Ask the average person what the Metaverse is and they’ll probably say it’s something to do with Facebook. Ask them again and they’ll admit that they really have no idea. The point is that when a multi-billion dollar company banks its future on a vague, unwanted concept, it is time to get out the popcorn and watch a train wreck unfold.
In October 2021 Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that his tech empire would be shifting entirely to focus on Metaverse. The presentation included some VR and AR footage that corporations will tell you is exciting, but that had the overage person rolling their eyes. When the presentation concluded everyone was left with the same question; what exactly is he trying to sell?
Poorly Thought Out Disasters
There was a time when Google was trying to push Glass. There was also a time when Google was desperate to make people acknowledge Google+. No one has spoken either of these names in a decade now, which summarises just how successful the projects were.
The key factor is that neither served any real purpose, despite having hundreds of millions poured into their development. The question again; what exactly is Metaverse, and why is anyone supposed to be interested in it?
Forcing An Already Irrelevant Middleman
Do a bit of research and you’ll learn that Metaverse is an attempt to make AR and VR interfaces the next big thing. According to Zuckerberg with the platform we can all play games, or even enjoy social gatherings, through the immersive power of a VR headset. Why use a camera and a screen, or a touchscreen, when you can make it all drastically less convenient with VR?
VR has already made its initial push, found modest degrees of success in gaming, and settled into being a niche, expensive product. The percentage of people that even have a headset is minuscule, so much so that the market wouldn’t be called robust.
Zuckerberg, however, decided that the time was right to try and transform his empire into something based around VR tech, unlike sticking to what he knows works like CryptoThrills.
It Is Impressive
The fact of the matter is that the technology behind Metaverse is very impressive. At least, it is very impressive if the promotional videos are to be believed. It seems that it is now possible to attend social gatherings, look friends in their eyes, read their accurate expressions, and talk to them without leaving home. Yes, the technology exists for facial expressions to be read and transmitted to virtual avatars.
Had world health crisis conditions been permanent Metaverse would probably seem very appealing. But the pandemic is winding down, and most are keener than ever to get out and see friends face to face. What, again, is supposed to be the purpose of this $10 billion project? No one can seem to say, and the initial buzz is already down to almost nothing.
It seems that biggest tech flop in history is unfolding before our eyes.