The metaverse has already had a significant impact on our daily lives, whether we know it or not. While its definition remains fluid, it continues to create new opportunities every day for online users.
As a virtual platform that aims to break the barriers of physical distance, the metaverse has already been home to the world's first digital fashion week, a pioneer in corporate communication and a vessel for live music. In fact, over 10.7 million Fortnite users turned up just to watch a Marshmello concert in 2019.
25% of the population will spend more than an hour a day in the metaverse by 2026. As VR and AR technologies strive to integrate the virtual into reality, we’re set to see a shift in how we communicate, express ourselves and experience the world.
The question is, what does tomorrow’s virtual world look like? As we embark on a technological journey, it’s time to consult the leading voices shaping the future of metaverse development.
Neal Stephenson - Founder of Lamina1
It’s impossible not to mention Neal Stephenson when talking about thought leaders in the metaverse. As the inventor of the term itself, Stephenson’s 1992 dystopian novel Snow Crash introduced the idea of escaping to a completely digital world.
Bringing the conversation of virtual reality and cryptocurrency into the mainstream, Snow Crash positioned Stephenson as a pioneer in metaverse development.
Flashing forward to today, Stephenson has turned the conversation onto the idea of a decentralised ‘open metaverse’. He argues that users should be able to glide seamlessly from world to world and transaction to transaction. Partnering with the Bitcoin Foundation head, Peter Vessenes, Stephenson has created Lamina1, a metaverse built on blockchain.
The platform aims to aid the future of decentralised transactions and act as the financial core of the open metaverse.
“Neal is coming down out of the mountains like Gandalf to restore the metaverse to an open, decentralized, and creative order,” said Rony Abovitz, former CEO of Magic Leap.
Matthew Ball - CEO of Epyllion
On the topic of famous authors within the industry, Matthew Ball’s The Metaverse: And How it Will Revolutionise Everything, has been deemed by the Founder of Epic Games, Tim Sweeney, as “foundational reading for anyone that wants to understand the possibilities of the metaverse.”
Matthew Ball takes the definition of the metaverse one step further and uses his platform to talk about the transformation of the mobile internet. He offers some great insights into how the metaverse could alter how we live and communicate.
“The metaverse will come to affect every person, sector, and country, creating new jobs, pastimes, and business models. This is a multi-trillion dollar event, and sports betting, and igaming are likely to be among the first categories it will transform,” Ball says.
According to Ball, we’ve only seen a glimpse of a 3D version of the internet. As popular platforms like Roblox and Sandbox open up opportunities for brands such as Gucci and Balenciaga to create their own fashion-focused world, Ball is adamant that lines between commercialisation and gamified experience will blur.
Mark Zuckerberg - CEO of Meta
Mark Zuckerberg is probably one of the most recognised voices currently shaping the future of metaverse development. As the CEO of former Facebook, Zuckerberg’s Meta rebrand has become one of the most talked about topics in the digital sphere.
Using his platform to demonstrate how the metaverse can break physical barriers and improve social connection, Zuckerberg’s metaverse baby, Horizon Worlds, aims to do just that.
"We're a company that focuses on connecting people," Zuckerberg said. "While most other tech companies focus on how people interact with technology, we focus on building technology so people can interact with each other."
Zuckerberg has aligned himself with the future of the corporate metaverse. In a WFH era, he wants users to be able to transport themselves to the office in seconds and connect with colleagues naturally. Introducing the new Meta Quest Pro headset, featuring full-colour passthrough and peripheral blinders to improve emotional expression, Zuckerberg’s version of the metaverse will change the world of work forever.
Tom Ffiske - Editor at Immersive Wire
Another thought leader offering a fresh perspective on the metaverse is Tom Ffiske. As the editor of Immersive Wire, he uses his platform to discuss how we can expand our skillset in a virtual world.
Constantly asking questions about what the future holds for VR and AR, his new book, The Metaverse: A Professional Guide, is a great read if you’re interested in how the metaverse is affecting XR professionals.
One topic he goes into is spatial computing. If we’re looking at the metaverse from a skillset perspective, the rise of virtual modelling will be transformative for manufacturers, XR designers and the healthcare industry.
“You need spatial computing in order to help immerse people in immersive technologies,” Ffiske says. “I think spatial computing fits inside this “metaverse” idea. In the metaverse, you can either create things or do realistic capture. This creator-led economy is fascinating, and it’s worth a whole interview in and of itself. But realistic capture has its place, too. It will be really important for metaverse services in the future.”
Annie Zhang - Founder of the Hello Metaverse Podcast
As the founder and host of the Hello Metaverse podcast, Annie Zhang is constantly discussing new concepts and opportunities for digital natives to sink their teeth into.
Zhang uses her platform to explore how the metaverse impacts culture and society. Releasing powerful podcast episodes such as Avatars As Your Authentic Self, she takes a deep dive into the social implications of the metaverse and discovers how it is transforming self-expression and online communication.
“I believe we’re at an inflection point where our lives are becoming more and more digitally native, meaning we have fewer barriers to socialising, working and expressing ourselves.” Zhang comments. “Growing aspects of our lives will become untethered from the physical world. This will shift how we interact with one another, what we view as valuable and worth our time and ultimately how we live.”
Marc Petit - VP of Unreal Engine
Marc Petit is pioneering the future of metaverse fashion. As the general manager of Unreal Engine at Epic Games, he is behind some of the platform’s newest partnerships with Moncler, Balenciaga and Kaws.
Petit believes that “the metaverse will be born out of real-time 3D”. Using his platform to speak out about hyperrealistic rendering and the importance of interactive content in retail, he’s a thought leader to follow if you’re interested in the commercialisation of the metaverse.
Unreal Engine has become the vehicle for the next generation of designers. Opening up new opportunities for streetwear crossovers within the metaverse, Petit is behind popular partnerships such as Fortnite X Balenciaga, which raked in 125 million players in its first year.
Aleissia Laidacker - Global Director of Creative Technology at The Mill
Aleissia Laidacker wants to take the metaverse one step further. As the Global Director of Creative Technology at The Mill, she constantly works with brands to create unforgettable XR-driven experiences.
Laidacker wants to push the boundaries of storytelling in a virtual world and is one of the key thought leaders driving the debate for an open metaverse.
“The current perception of many is that the metaverse is rooted in a dystopian, virtual future synonymous with worlds such as Black Mirror and Neil Stephenson’s science-fiction novel Snow Crash,” she says. “To avoid this, many of us are looking towards developing a decentralised metaverse future, the ‘open metaverse’, that involves a diverse range of creators, developers, artists, educators and perspectives, so the metaverse platform and content of the future isn’t just dictated by the tech giants of silicon valley and brands with money to spend.”
Laidacker is currently Head of Product and Technology for the Open Metaverse Association, which is striving to improve the natural fluidity of world-hopping and decentralise transactions in a virtual reality.
What does the future look like?
It’s no secret that the metaverse is constantly evolving. According to Bankless Times, the metaverse market is set to be worth over £678 billion by 2030.
As pioneering voices within the industry suggest, tomorrow’s metaverse will be full of endless opportunities for social gamers, the corporate sector and online brands.
Breaking the barriers of physical distance and the constraints of real-life expression, the virtual world could even become a platform for social change, according to the theories of Zuckerberg and Zhang. They say the metaverse will transform how we communicate and express ourselves in a society with fewer boundaries.
Blurring the lines between what’s virtual and what’s reality, stepping into the metaverse will one day be as natural as stepping out of your own front door.
