The metaverse is the future of business applications and models, and this ground-breaking book points and details a complete and clear picture of how the metaverse can impact the various business segments and how the human element will be maintained within the evolutionary change. This book serves as a guide for those planning to implement and expand the metaverse in their business as well as those already using it on limited levels. Simulated intelligence innovation can reveal intricate and significant examples in robust and information-rich situations that posture difficulties for human insight. In addition, similar to other burgeoning advancements, the experience and aptitudes accumulated by vendors and consumers, alongside the steady analysis of interactions and information, empower metaverse calculations to be refined and improved. This book illustrates the current advancements and results and expands the analysis of human-centric metaverse applications to business segments and their future effects on overall enterprise management. Essentially, this book elaborates on the impact of the metaverse across business sectors through the use of case studies.
INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER — United States, Canada, United Kingdom, and China (Wall Street Journal, Associated Press, Nielsen Bookscan, Publishers Weekly, USA Today, Toronto Star, Globe & Mail, BookNet Canada, Bookseller.com, Bookdao/Nielsen, JD, DangDang) Tim Sweeney (CEO of Fortnite-maker Epic Games): “Matthew Ball’s essays have defined, analyzed, and inspired the Metaverse for years. His book is an approachable and essential guide to the strategic, technical, and philosophical foundations of this new medium.” Derek Thompson (Atlantic staff writer and national best-selling author of Hit Makers): “This book feels like a rare achievement: a definitive statement about an emerging phenomenon that could shape the digital world, the global economy, and the very experience of human consciousness.” From the leading theorist of the Metaverse comes the definitive account of the next internet: what the Metaverse is, what it will take to build it, and what it means for all of us. The term “Metaverse” is suddenly everywhere, from the front pages of national newspapers and the latest fashion trends to the plans of the most powerful companies in history. It is already shaping the policy platforms of the US government, the European Union, and the Chinese Communist Party. But what, exactly, is the Metaverse? As pioneering theorist and venture capitalist Matthew Ball explains, it is a persistent and interconnected network of 3D virtual worlds that will eventually serve as the gateway to most online experiences, and also underpin much of the physical world. For decades, these ideas have been limited to science fiction and video games, but they are now poised to revolutionize every industry and function, from finance and healthcare to education, consumer products, city planning, dating, and well beyond. Taking us on an expansive tour of the “next internet,” Ball demonstrates that many proto-Metaverses are already here, such as Fortnite, Minecraft, and Roblox. Yet these offer only a glimpse of what is to come. Ball presents a comprehensive definition of the Metaverse before explaining the technologies that will power it—and the breakthroughs that will be necessary to fully realize it. He addresses the governance challenges the Metaverse entails; investigates the role of Web3, blockchains, and NFTs; and predicts Metaverse winners and losers. Most importantly, he examines many of the Metaverse’s almost unlimited applications. The internet will no longer be at arm’s length; instead, it will surround us, with much of our lives, labor, and leisure taking place inside the Metaverse. Bringing clarity and authority to a frequently misunderstood concept, Ball foresees trillions of dollars in new value—and the radical reshaping of society.
The metaverse is so much more than just a technology and immersive experience. Join digital visionary and global platform innovation expert David Palmer on this exciting journey exploring the metaverse and its myriad commercial, impact and career opportunities for business. The Business of Metaverse outlines the building blocks for success in the metaverse and how organizations can effectively position themselves to transition and benefit from it. It presents a unique framework showing how different components of the metaverse and the physical worlds can come together, providing a basis for strategic positioning for different sectors and industries and equipping readers with valuable insights into how they can anticipate and navigate key opportunities and challenges. Delving into this new world with embedded immersive capabilities, it explores what metaverse business entities could look like, the new business models in waiting and how businesses can gain competitive advantage through the power of interoperability. Taking a panoramic approach to opportunity, it examines the wide-ranging transformative impacts that the metaverse can bring to the business landscape, from equality and inclusive impact, new work and career paths and digital identities to new digital and data currencies in the metaverse economy.
THE 30th ANNIVERSARY EDITION WITH NEW, NEVER-BEFORE-PUBLISHED MATERIAL After the Internet, what came next? Enter the Metaverse - cyberspace home to avatars and software daemons, where anything and just about everything goes. Newly available on the Street - the Metaverse's main drag - is Snow Crash. A cyberdrug that reduces avatars in the digital world to dust, but also infects users in real life, leaving them in a vegetative state. This is bad news for Hiro, a freelance hacker and the Metaverse's best swordfighter, and mouthy skateboard courier Y. T.. Together, investigating the Infocalypse, they trace back the roots of language itself to an ancient Sumerian priesthood and find they must race to stop a shadowy virtual villain hell-bent on world domination. In this special edition of the remarkably prescient modern classic, Neal Stephenson explores linguistics, computer science, politics and philosophy in the form of a break-neck adventure into the fast-approaching yet eerily recognizable future. 'Fast-forward free-style mall mythology for the twenty-first century' William Gibson 'Brilliantly realized' New York Times Book Review 'Like a Pynchon novel with the brakes removed' Washington Post 'A remarkably prescient vision of today's tech landscape' Vanity Fair
Curious about the metaverse but can't quite wrap your head around it? Maybe you want to get a headstart but don't know where to begin? In this practical primer, you will learn why and how we should prepare for a new digital renaissance and what it means in terms of job opportunities, investments, and new business models. By reading this book, I invite you to start yourself on a journey of becoming a digital investor, a metaverse business owner, a virtual real estate mogul, voxel architect, or simply a curious onlooker to the latest chapter of the Internet. What you will learn from reading this book: - Who and what will power the metaverse - New business opportunities in the virtual economy and the web3 era - Introduction to decentralized worlds including Decentraland, Axie Infinity, SuperWorld, Cryptovoxels, The Sandbox, and Somnium Space - Insight into investing in virtual real estate, including the buy & flip approach and hoddling - The role of cryptocurrencies, smart contracts, DAOs, and NFTs in the metaverse You will also receive access to a private Discord group for discussing opportunities in the metaverse with the author and community.
“A fascinating, provocative case that the metaverse will not merely transform our virtual experience—it may actually enrich the quality of our lives” (Adam Grant)—from the visionary co-founder of one of today’s most innovative technology companies “This important book offers a highly persuasive argument that the metaverse, a new kind of virtual world, marks a profound next stage in this long human quest for fulfillment through creation.”—Chris Anderson, head of TED The concept of “the metaverse” has exploded in the public consciousness, but its contours remain elusive. Is it merely an immersive virtual reality playground, one that Facebook and other platforms will angle to control? Is it simply the next generation of massive multiplayer online games? Or is it something more revolutionary? As pioneering technologist Herman Narula shows, the metaverse is the latest manifestation of an ancient human tendency: the act of worldbuilding. From the Egyptians, whose conception of death inspired them to build the pyramids, to modern-day sports fans, whose passion for a game inspires extreme behavior, humans have long sought to supplement their day-to-day lives with a rich diversity of alternative experiences. Rooting his vision in history and psychology, Narula argues that humans’ intrinsic need for autonomy, accomplishment, and connection can best be met in virtual “worlds of ideas,” where users have the chance to create and exchange meaning and value. The metaverse is both the growing set of fulfilling digital experiences—ranging from advanced gaming to concerts and other entertainment events and even to virtual employment—and the empowering framework that allows these spaces to become “networks of useful meaning.” Bloomberg Intelligence recently predicted that the metaverse will become an $800 billon industry by 2024. But its implications, argues Narula, will lead to far more awe-inspiring possibilities than a spigot of cash. The arrival of the metaverse marks the beginning of a new age of exploration—not outward, but inward—with the potential to reshape society and open the door to a new understanding of the human species and its capabilities. Rigorously researched and passionately argued, Virtual Society is a provocative and essential guide for anyone who wants to go beyond superficial headlines to understand the true contours and potential of our virtual future.
An incisive glimpse into the future of the internet In Step into the Metaverse: How the Immersive Internet Will Unlock a Trillion-Dollar Social Economy, future tech strategist, entrepreneur, and thought leader Dr. Mark van Rijmenam delivers a startlingly insightful discussion about how the world as we know it will fundamentally change as the physical and the digital worlds merge into the metaverse, impacting the everyday experiences of people, companies, and societies. The author maps out the extraordinary opportunities and challenges facing business leaders, consumers, regulators, policymakers, and other metaverse stakeholders trying to navigate the future of the Internet. In the metaverse, you can be who you want to be, where you want to be, and companies and consumers are only restricted by their own creativity how they can benefit from the immersive internet. With engaging commentary on issues ranging from avatars, identity and digital fashion to non-fungible tokens (NFTs), blockchain and the economics of the metaverse, this book also offers: Discussions on the importance of an open and interoperable metaverse build on the web 3.0 paradigm if we want to reign in the control of Big Tech over our identity, data and lives. Explorations of the enormous—and largely untapped—potential for metaverse entertainment, including gaming, music, media, and sports and how brands can engage with their customers in novel ways and how digital twins will change how we work and innovate. Considerations related to the dangers of an always-on, immersive internet, including data breaches, avatar imposters, mental health issues, corporate and state surveillance, and the need for metaverse law. A fascinating read you won’t be able to put down, Step into the Metaverse belongs in the hands of executives, managers, and other business leaders who play a role in digital transformation or execution. It's also an invaluable resource for anyone interested in the future of technology, the internet, and social interaction.
Sustainability is part of every aspect of our life, with climate concerns shaping the future. Thus, it is important to understand how metaverse will affect sustainability, as it is opening both challenges and opportunities for environmental sustainability. On the one side, replacing real-world interactions with 3D virtual and exchanging physical goods with digital ones are significantly less resource-intensive and more carbon-efficient. Therefore, this holds the promise of reducing the environmental pollution. On the other side, metaverse increases e-waste and energy consumption. Given this controversial impact, it is crucial for businesses and researchers to understand how to ensure that the metaverse develops sustainably. This book is popping out several questions: Do businesses understand the metaverse concept and perceive the benefits and advantages of implementing such technologies? How will the metaverse change business? Will metaverse change our working place and skills needed? How can companies get ahead of the change and mold it to their advantage? Will businesses use metaverse? Can metaverse create a more sustainable word? How can we make the metaverse better than what we have now? Is it going to affect environmental sustainability? Will it cause more severe climate problems, or would it be the solution? How can metaverse impact the achievements of SDGs?
Jump into the metaverse to connect with consumers and explore endless opportunities Like the Internet before it, the metaverse is a virtual space bringing people, companies, and products together in both digital and real environments to create new economic opportunities. The groundwork is already laid. People and organizations jumping in are gaining invaluable experience, meeting customers, developing revenue streams, and even shaping metaverse culture. In Navigating the Metaverse: A Guide to Limitless Business Possibilities in a Web 3.0 World, a team of Silicon Valley thought leaders delivers a groundbreaking discussion of how to find the right opportunities in this fast-moving universe. You'll explore everything from the metaverse basics, to strategy, to launching your first metaverse project. In the book, you'll find: Data and market analysis to erase any doubt that the metaverse is the next big thing. Foundational knowledge about the metaverse, metaverse economy, Web3 technology, and more. The essential connection between metaverse environments, businesses, community, and digital products that make the metaverse economy so powerful. A deep dive on non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and how to make the most of these assets. Frameworks to help find, nurture, measure, and capitalize on innovation in the metaverse. An essential breakdown of the next stage in online business, Navigating the Metaverse belongs in the libraries of entrepreneurs, executives, and innovators looking to lead in the new age of online business and commerce.
Extending traditional digital platforms to the new frontier of extended reality (XR) requires taking into account what best practices, new concepts, and conventions have been established and what learnings can be brought forward from case studies involving industry leaders. By looking at practical examples from the field of handheld AR breakthroughs, virtual reality (VR) success stories and experimental interaction concept of pioneering XR platforms, you'll see how it's possible to map out a framework of user experience (UX) guidelines to close in on opportunities and challenges that lay ahead. This book defines, identifies, and analyzes UX practices for XR environments and reviews the techniques and tools for prototyping and designing XR user interactions. You'll approach the design for experiential state and spatial cognition, using established UX key performance indicators, while taking into account the social dynamics, emotional framework and wider industry context. UX design and strategy for the XR space is a new frontier, so UX for XR focuses on case studies and industry research to illustrate the relationship between UX design and the growth of immersive technologies. Practical examples will demonstrate how you should apply UX design principles using designing interactions in XR by identifying the importance of spaces, senses and storyboarding. What You'll Learn Explore the challenges and opportunities of designing for XR See how spatial interaction is revolutionizing human computer interaction Examine sensory input and interaction beyond the screen Work with 3D Interaction Design and build a strong 3D UX Understand VR and augmented reality essentials for emotion-rich user experiences Apply UX research techniques for the XR space Who This Book Is For This book is primarily for UX designers, consultants, and strategists; XR developers; and media professionals
