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Since the Facebook — now Meta — announced that he was working on his own metaverse, much has been debated about what this concept actually is, and what changes it will bring to the virtual world. Although the novelty has gained greater prominence in recent months, other companies have already been investing in this universe that connects the real to the virtual in a way never seen before, which can be accessed by smartphones, PCs, notebooks, tablets and VR glasses. In this article we will explore where the term came from and what most interesting metaverses in development. 7122r
After all, what is a metaverse? 6b3h4g
O metaverse it is basically a 3D virtual universe where people will be able to interact with each other through digital avatars. This world will be created from different technologies, such as virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), social media and even cryptocurrencies. For Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, the technology will mean the biggest revolution in the way we interact online since the invention of the smartphone.
The idea is to be able to interact with the virtual world as if we were literally inside it. Instead of having to be in front of a computer or cell phone to connect, people in a metaverse will be able to use VR and AR devices to immerse themselves in all kinds of virtual environments — from concerts, get-togethers with friends and relatives, to work meetings.

The term metaverse was first seen in the science fiction book "Snow Crash", written by the American author Neal Stephenson, in 1992. In it, people use the metaverse to escape a dystopian reality. Asked where the idea came from, Stephenson explains that it all started when he was participating in an art project that used computer graphics. At the time, one of his questions was how this type of 3D technology would become popular. The answer, for him, was the development of some kind of mass product that would drive down the price of equipment, making it ubiquitous.
The full potential of the metaverse and its countless possibilities have been made possible thanks to the technological advances seen in recent decades, such as the connection 5G, which enables better, more consistent and mobile connectivity, as well as a greater processing capacity of current devices and a more robust hardware as a whole. The biggest technology players are investing in this new world, as well as consumer profiles are adapting. O showmetech even prepared a special article telling about how all this should work in the future. Next, check out the most interesting metaverses in development.
Epic Games k6c5h

The electronic game market is, in fact, one that has much to gain from the new virtual world. The 100% digital and interactive universes present in games show us a little bit of what we may have in the near future. THE Epic Games, the video game company behind great titles like Fortnite and owner of Epic Store, raised $1 billion in an investment round held in April to fund “its long-term vision for the metaverse.”
The investment round had an additional strategic contribution of 200 million dollars from sony group corporation, reinforcing the two companies' relationship and their mission to advance the state of the art in technology, entertainment and socially connected online services.
Himself Fortnite has already promoted concerts and events for brands within its digital world, as in August of this year, when the American singer Ariana Grande made in-game presentations to millions of people. In addition to her, other established pop music artists have already appeared there, such as Travis Scott e Steve Aoki.
According to Tim Sweeney, CEO and founder of Epic Games, “the secret of Epic's future lies in that tentacle of its most popular games that refers to social experiences”. This impression is endorsed by Sony President and CEO Kenichiro Yoshida: “Epic continues to bring groundbreaking experiences. We are excited to strengthen our collaboration to bring new entertainment experiences to people around the world.”
In addition to collaborations with Sony on issues related to future mobile virtual reality, Epic's latest investments in digital rendering technology point to its intentions to firmly pursue that path. This is the case, for example, of the Metahuman Creator, tool Unreal Engine cloud-based tool to create hyper-realistic avatars in less than an hour.
According to Sweeney, the technology needed to build his metaverse is now available, and more investment in cloud computing and virtual reality will be made in the coming months.
Roblox z5m6l

A Roblox Corporation, a global platform that brings together millions of people through shared experiences, is another company investing in its own metaverse. According to the company's CEO, David Baszucki, the space "will be a place where people can come together in millions of 3D experiences to learn, work, play, create and socialize".
In September of this year, she released a first-of-its-kind feature that unites the metaverse and music releases. Call of Roblox Listening Party (Listening Party, in free translation), the novelty will allow artists to release new albums with selected experiences, allowing millions of fans to listen to their music while hanging out with their friends within the platform, for example.
The American singer poppy was the first to take advantage of the tool within the social platform to release her newest album, Flux, which debuted on September 24th. for this first Listening Party, music has been integrated into all popular experiences, allowing fans to enjoy new tracks while decorating their dream home in Overlook Bay; danced to their songs RobBeats; attended classes at Robloxian high school or explore new worlds in Creatures of Sonaria.
In October, the platform also held its 1st electronic music festival in the metaverse, with the “Virtual Electric Daisy Carnival”. Held from the 22nd to the 25th of October, the event featured live performances by over 50 artists – including Zedd, Alison Wonderland, DJ Snake, Alan Walker, Gryffin, Loud Luxury, Wax Motif, Oliver Heldens, Benny Benassi and Rezz . The event also featured several mini-games, allowing fans to race across the world to engage in dance battles with friends and build their home in the festival camp.
Microsoft 4u5j18

As of 2022, the Microsoft will allow virtual meetings through Teams to take place using 3D avatars, creating a universe of digital dolls that can interact with each other. christened of microsoft mesh, the feature will allow the use of animated characters during video conferences when they don't want to turn on the camera. And you won't need to put on a virtual reality (VR) headset for that.
Also according to Microsoft, companies will be able to use this function to create their own Metaverse, where their employees can interact in a virtual universe. The Internet will be able to access the Mesh using a smartphone, third-party VR glasses, or HoloLens (Microsoft's mixed reality smart glasses).
If the person does not have a device that s the display of 3D images, they can participate in the interaction with 2D avatars without any problems. The avatar will be animated using the 's voice, thanks to the AI (Artificial Intelligence) that Microsoft is using. During meetings, characters will also be able to raise their hands when the option is triggered or animate an emoji around the avatar.
"Whatever the device, mixed reality technology will give each an avatar that provides a sense of presence, that allows them to be their expressive self when they don't want to appear on camera," Microsoft revealed.
A Microsoft also announced the software called Dynamics 365 Connected Spaces. With it, it will be possible for s to move and interact in spaces, such as stores or factories. “You could, for example, try out a Best Buy store in the metaverse” and check out displays and devices, said Jared Spataro, vice president at Microsoft. "Today, when you think of a website, it's not very well connected to the physicality of what we experience."
NVIDIA 6yx4e

A NVIDIA, another technology giant, well known for its graphics cards, will also have its virtual simulation and collaboration platform online. Call of NVIDIA OMNIVERSE, the platform enables designers, artists and reviewers to work together in real-time on software applications, in a shared virtual world from anywhere.
The company's goal is to become the foundation of the metaverse, and to that end, it recently revealed new integrations with the software. Blender and applications from Adobe. With this, the open source 3D animation tool will now Universal Scene Description (USD), allowing professionals to access the pipelines of Omniverse production.
Currently, the platform is already being used by professionals from companies like ShoP Architects, South Park and Lockheed Martin. In case of South Park, the animated television series, the tool is being explored to allow several of its artists to collaborate on scenes and optimize its insanely limited production time.
For Jon Peddie, founder of technology-focused research firm Jon Peddie Research (JPR), this new technology has the potential to “transform almost every industry, making truly collaborative and creative innovation possible in a common virtual space for the first time.” .
O NVIDIA Omniverse Enterprise, which is currently still being evaluated by more than 500 companies, is in early access. The platform will be available later this year by subscription of the partner network of NVIDIA, including ASUS, BOXX Technologies, Dell Technologies, HP, Lenovo, PNY and Ssupermicro. Pricing information for Omniverse Enterprise can be found at official service website.
Meta 3m3d6h

Last, but not least, is the Horizon , an application of Facebook dedicated to exploring the possibilities of virtual reality and reimagining the home office and socializing experience. The novelty promises to be the first step by Mark Zuckerberg's company in this entire virtual universe.
O Horizon Workrooms, one of the products announced by Meta, will allow people to get together to work in the same virtual room, regardless of where they are. It works in both virtual reality and the web and is designed to enhance the ability of teams to collaborate, communicate and connect remotely through the power of VR.
With Oculus Quest 2, virtual reality goggles Facebook, newcomers can imitate socialization by creating avatars, which represent their figure at the meeting, for example. Zuckerberg's idea is to bring proximity and more realistic '' to the corporate world as well. “Working without colleagues around you can be isolating at times, and brainstorming with others just isn’t the same if you’re not in the same room.” Facebook.
With Workrooms it will be possible to gather teams for a brainstorming session, write some ideas on a whiteboard, work on a document, socialize and socialize or simply have better conversations that flow more naturally.
O Facebook has used the Workrooms for internal meetings about six months ago, according to Zuckerberg. “These kinds of experiences, where you can really feel present with other people, are, in my opinion, a much richer way to interact than the kinds of social apps that we can build on phones or computers,” he points out.
For a more familiar environment, there will still be the HorizonHome, a space dedicated to more casual activities with friends and relatives. Among the possibilities, there is the organization of parties with the presence of friends. The novelty will work as follows: when ing an Oculus Party, with the Oculus Quest 2, s will be able to invite people to the meeting in the virtual environment. The party will use s' avatars and inside the space it will be possible to chat, watch videos together, play games and use applications.
Decentraland 3b511q

Decentraland is a decentralized virtual reality platform built on the Ethereum blockchain that allows s to create, experience and monetize their content and applications. It is currently managed by an autonomous decentralized organization. The platform allows exploration and development, in the same way that happens in Minecraft, and socialization, as we see in Second Life, for example.
Decentraland is divided into 90 thousand units of LAND in the form of a non-fungible token (NFT). In the game, you can buy items using MANA, the cryptocurrency present in this universe. In this 3D world, it is also possible to buy and sell land in NFT format (non-fungible tokens), make payments and have an online life in a metaverse that closely imitates reality.
At the end of March 2022, the platform hosted the Metaverse Fashion Week, the Metaverse Fashion Week, fashion event that addressed the main releases of the fashion world, mixing reality with the virtual. At the event, renowned brands such as Dolce & Gabanna, Forever 21 e Hugo Boss were present. The purpose of accomplishments like this is to popularize events in virtual universes.
And there's more 3f6v5f
With the arrival of the metaverse, giants of the eastern market also opened their eyes to the new technology. A clear example of this change of scenery is the gaming giant, Tencent, which plans to the trend with the possible launch of a new metaverse-based video game studio, according to the South China Morning Post. In turn, the optimism of the owner of the TikTok, ByteDance, in relation to this technology would have motivated the acquisition of the company VR Pico Interactive.
Meanwhile, the e-commerce giant Alibaba ed several trademarks related to this technology, such as “There Metaverse”, according to information obtained by technological means in the Asian country. THE Amazon, which is the world's largest provider of cloud computing services and has a variety of media offerings, is also seen as a potential new company that will vie for space in the metaverse market.
The truth is that even though it doesn't represent a new concept, apparently the Metaverse is here to stay. In the coming years, it will be possible to see a major transformation of how people interact socially over the internet (or not).
See also: 1ur5x
The biggest technology players are investing in this new world, as well as consumer profiles are adapting. Understand what metaverse is.
Sources: Reuters, The Conversation.