The Fall of Metauniverse: Understanding the Demise of a Promising Technology

According to reports, the previously popular metauniverse in the scientific and technological world has “fallen out of favor.”. Disney will cancel its Meta Universe division, Microsoft has closed a social virtual reality platform it acquired in 2017, and Zuckerberg, who renamed Facebook Meta to show his importance to Meta Universe, said in a earnings conference call last month that he is more focused on artificial intelligence. At the same time, the price of virtual real estate has also dropped significantly. According to data from WeMeta, a website that tracks land sales in the Metaworld, the median land sales price in Decentraland has decreased by nearly 90% compared to a year ago, from $45 per square meter to $5 per square meter. (Wall Street Journal)

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The metauniverse was once hailed as the future of technology, but in recent times, it has lost its popularity. In this article, we delve into the reasons behind the fall of metauniverse, the impact it has had on the technology industry, and what the future holds for this once-promising technology.

What is Metauniverse?

Metauniverse refers to a virtual universe beyond your computer screen. It is an immersive world that can be accessed through virtual reality or augmented reality devices. The metauniverse allows people to interact with each other in a shared virtual space, rather than just through online messaging or video calls.

The Rise and Fall of Metauniverse

Despite high expectations, the metauniverse has faced numerous struggles in recent times. It was once thought that the metauniverse would be a significant business opportunity for tech giants like Facebook, Microsoft, and Google. However, the recent changes in the technology landscape have signaled a shift away from this once-promising technology.

The Apple Effect

Apple has always been critical of VR/AR and metauniverse technology. Its CEO, Tim Cook, once said, “I’m not convinced there’s a huge amount of people that will sit in their living room wearing VR goggles… I think AR is the bigger of the two, probably by far.” Apple has instead focused on AR, releasing its ARKit in 2017, which allows developers to leverage AR technology with the iPhone’s camera.

The Declining Demand For Virtual Reality

Virtual reality (VR) headsets have never been a mainstream product. The total number of VR headsets sold worldwide in 2020 was only 6.4 million – a small fraction of the global gaming player base. Companies like Facebook saw the lack of adoption of VR and AR devices as an opportunity to push for their vision of the metauniverse. However, the masses have not shown any significant interest in VR or AR.

Economic Downturn

The pandemic has had a significant impact on the global economy, and the metauniverse was no exception. With many people losing their jobs and facing financial difficulties, virtual real estate, an essential component of the metauniverse, lost its allure, and the demand for it fell significantly.

The Implications of the Demise

The metauniverse’s fall has dire implications for the tech industry. Several big players like Disney and Microsoft have already abandoned their metauniverse projects, signaling that the technology is not as revolutionary as once believed.
Moreover, the fall of the metauniverse also raises concerns about the direction of the future of technology. If a technology that was once thought to be the future of the internet fails, what does that mean for other technologies under development?
Despite the fall of the metauniverse, there are still some conceivable applications that might define its future, including teleconferencing, remote team collaboration, and remote presentations.

The Future of the Metauniverse

Although the metauniverse has lost its favor, innovative opportunities still exist for the technology. The virtual world has significant potential in virtual conferences, remote collaboration, and training employees in new skills. Still, the applications of the technology are still at an early stage of development, and more work is needed to make the metauniverse applicable for widespread use.

Conclusion

In summation, the fall of the metauniverse has been a significant blow to the technology industry. With several major players scaling back or entirely abandoning their projects, the future of the metauniverse does not look as bright as it once did. Yet, despite its fall, there are opportunities for the technology in areas like remote work and training.

FAQs

Q: What is Metauniverse?
A: Metauniverse refers to a virtual universe beyond your computer screen. It is an immersive world that can be accessed through virtual reality or augmented reality devices.
Q: Why has metauniverse fallen out of favor?
A: The metauniverse has struggled due to the pandemic, declining demand for virtual reality, and the shift in focus by tech giants towards other technologies.
Q: What is the future of metauniverse?
A: While the metauniverse has lost some of its momentum, opportunities exist in areas such as remote collaboration, teleconferencing, and employee training.