{"id":389383,"date":"2022-01-04T15:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-01-04T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/there-is-no-metaverse-yet\/"},"modified":"2022-01-04T15:00:00","modified_gmt":"2022-01-04T12:00:00","slug":"there-is-no-metaverse-yet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/there-is-no-metaverse-yet\/","title":{"rendered":"#There Is No Metaverse (Yet)"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a3dcd283ba46\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a3dcd283ba46\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/there-is-no-metaverse-yet\/#The_Nebulous_Nature_of_the_Metaverse\" >The Nebulous Nature of the Metaverse<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/there-is-no-metaverse-yet\/#Missing_The_Nuts_and_Bolts_of_The_Metaverse\" >Missing: The Nuts and Bolts of The Metaverse<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/there-is-no-metaverse-yet\/#Is_There_an_Actual_Need_for_the_Metaverse\" >Is There an Actual Need for the Metaverse?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/there-is-no-metaverse-yet\/#The_Uncertain_Now_and_the_Unknowable_Future\" >The Uncertain Now and the Unknowable Future<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<p><strong>&#8220;#There Is No Metaverse (Yet)&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<div>\n<figure style=\"width: 1200px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"type:primaryImage size-full wp-image-777096\" data-pagespeed-lazy-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/no_metaverse_1200x675.jpg?width=398&amp;trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1 400w, https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/no_metaverse_1200x675.jpg?width=1198&amp;trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, 400w, 1200w\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/no_metaverse_1200x675.jpg?width=1198&amp;trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"There is no metaverse yet.\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"type:primaryImage imagecredit\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shutterstock.com\/image-photo\/boy-experiencing-virtual-reality-454656400\">Kaspars Grinvalds\/Shutterstock.com<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>There\u2019s a lot of talk about the metaverse in the <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">media<\/a> these days, but there\u2019s only one problem: It doesn\u2019t exist\u2014at least not yet. How will we know when it\u2019s actually here? We\u2019ll explore the possibilities.<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Nebulous_Nature_of_the_Metaverse\"><\/span>The Nebulous Nature of the Metaverse<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Before we can know whether the metaverse exists or not, we have to know exactly what it is. The truth is that \u201cmetaverse\u201d is a nebulous term without a solid definition. As we\u2019ve explored on How-To Geek before, the term \u201cmetaverse\u201d originated in the 1992 novel <em>Snow Crash<\/em> by Neal Stephenson, but the concept has taken on a commercial life of its own during the past year due to the tech industry\u2019s push for the next big thing\u2014and especially <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2021\/10\/28\/technology\/facebook-meta-name-change.html\">Facebook changing its company name to Meta<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>In <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/general\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"3\" title=\"General\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">general<\/a>, people take \u201cmetaverse\u201d to mean a network of interconnected virtual worlds where people can communicate, do business, and play different <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/game\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"7\" title=\"Game\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">game<\/a>s together. Whether those worlds can exist on a device with a 2D screen (such as a smartphone), in virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), or all of the above is still up for debate.<\/p>\n<p>What exactly the metaverse encompasses is also up in the air. Some people claim that current virtual spaces like <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/debugger.medium.com\/the-metaverse-is-already-here-its-minecraft-99c89ed8ba2\">Minecraft<\/a> and <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wired.co.uk\/article\/roblox-metaverse\">Roblox<\/a> are already metaverses, while others claim that <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/medium.com\/meta-verses\/the-seven-rules-of-the-metaverse-7d4e06fa864c#:~:text=of%20the%20Rules-,Rule%20%231.%20There%20is%20only%20one%20Metaverse.,-There%20is%20only\">there can only be one metaverse<\/a> (as with \u201cthe internet\u201d) and that platform-independence is paramount in defining what a metaverse is. Some people, such as Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney, think the metaverse <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/decrypt.co\/86323\/no-company-can-own-metaverse-epic-games-ceo-tim-sweeney\">should exist as an open standard<\/a>, while others think there <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/redirect.viglink.com\/?key=204a528a336ede4177fff0d84a044482&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.fool.com%2Finvesting%2F2021%2F12%2F09%2Fwill-there-be-more-than-1-metaverse-winner%2F\">might only be competing metaverses<\/a> controlled by different companies.<\/p>\n<figure style=\"width: 650px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-777454 size-full\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/activeworlds_shot.jpg?trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"\" width=\"650\" height=\"412\" data-credittext=\"Benj Edwards\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">ActiveWorlds has offered 3D multi-user worlds since the mid-1990s. <span class=\"imagecredit\">Benj Edwards<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>One thing\u2019s for sure: If any online world where people can chat as avatars counts as a metaverse, then we\u2019ve had those since <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.vintagecomputing.com\/index.php\/archives\/713\/retro-scan-of-the-week-early-online-game-service\">at least the 1980s for 2D worlds<\/a> and <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Active_Worlds\">the 1990s for 3D ones<\/a>. Heck, <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/redirect.viglink.com\/?key=204a528a336ede4177fff0d84a044482&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fsecondlife.com%2F\">Second Life<\/a> is here today\u2014you can own virtual property, exchange virtual items, and more. Is that the metaverse? (Its creator <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ign.com\/articles\/second-life-creator-doubts-facebook-metaverse\">doesn\u2019t think so<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<p>But multi-user VR chat isn\u2019t what the current hype is about: It\u2019s really about a <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2021\/11\/02\/style\/meta-facebook.html\">successor to the internet<\/a>\u2014a new global economic playground that could help tech businesses accumulate <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/frontofficesports.com\/epic-ceo-metaverse-could-be-multi-trillion-industry\/\">astonishing new wealth<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>So we\u2019ll define the metaverse as, roughly, a network-connected VR multiverse that isn\u2019t owned by one company alone. That <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/technology\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"4\" title=\"Technology\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">technology<\/a> might exist in a development stage at the moment, but it is not currently widely implemented, and no industry-wide standards are set.<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Missing_The_Nuts_and_Bolts_of_The_Metaverse\"><\/span>Missing: The Nuts and Bolts of The Metaverse<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>In his <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=BnSUk0je6oo\">Facebook Connect 2021 keynote<\/a>, Oculus consultant John Carmack said that \u201cThe metaverse is a honeypot trap for <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.joelonsoftware.com\/2001\/04\/21\/dont-let-architecture-astronauts-scare-you\/\">architecture astronauts<\/a>,\u201d warning about engineers and designers who take an abstract, high-level view of things and don\u2019t worry about the \u201cnuts and bolts\u201d of making it a reality. He also cautioned for a products-based <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>roach to the metaverse (citing Meta\u2019s <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.oculus.com\/facebook-horizon\/\">Horizon Worlds<\/a> VR chat app) rather than spending a lot of effort defining an architecture that may end up not being used at all.<\/p>\n<figure style=\"width: 650px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-777482 size-full\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/meta_horizons_vr_2.jpg?trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"An image from a Meta Horizons VR promo video.\" width=\"650\" height=\"328\" data-credittext=\"Meta\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Meta\u2019s Horizon VR world promises a future without limits\u2014or legs. <span class=\"imagecredit\">Meta<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>And that\u2019s the main problem with the metaverse right now: the nuts and bolts aren\u2019t there. The fundamental technologies that would let people chat, own property, and do business across platforms and devices in a 3D virtual world have not been standardized in a way that makes it possible. To make it happen, it will take widely-adopted <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Communication_protocol\">communication protocols<\/a> that don\u2019t exist and <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.technologyslegaledge.com\/2021\/11\/an-unreal-issue-managing-ip-in-the-metaverse\/\">reinterpretation of intellectual property law<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>If companies and people want to do business in a shared virtual space today, they use the internet. The internet is built on open standards such as TCP\/IP that don\u2019t belong to any one company or government. Some successful applications built atop it\u2014like the World Wide Web\u2014also use open standards. The vision of the shared, singular metaverse <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/venturebeat.com\/2021\/01\/27\/tim-sweeney-the-open-metaverse-requires-companies-to-have-enlightened-self-interest\/\">championed by people like Epic CEO Tim Sweeney<\/a> will need similar open standards to make it a reality.<\/p>\n<p>Historically, when a new technology emerges (like <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/History_of_television\">television<\/a>, <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Videotape\">VCRs<\/a>, <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.vintagecomputing.com\/index.php\/archives\/1169\/vcg-anthology-a-detailed-timeline-of-compact-disc-cd-technology-2012\">CD-ROM<\/a>, <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/High-definition_television\">HDTV<\/a>), there might be competing implementations at first, but ultimately the market will solidify around a solid contender that becomes a standard, whether through licensing, open technology, or a government mandate. Sometimes companies will work together to define an industry standard to further everyone\u2019s goals by making some basic aspects of the technology interoperable between vendors.<\/p>\n<figure style=\"width: 650px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-777471 size-full\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/tv_is_now_here_1954_4.jpg?trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"A 1954 newspaper TV advertisement saying &quot;TV IS NOW HERE.&quot;\" width=\"650\" height=\"413\" data-crediturl=\"https:\/\/www.vintagecomputing.com\/index.php\/archives\/494\/retro-scan-of-the-week-tv-is-now-here\" data-credittext=\"Vintagecomputing.com\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Television took off in the 1950s after standards emerged. <span class=\"imagecredit\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.vintagecomputing.com\/index.php\/archives\/494\/retro-scan-of-the-week-tv-is-now-here\">Vintagecomputing.com<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Has any one of those three scenarios (licensed standards, widely-adopted open technology, government mandate) happened with the metaverse yet? <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wired.com\/story\/big-tech-metaverse-internet-consolidation-business\/\">Signs point to no<\/a>. That\u2019s the surest indicator that the metaverse, as promised, does not yet exist.<\/p>\n<p>Intellectual property will also be a huge barrier to an open, interoperable metaverse. In real life, you can own a t-shirt with a Star Wars logo on it and carry it with you wherever you go, or sell it whenever you like. In a digital space, your possession of a virtual Star Wars t-shirt would either be unauthorized copyright infringement or the result of an IP license.<\/p>\n<p>Who can buy the digital shirt from you? Will Disney get a cut? Can the Star Wars t-shirt exist on hypothetical metaverse servers run by Epic Games, Roblox, and Microsoft alike? All these problems need to be solved and agreed on by everyone\u2014governments, companies, and regular people\u2014before a true metaverse can take hold. And there might never be any commercial incentive to make this kind of IP interoperability happen.<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Is_There_an_Actual_Need_for_the_Metaverse\"><\/span>Is There an Actual Need for the Metaverse?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>With the limitations we\u2019ve discussed, does that mean the metaverse will never exist? No\u2014it might very well become the way of the future. But our current vision of it might also never come to pass, since the industry seems to be coming at it from a <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Top-down_and_bottom-up_design\">top-down rather than a bottom-up approach<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>With how companies like Meta define the promise of the metaverse today, it feels like a solution in search of a problem, rather than a solution that emerged organically from a legitimate market need. And that\u2019s another concern John Carmack expressed in his Connect keynote: \u201cI have pretty good reasons to believe that setting out to build the metaverse is not actually the best way to wind up with the metaverse.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Instead, while Carmack says he \u201c[buys] into the vision\u201d of the metaverse, he argues for letting the metaverse grow and emerge organically from a needs-based approach rather than attempting to set out and build a grand vision just because a company thinks it\u2019s the way of the future. \u201cMy worry is that we could spend years\u2014and thousands of people possibly\u2014and wind up with things that didn\u2019t contribute all that much to the ways that people are actually using the devices and hardware today,\u201d he emphasized.<\/p>\n<figure style=\"width: 650px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-777452 size-full\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/nasa_vr.jpg?trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"People demonstrating NASA virtual reality in the late 1980s.\" width=\"650\" height=\"488\" data-credittext=\"NASA\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">NASA experimented with virtual hand-staring technology in the 1980s. <span class=\"imagecredit\">NASA<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>There\u2019s an argument that approaching a perceived problem from the top-down usually ends up in failure. For example, if you want to order a pizza online, would it really be better to walk into a virtual store with a VR headset and pick up a 3D pizza\u2014or just tap in an order through a smartphone app?<\/p>\n<p>According to people who sell VR headsets (their example is <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/about.facebook.com\/meta\">selling scented candles<\/a>), the first scenario might be best. But when the rubber meets the road, most people will probably just order a pizza through an app or web browser because it\u2019s quicker. The same principle\u2014that 3D VR just complicates things\u2014might be extended to many potential commerce applications of the VR-based metaverse.<\/p>\n<p>When humans invented powered flight, we didn\u2019t duplicate how birds fly by designing elaborate wings that flap (although some tried). The successful approach found a different way to achieve flight with the tech we had available at the time.<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Uncertain_Now_and_the_Unknowable_Future\"><\/span>The Uncertain Now and the Unknowable Future<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Even the criticism presented here shows another problem with the metaverse concept. We\u2019re trying to guess how it will work instead of letting it happen naturally, and we\u2019re projecting applications of our imperfect, incomplete VR tools of today into an unknowable future.<\/p>\n<p>Augmented reality, which overlays computer-generated imagery on your view of the real world, holds a different promise than VR delivered through today\u2019s cumbersome VR headsets. For example, in AR, that pizza ordering app could be a pop-up 2D window floating in front of your face while you sit on the couch. Over time, the hardware will slim down and likely become as light as a pair of glasses, but that might be a decade or more off. By then, will we still be talking about the \u201cmetaverse?\u201d<\/p>\n<figure style=\"width: 650px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-777455\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/augmented_reality.jpg?trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"A man using an augmented reality headset.\" width=\"650\" height=\"433\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"imagecredit\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shutterstock.com\/image-photo\/playing-magic-virtual-reality-hololens-1-760842796\">khoamartin\/Shutterstock.com<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>So why the push for the metaverse? Much of the media narrative right now is being driven by Facebook\u2019s recent name change to Meta. As some have cynically noted, the change could be a <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.vox.com\/recode\/2021\/10\/20\/22737168\/facebook-name-change-metaverse-zuckerberg-frances-haugen-whistleblower\">calculated distraction<\/a> from growing international pressure to <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/technology\/2021\/dec\/25\/facebook-how-to-fix-break-up-regulation\">regulate social media<\/a>. It could also be a play for Meta to own a large chunk of the next phase of the future internet, or a way to justify Meta\u2019s $2 billion <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/briansolomon\/2014\/03\/25\/facebook-buys-oculus-virtual-reality-gaming-startup-for-2-billion\/\">acquisition of Oculus<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>For Epic\u2019s Part, Tim Sweeney sees the metaverse as an inevitable extension of the technology found in <em>Fortnite<\/em>, and he wants to use it to <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/video-games\/2021\/09\/28\/epic-fortnite-metaverse-facebook\/\">break free of the current \u201cwalled garden\u201d<\/a> online model largely controlled by Facebook, Google, and Apple. In other words, it\u2019s a grand vision that also happens to further Epic\u2019s interests. That\u2019s OK for Epic, but is it where the world wants to go?<\/p>\n<p>Either way, we\u2019re all buzzing about a new thing that no one can clearly define\u2014something that\u2019s either already here and mundane or far off and world-changing. It\u2019s a good argument to abandon the \u201cmetaverse\u201d label altogether.<\/p>\n<figure style=\"width: 650px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-777453 size-full\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/virtuality_1990s.jpg?trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"A woman using a Virtuality headset in the 1990s.\" width=\"650\" height=\"364\" data-credittext=\"Virtuality\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The promise of VR in the mid-1990s. <span class=\"imagecredit\">Virtuality<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The tech industry\u2014and the media, hand-in-hand\u2014have a history of pushing buzzy things long before they\u2019re ready or practical, such as <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/medium.com\/@buschmuc\/the-big-ai-hype-lessons-to-be-learnt-from-the-past-abc24e79f8ca\">AI in the 1980s<\/a> and <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pcmag.com\/news\/the-wacky-world-of-vr-in-the-80s-and-90s\">VR in the 1990s<\/a>. Currently, the metaverse seems to be the latest in that long and proud tradition.<\/p>\n<p>Even when the smartest people <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.newsweek.com\/clifford-stoll-why-web-wont-be-nirvana-185306\">try to predict the future<\/a>, the results <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.inc.com\/tess-townsend\/what-bill-gates-got-wrong-about-the-internet-in-the-1990s.html\">often seem embarrassing<\/a> in retrospect. So with that in mind, we can\u2019t say the metaverse will never become real. All we can say is that it\u2019s not real right now. So take all the buzz with a grain of salt.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><script>\n setTimeout(function(){\n  !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s)\n  {if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod?\n  n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)};\n  if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';\n  n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0;\n  t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];\n  s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s) } (window, document,'script',\n  'https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/fbevents.js');\n   fbq('init', '335401813750447');\n   fbq('track', 'PageView');\n  },3000);\n<\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more like this article, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/technology\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Technology category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/777037\/there-is-no-metaverse-yet\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;#There Is No Metaverse (Yet)&#8221; Kaspars Grinvalds\/Shutterstock.com There\u2019s a lot of talk about the metaverse in the media these days, but there\u2019s only one problem: It doesn\u2019t exist\u2014at least not yet. How will we know when it\u2019s actually here? We\u2019ll explore the possibilities. The Nebulous Nature of the Metaverse Before we can know whether the&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":389384,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/no_metaverse_1200x675.jpg?height=200p&trim=2,2,2,2","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-389383","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/389383","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=389383"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/389383\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/389384"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=389383"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=389383"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=389383"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}