The Metaverse: And How It Will Revolutionize Everything

⚡️ 10 Quotes from the book

“While technological progress typically occurs out of common sight, science fiction often provides the general public with the clearest view of the future.”

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“Baudrillard described hyperreality as a state in which reality and simulations were so seamlessly integrated that they were indistinguishable.”

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“By the end of 2021, Roblox had become the most valuable gaming company outside of China, worth nearly 50% more than storied gaming giants Activision Blizzard and Nintendo.”

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“Here, then, is what I mean when I write and speak about the Metaverse: “A massively scaled and interoperable network of real-time rendered 3D virtual worlds that can be experienced synchronously and persistently by an effectively unlimited number of users with an individual sense of presence, and with continuity of data, such as identity, history, entitlements, objects, communications, and payments.”

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“But there is a key difference: the real world is fully preprogrammed. We can’t see X-rays or echolocate, but the requisite information already exists in the world. In a game, X-rays and echolocation require data and a lot of code.”

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“Virtual atoms do not work in this way. For virtual goods from a virtual Nike store to be understood in a virtual Adidas outlet, the latter would need to admit information on these shoes from Nike, operate a system that understood this information, and then run code to operate the shoes accordingly. Suddenly, the admission of sneakers has changed from passive to active.”

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“So why is a decentralized database or server architecture seen as the future? It helps to put aside the idea of NFTs, cryptocurrencies, fears of record theft, and the like. What matters is that blockchains are programmable payment rails.”

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“In truth, however, there’s never a moment when a switch flips. We can identify when a specific technology was created, tested, or deployed, but not when an era precisely began, or ended. Transformation is an iterative process in which many different changes converge.”

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“I am certain about much of the future. It will be increasingly centered around real-time rendered 3D virtual worlds.”

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“The trajectory of the Metaverse will be broadly similar. Whenever a technological breakthrough occurs, consumers, developers, and entrepreneurs respond. Eventually, a thing that seems trivial—a mobile phone, a touchscreen, a video game—becomes essential, and ends up changing the world in ways both predicted and never even considered.”

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