METAVERSE: how's it going?
In 2023, news of the Metaverse could be said to be a little dim as there is currently a lot of talk about AI (Artificial Intelligence), for example ChatGPT. However, there is some good news regarding this technology.
The news comes from research conducted by MarketWatch, they wrote that the global Metaverse market looks promising in the next five years. In 2023, the global Metaverse market is expected to grow by 43,990.69 million USD and is predicted to reach 432,284.41 million USD by 2028. That's a huge number.
Application of Metaverse in Various Fields
With the high growth of the market in the future, it certainly encourages the application of these technologies in various fields. Some examples of its application can be seen in the description below.
EDUCATION
Imagine you're learning at home, staring at a screen every day and interacting with your teacher or other students through apps like Google Meet or Zoom. Of course at some point you will experience boredom and maybe even sleepiness. However, what if the learning process is done through Metaverse?
Armed with a VR (Virtual Reality) headset connected to the Metaverse world, students and teachers can meet, hold questions and answers, and interact in real time in a virtual world. The learning process will feel more alive so that physical distance is no longer an obstacle.
This is certainly different from just wearing a VR headset without being connected to the Metaverse so that there is no interaction with other people. This is what is important in this concept because it can connect everyone into the virtual world and they can interact in it. Very interesting.
ENTERTAINMENT
Speaking of the entertainment sector, of course, the Metaverse is very applicable in it. One of the things that got excited at that time was Justin Bieber's concert which was held virtually via the Wave application. Not only Justin Bieber, other famous artists have also held virtual concerts through the Fortnite game, such as Marshmello, Travis Scott, and also Ariana Grande.
You might be wondering, what's the difference between watching a virtual concert through a streaming platform like YouTube and attending a virtual concert in the Metaverse? The answer is the real-time interaction between artists and their fans.
An artist is represented by an avatar of himself or herself that is made as similar as possible to the original. What's more, the avatar is moved in real time by the artist and can interact virtually with his fans' avatars in the Metaverse world. Of course, this real time interaction cannot be felt when watching via ordinary streaming platforms. Well, that's one of the advantages that has been applied in terms of virtual concerts.
SHOPPING
In this digital age, of course you are used to shopping online through e-commerce applications. When you are shopping, of course, you can choose or scroll through the items that are already in the store catalog. Then, if you want to know the product in more detail, the chat feature to the seller will be a solution. However, not all sellers will quickly answer your questions.
Has it ever crossed your mind that when shopping online, you can see the goods virtually as if they were in front of your eyes, feel the sensation of walking to see the products displayed in the storefront or store shelf, and ask the seller who is on duty there? Of course, when shopping in person it is commonplace, but for online shopping, it will be a fun experience. Well, it can all happen in the Metaverse.
All you have to do is sit at home wearing a VR headset or a computer, then run your virtual character in the artificial world and interact with sellers and even other shoppers inside the store. As long as the store is open and the seller in the Metaverse world is on standby, you can definitely interact in real time just like shopping offline.
Metaverse is a futuristic concept that is indeed an interesting thing to watch and follow its development. Although in 2023 this trend faded because it was covered by the charm of extraordinary AI (Artificial Intelligence) technology, it does not mean that the hope for the Metaverse has disappeared. If you look at the MarketWatch research above, it certainly indicates that it still has bright hopes for the future.
What do you think? Will the Metaverse really shine in the future? Write your thoughts in the comments.
Best Regards. Pangrango
