Читать книгу Step into the Metaverse - Mark van Rijmenam - Страница 9

On November 13 and 14, 2020, American rapper, singer, and songwriter Lil Nas X, also known as Montero Lamar Hill, appeared on the virtual stage on Roblox, the global gaming platform especially popular among children. As a first for Roblox, the concert attracted an incredible 33 million attendees, enjoying a unique performance inside the virtual world.³ For Lil Nas X, who is often regarded as a trailblazer, the virtual concert provided a unique opportunity to connect with millions of his fans when physical shows were not possible due to the pandemic. While in-person concerts are capped by the capacity of the stadium and the laws of physics, anything is possible at a virtual show to wow fans, and they can offer a magical experience. Lil Nas X debuted his new single Holiday during the concert, and by all measures, the virtual show was a massive success. It generated a lot of publicity for both Roblox and the rapper, launching a new entertainment format for Roblox and generating almost $10 million in virtual merchandize such as digital costumes, accessories, and avatar skins, which users could purchase using the in-game currency Robux.⁴

Lil Nas X appeared as a larger-than-life digital twin and transported users to four different themed worlds, from the Wild West to a Wintery snow-filled world. Roblox’s users regarded the unique experience well. Though some children would have wanted to watch the show alongside their friends, it was impossible to bring together all 33 million attendees on one server due to the current hardware constraints. Above all, it would have been utterly chaotic. Hence, players saw only around 50 other attendees watching the live performance, making it feel a bit empty. Apart from the occasional glitches expected from such a novel experience, the concert was a blazing success.

Less than a year later, in October 2021, Decentraland organized not just one concert but an entire, four-day metaverse festival with 80 different artists.⁵ Decentraland is a fully decentralized 3D virtual world controlled by a decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) where users can build their own unique digital experience and interact with others. The biggest drawcards for the virtual festival were Deadmau5, a Canadian electronic music producer and DJ, and Paris Hilton. Roblox and Lil Nas X targeted its young players, while the Metaverse Festival was focused more on the tech-savvy crypto community. Users could purchase digital merchandise using the in-game’s crypto MANA, such as digital wearables for their avatars,⁶ and all attendees received a nonfungible token (NFT)* in their wallet as a Proof of Attendance.⁷

When you started reading this book, you might have wondered why does a business book on the metaverse start with a fictional story and discussing two virtual events? Am I in the right place? Well, yes…you certainly are. The two concerts, and the many other concerts that have taken place in games such as Fortnite,† show that the lines of the real and virtual worlds are starting to become intertwined experiences working in tandem. The fictional story shows what the metaverse can become, and it won’t be long before we live in such a future. In its most basic form, the metaverse is where the physical and the digital worlds converge into a phygital experience, augmenting both the virtual and the physical worlds. As we will discover, the metaverse will radically change our society and offer experiences that until recently would have seemed magical. The first glimpses of the metaverse can already be experienced, and people around the world are living, experiencing, and exploring it. In the coming decade, the metaverse will come alive, and it won’t be too long before unique hybrid experiences will become a (virtual) reality.