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Is the Metaverse something that wants to be done and Meta is its birth helper OR is Meta inventing the Metaverse because it needs something immensely big for it

Is the Metaverse something that wants to be done and Meta is its birth helper OR is Meta inventing the Metaverse because it needs something immensely big for its business strategy? My feeling is that Meta is rather running away from a failing business and less running towards a new green meadow.

bsaul 4y ago
i really feel like metaverse is only a dream to people with extreme social anxiety. Which may represent a large share of software developers, but only a minority of the general population.
- schnitzelstoat 4y ago
  I think it may be popular among kids too - look at Roblox, Fortnite etc. But for adults.. well after staring at a screen all day the last thing I want to do is stare at another screen, I'd rather lift weights or play guitar or whatever.
  - reidjs 4y ago
    Why do you have to stare at a screen all day as an adult?
    - cassianoleal 4y ago
      As with everything else, it doesn't apply to every adult all the time. That said, most adults need to work in order to survive. Couple that with the fact that most jobs these days are done either directly in front of a computer or using some screen-enabled device, and it's not hard to see that most adults will have been staring at a screen all day most days.
- blensor 4y ago
  I don't believe this describes only software developers. Disclaimer: we are the devs behind VRWorkout In the fitness space there is a huge group of people who would like to go to the gym but don't because of social anxiety. And VR fitness is already one of the major pillars for the headset manufacturers ( Meta, Pico and HTC ). So the social anxiety issue may very well be a driving factor overall
  - brutus1213 4y ago
    But that's why I have Peloton and other gym equipment at home.
    - blensor 4y ago
      Oh for sure, no question about that. Where VR fitness does shine is the social aspect without the social anxiety. Doing an intense full body workout with people across the globe and seeing other express their movements without having to show themselves leads to a much more relaxed an fun experience than for example a Zoom workout. I am fully aware that this is not for everyone, that's why it's good to have options. I for one wouldn't even have the space or money to put up a peloton bike but I can temporarily allocate 2 square meters between our living room and kitchen for my calisthenics exercises in VR. And by using mixed reality I can even shrink that a bit further. It's probably a bit hard to explain with only words so here is a short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WGOZlFXjQU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WGOZlFXjQU
gretch 4y ago
If you watch kids interact with technology today, you’ll see that there’s already several thriving metaverses in the form of Fortnite, Roblox, and Minecraft. These services no longer function as games in the traditional sense where there’s an objective you complete to win or lose. I mean yes there’s some of that in there still, but you’ll also see they mainly function as digital hangout places where avatars just goof and dance or attend a virtual Travis Scott concert. To me these are proofs of concept that meta verse is a real thing. The open questions are if these experiences will eventually transition to VR, or if traditional form factors are immersive enough; and if Facebook can make a more compelling experience than the existing services.
- robryan 4y ago
  Maybe if Facebook was building their own Roblox or similar people might get behind that. It seems to be all in on VR though.
  - bombolo 4y ago
    The BBC was interviewing some Meta employee in India that was claiming VR is going to be absolutely necessary and Indian families should plan to buy VR sets because they will be needed for the education of their children. It felt so detached, and the interviewer was very mellow, only saying that perhaps the cost is a problem, but the Meta guy insisted that it's needed so they have to find the money.
    - brucethemoose2 4y ago
      This is a pattern I saw in Google employees as well. Its like they're living on a different planet. I mean, I've been to Palo Alto, and its crazy... but not that crazy.
  - mFixman 4y ago
    Facebook is incapable of building their own Roblox: even their ultra-sanitised always-smiling Horizon Worlds gets piled on by the media with dramatic accusations of VR bullying and VR harassment. Imagine the kind of pearl clutching you would find in The Guardian if Zuck built something closer to VR Chat or Roblox.

bsaul 4y ago

i really feel like metaverse is only a dream to people with extreme social anxiety. Which may represent a large share of software developers, but only a minority of the general population.

schnitzelstoat 4y ago
I think it may be popular among kids too - look at Roblox, Fortnite etc. But for adults.. well after staring at a screen all day the last thing I want to do is stare at another screen, I'd rather lift weights or play guitar or whatever.
- reidjs 4y ago
  Why do you have to stare at a screen all day as an adult?
  - cassianoleal 4y ago
    As with everything else, it doesn't apply to every adult all the time. That said, most adults need to work in order to survive. Couple that with the fact that most jobs these days are done either directly in front of a computer or using some screen-enabled device, and it's not hard to see that most adults will have been staring at a screen all day most days.
blensor 4y ago
I don't believe this describes only software developers. Disclaimer: we are the devs behind VRWorkout In the fitness space there is a huge group of people who would like to go to the gym but don't because of social anxiety. And VR fitness is already one of the major pillars for the headset manufacturers ( Meta, Pico and HTC ). So the social anxiety issue may very well be a driving factor overall
- brutus1213 4y ago
  But that's why I have Peloton and other gym equipment at home.
  - blensor 4y ago
    Oh for sure, no question about that. Where VR fitness does shine is the social aspect without the social anxiety. Doing an intense full body workout with people across the globe and seeing other express their movements without having to show themselves leads to a much more relaxed an fun experience than for example a Zoom workout. I am fully aware that this is not for everyone, that's why it's good to have options. I for one wouldn't even have the space or money to put up a peloton bike but I can temporarily allocate 2 square meters between our living room and kitchen for my calisthenics exercises in VR. And by using mixed reality I can even shrink that a bit further. It's probably a bit hard to explain with only words so here is a short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WGOZlFXjQU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WGOZlFXjQU

gretch 4y ago

If you watch kids interact with technology today, you’ll see that there’s already several thriving metaverses in the form of Fortnite, Roblox, and Minecraft. These services no longer function as games in the traditional sense where there’s an objective you complete to win or lose. I mean yes there’s some of that in there still, but you’ll also see they mainly function as digital hangout places where avatars just goof and dance or attend a virtual Travis Scott concert. To me these are proofs of concept that meta verse is a real thing. The open questions are if these experiences will eventually transition to VR, or if traditional form factors are immersive enough; and if Facebook can make a more compelling experience than the existing services.

robryan 4y ago
Maybe if Facebook was building their own Roblox or similar people might get behind that. It seems to be all in on VR though.
- bombolo 4y ago
  The BBC was interviewing some Meta employee in India that was claiming VR is going to be absolutely necessary and Indian families should plan to buy VR sets because they will be needed for the education of their children. It felt so detached, and the interviewer was very mellow, only saying that perhaps the cost is a problem, but the Meta guy insisted that it's needed so they have to find the money.
  - brucethemoose2 4y ago
    This is a pattern I saw in Google employees as well. Its like they're living on a different planet. I mean, I've been to Palo Alto, and its crazy... but not that crazy.
- mFixman 4y ago
  Facebook is incapable of building their own Roblox: even their ultra-sanitised always-smiling Horizon Worlds gets piled on by the media with dramatic accusations of VR bullying and VR harassment. Imagine the kind of pearl clutching you would find in The Guardian if Zuck built something closer to VR Chat or Roblox.