Ban Yue Tan: Does metacosm affect human amphibians?

The “like” hand icon at Facebook 1 Hacker Way Social Media headquarters in Menlo Park, Silicon Valley, has recently been quietly replaced with the Greek letter “Meta” logo.

The essence of meta is transcendence, and when creating a metaverse (metaverse) with the universe, it means “the world beyond the universe”. The Oxford Dictionary defines it as a virtual reality (VR) environment where users can interact with the computer generated environment and others. Since the beginning of this year, the "meta edge" has become a popular concept sought after by many technology companies at home and abroad.

It's Facebook's mission to create a seamless "meta-world" map by going beyond 2D screens to past experiences such as augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR). In the future, will humans become amphibians by living together in the real world and in a virtual space called the “meta universe” created by tech companies?

1. From science fiction to reality

“Metauniverse” was originally conceived by filmmakers and filmmakers, but with the name of Roblox, the American sports company, in March of this year, the “metauniverse” boom has actually increased. Players are free to create a variety of small games on the Roblox cloud platform, and the “open ecosystem” is the primary reason they are viewed as a “meta-universe” stock strategy. Since then, many companies have entered the market, receiving good reviews from domestic and foreign technology companies and in the market.

Almost 30 years ago, American science fiction writer Neil Stevenson's new "Avalanche" developed the concept of a "meta universe" which refers to the computer-created virtual world. The novel's protagonist, Ah Hong, is a pizza delivery boy who rents a small apartment with other people in real life, but moves to a virtual mansion when he logs into the "meta universe." In the "meta-world", everyone has their own avatar. Equator Avenue, 60,000 km long, is still lit by huge neon lights hanging from the sky and special blocks hitting the right side of the triangle. Time is invisible in reality.

The movie “Number One Player” shows the audience the realization of the “meta-advantage” in a more intuitive way. Put on your VR cap and enter the virtual world of "Oasis". “Oasis” offers virtualization features, including digital content and digital marketing products at all levels. The protagonist can not only "see" but also "think". Somatosensory exercise visualizes physical pain through the imbalances of the virtual world.

David Basuki, CEO of Roblox, defined eight essential terms for “metaworld”: personal, friendly, understanding, low latency, diversity, ubiquity, business and clear outlook. According to Basuki's model, the "meta universe" should be a virtual world comparable to the real world where relationships and business are profitable and where real world people arrive, can access and receive virtual time space in digital form. avatars. An intimate experience of the Infinite World allows users to enjoy, chat, eat and create content in the "meta universe".

2. What are the causes of the spread

The industry generally thinks that 2021 is the first year of the “meta universe”, and five years since 2016 the first year of “virtual reality”. Was it “old wine in a new bottle” in the first year of the so-called “meta universe”? People get insight into the strategic plans of the tech companies involved.

In July, Zuckerberg announced that Facebook would move from a social media company to a meta-universe over the next five years, and that the “meta-world” would become a “link” rather than a “cell phone”. It has also been announced that in five years 10,000 experts will be hired by EU countries to create a "meta universe". Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella also announced in May that the company was working hard to create a "meta-global economy." Epic Games, the creator of the game "Fortnite", has raised $ 1 billion and has announced that it will use it to develop products related to "Meta Universe".

Just as the industry has not yet fully embraced and clarified the meaning of "meta-world", there are many ways that companies have to create a "meta-universe". Global chip giant Nvidia has created Omniverse, a real-time simulation and collaboration platform used to explore the "meta universe." Japanese virtual reality developer Hashilus launched the “Mekavas” browser last August, allowing more online visitors to access the virtual space directly through a web browser.

"Technology craves new products, capital to new deliveries, and consumers need new knowledge." This is the main reason why the concept of "meta edge" exploded this year. Compared to the first year of “virtual reality” in 2016, the expansion of demand and the blessing of new technologies also make the concept of “meta universe” more stable.

Imaginatively, the new system has made people less connected in the real world and promotes the need for interaction in the virtual world. The "2020-2021 Metaverse Development Research Report" was recently announced by the Tsinghua University New Media Research Center, according to the new law on the spread of infectious diseases, the Internet time of all communities has increased further , and the "home business" was developed rapidly.

In terms of technology, the “meta-advantage” has become a thing of the past thanks to technological advancements such as virtual reality, augmented reality, 5G, AI and blockchain. Among them, interactive devices such as AR and VR and hardware devices are the most important. Currently, Facebook, Google, and national VR hardware company Pico offer all consumer VR headsets and wear them for competitive gaming and online social interactions.

3. Now in the "lactation period"

The endless end of the "meta-edge" app is like "slowly becoming attractive". However, it is still in its infancy, whether in terms of intelligence, content delivery or user experience. Yikai Capital, a new venture capital firm, believes the "meta-world" is still "in a lactation period." The short term is fun, interactive and immersive content. This is the main demand of current users. Only then can it be done. It grows slowly in an ecosystem.

In the long run, the “meta-advantage” can lead to the sharing of new relationships online and offline. Shen Yang, director of Tsinghua University's New Media Research Center, said the side-by-side "meta-world" will expand the scope of human life, and people will live in a cohesive environment where the world real and virtual world come together. . At the same time, it expands the reach of the human mind and offers a wide range of experiences combined with real / virtual seeing, hearing and touching.

Shenyang said, “In the future, online and offline will be fully integrated, people's real lives will begin to enter the large-scale virtual world, and people will become real people and digital amphibians. It is then that the way people live, the design and the management of an organization are reformed.

However, the arrival of new technologies makes it less aware of the risks and difficulties. Shenyang believes that new forms of criminal activity in the "meta-world" could pose a serious problem for leaders as the integration of virtual and deep reality deepens. Zuckerberg noted that privacy and security issues need to be addressed in the “metamonde,” as people will be bringing something from the physical world to the virtual world, regardless of relationships or ownership.