Blockchain technology has transformed the concept of the metaverse by offering the possibility of incorporating economies and markets into traditional virtual worlds that have caught the interest of companies such as Facebook.
The metaverse is still a blank canvas, but it presents a promising future where the real and digital worlds are integrated and people can interact with each other, even when physically far away. But it will also be possible to create a business, attend digital meetings or show the rest how we feel thanks to the facial expressions that our avatar interprets. It is intended that they be fully immersive virtual universes where we can perform the same activities that we carry out in our daily lives in a kind of alternative reality. These are just some of the novelties that the metaverse incorporates together with blockchain technology and that in the future it is expected to be established in society as it happened with the internet in its day.
In order to be able to connect to these metaverses where virtual reality and augmented reality have a leading role, we need time in addition to the development of the necessary technology to make it possible. Therefore, we are talking more about a concept, but we are betting on the great role it could play in the near future where we all have an avatar and we will be moving through the different scenarios either to interact, play or even work.
This possible digital revolution draws the attention of some companies that are starting to create the first infrastructures so that their metaverses will prevail in the future.
Facebook changes its name and launches to create its own metaverse
Facebook is one of the companies that has opted for this concept, for which it has decided to change the name of the umbrella Brand to Meta, so that it is not only associated with social networks and all the activities it carries out are reflected. This name change has incorporated a new blue icon similar to an infinity in reference to the meaning of Meta, ‘Beyond’. As Zuckerberg said at the annual Facebook Connect conference, this change shows his commitment to creating social technology that can go further than is currently possible.
The beginnings of Meta are focusing on Horizon Worlds, a metaverse that does not incorporate blockchain yet, but shows the intentions of the old Facebook to be a benchmark in this new paradigm. In Horizon Worlds, users can attend events, play games and interact with other real people; however, for now it is only available in the United States and Canada and you need to have Meta’s virtual glasses. In addition, to make it a safe place for users, the company talks about the option offered by the main menu of ‘Safe Zone’ where the interactions of any individual with the user who has requested this option are interrupted for a certain time.
Horizon Worlds can be similar to other existing virtual worlds like Roblox where users create their avatar and go through different scenarios. But surely the beginnings of this metaverse are only a statement of intent of what Meta wants to develop in the future with the help of blockchain technology.
