to a shared online virtual world, similar to video games such as Second Life or Pokémon Go. It (metaverse) is a realistic three-dimensional environment where people can explore and interact with others in real time”. Meanwhile, according to Stefanic (2022) revealed that “Metaverse refers to an online 3D world accessed through computers, smart devices, augmented reality and virtual reality headsets. Interaction and engagement are at the heart of metaverse principles, ensuring that users can be fully immersed in the online environment facilitated by metaverse technology.”
In this case, Metamandrill (2022) also speculates that metaverse is a concept of combining the online world with the real world (physically) to create something new. The metaverse concept usually uses certain devices, including virtual reality headsets to augmented reality applications. Well, through some of these devices, later we can explore new realities with 3D or 3-dimensional environments. That means, the metaverse concept is only limited by human imagination.
Based on the definition of what the metaverse is that has been put forward by several experts, it can be concluded that,
“Metaverse is a concept of space where someone can be directly involved in it by using sophisticated devices in the virtual world. In this metaverse, we can socialize, play games, and even shop, but only in the virtual world”
History of Metaverse Development in the World
In fact, this metaverse has developed in line with the increasingly sophisticated development of the internet. This is because the existence of the metaverse along with the virtual world and its contents can only be “reached” through the internet. Although the term metaverse has been around since the 1990s, real evidence only emerged in 2021. That was after Facebook owner Mark Zuckerberg tried to develop this virtual world. Well, here is a review of the history of the development of the metaverse concept in the world.
1989 – The advent of the Internet
In 1989, Tim Berners Lee successfully created the internet. The beginning of the internet became the birth point of the metaverse.
1992 – The First Time the Term Metaverse Appeared
Precisely in 1992, the term metaverse first appeared in one of Neal Stephenson’s novels entitled Snow Crash. In the novel, it tells the story of humans as avatars who can interact with other avatars in a 3D virtual space. This 3D virtual space is considered a metaphor or comparison of the real world. Uniquely, the novel also describes how the 3D virtual space exists.
2003 – Second Life Launch
A scientist named Philip Rosedale and his team launched an online virtual world called Second Life at Linden Lab. Overall, Second Life is similar to a multiplayer online role-playing game, although Linden Lab stated that their world is not a game. In Second Life, users will call themselves residents and create virtual representations of themselves. These virtual representations are called avatars. These avatars will later be able to interact with places, objects, and even other avatars.
2006 – Roblox Introduced to the Public
The metaverse concept is also applied in the gaming world. In 2006, one of the online gaming platforms, Roblox, introduced a game that relies on the virtual world. In the game, players can create and share their game worlds with other players, thus creating buying and selling. The Roblox game development company also provides various game genres, ranging from role-playing, racing, to obstacle games.
2009 – The Emergence of Bitcoin
The existence of bitcoin is of course part of the metaverse concept. This is because bitcoin is one of the cryptocurrencies and blockchains. In the future, cryptocurrencies will also be a means of transaction in this metaverse world, starting from buying land, buildings, clothes, to other avatars.
2011 – The Metaverse Concept Resurfaces
In 2011, the metaverse concept resurfaced in public through a novel titled Ready Player One by Ernest Cline. Overall, this novel tells that in the year 2045, reality has become a bad place so the main character will enter the virtual world and learn about it. A little trivia, the novel has been adapted into a film with the same title in 2018.
2014 – Oculus Production
In 2014, Facebook acquired the virtual reality (VR) hardware and platform company Oculus. The reason why Facebook acquired the company was because VR technology would later become an important device in the development of the metaverse world. Most of the head-mounted display devices to display the virtual world were developed by the Oculus brand.
2015 – Decentraland Released
In 2015, one of the metaverse platforms was successfully released under the brand name Decentraland. Developed by Esteban Orfano and Ari Meilich, in which the virtual world they created contained many assets that were of course in digital form. Even purchasing NFT (Non-Fungible Token) can also be done through this VR platform.
2016 – The Emergence of the Pokemon Go Game
Are you a fan of the Pokemon Go game? How far along is your journey to collect Pokemon Go characters? Well, it turns out that the game also uses VR technology. Although this game has now faded, it proves that we have “tasted” the metaverse concept through the gaming industry.
2017 – Fortnite
Similar to Pokemon Go, the Fortnite game also carries the theme of the metaverse world. Unfortunately, to get this game you can’t download it via PlayStore or Appstore, but directly on its website.
2018 – Axie Infinity
In addition to Pokemon Go and Fortnite, there is also a game that carries the theme of the metaverse world in 2018, namely Axie Infinity. Have you played it, Grameds?
2021 – Metaverse Development Through Two Technology Companies
In 2021, 2 leading technology companies in the world stated that they were developing the metaverse world. Yep, the 2 technology companies are Microsoft and Facebook. Microsoft is releasing a platform called Mesh, which is designed for virtual collaboration across multiple devices. Meanwhile, Facebook has changed the name of its parent company to “Meta” and plans to focus on developing this metaverse virtual world.
How the Metaverse Works
A little information, entering the metaverse world is also relatively easy. Grameds only need to enter and register on the platform that has been provided, for example Decentraland. If you have registered, immediately enter the metaverse world using the existing device.
As previously explained, this metaverse virtual world can run if we use special devices, ranging from headphones, virtual reality glasses, to internet connections. The way it works is almost the same when we want to play games.
First, prepare some of these special devices first. Don’t forget the internet network must be smooth, so that it doesn’t stutter while enjoying the virtual world. The devices in the form of software and hardware will later understand our movements, voices, and language. When the device is ready, we will only enter the virtual world and do things like in the real world, such as interacting, shopping, and making transactions.
In addition to the 2 devices mentioned, there are also additional devices such as haptic gloves, robotic hands, and VR sunglasses. The price range of these devices is relatively expensive, if they are high-tech and high-quality.
Difference Between Metaverse and Multiverse
Actually, there are obvious differences between metaverse and multiverse. However, not everyone understands this, especially since both contain the word “verse” in them. So, what are the differences between metaverse and multiverse? Let’s take a look at the following review!
| Metaverse | Multiverse |
| A virtual world that has avatars that represent human beings. Konsep dunia ‘di luar’ dunia kita sekarang yang disebut dengan dunia virtual. Its existence is within reach because several companies have succeeded in developing it. | The idea that all of us on earth in this universe have copies of ourselves living in other universes. In short, there are other versions of us in other universes and we may not be the only ones in existence. Taking real world concepts, but set in another universe. Its existence cannot yet be reached by hand because it is only a theory. |
Well, that’s a review of what metaverse is along with its history of development, how it works, and how it differs from multiverse. Are Grameds interested in entering the virtual world using VR devices?