Metaverse: a Passing Fad or New Reality?

On October 28th, 2021, Mark Zuckerberg announced the launch of META, a company that integrates Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Uculus. The news was widely commented on in the different media, however, for most of the public the subject was still unknown or something related to gamers or very technological companies.

According to previous research, a parallel world was found where a fairly significant number of activities are already being developed, in which large industries have a place and others are beginning to enter.

But what is the metaverse?

In very simple terms it is like the internet in 3D, instead of browsing it, you would be living it; It is a virtual universe in which you can live through an avatar, a new world full of infinite opportunities, for example: travel wherever you want, enjoy and participate in concerts or any other event anywhere in the world, without physical limitations. In other words, it is to shorten the distance between reality and the internet.

To immerse yourself in the metaverse, you need glasses or helmets that combine a screen, headphones and microphone, or smartphones with virtual reality or augmented reality capabilities, a high-speed and low-latency internet connection, such as fiber optics or a 5G network.

Currently, almost the same activities can be carried out in the metaverse that are carried out in the “real world”. In one of the oldest metaverses, Roblox (founded in 2004 and launched in 2006), you can play and at the same time enjoy concerts with the famous DJ David Guetta or, to make your avatar look better, buy some sneakers at Nikeland, for example.

In fact, renowned brands already have their space or “lands” in the metaverse, they have invested and created their own virtual stores to offer their products and not lose the position they have in today’s world, like Gucci and Vans, which do not they want to miss this opportunity, to conquer these new markets.

Gastronomic sector

Food franchises are also looking to have their share of the metaverse. Two key questions here are: how do you eat in the metaverse? And why do food franchises want to be present in the metaverse?

Wendys, with the collaboration of Meta Quest 2, created Wendysverse, and Chipotle (American burrito chain) with Roblox, invited their customers to play and win products while enjoying the experience in the metaverse.

McDonald’s, in February of this year, registered 10 patents for its most famous products to market them in the metaverse and it is said that it has earmarked around 33,000 million euros for this project.

Food franchises see in the metaverse one more channel of attention, a virtual restaurant with home delivery, offering memorable experiences, like enjoying a coffee in Paris, without the need to move, play or work while the food arrives at the door of the restaurant.

Thus, restaurants would not have the limitation of physical spaces to receive their customers. Now they would enjoy the versatility of serving them in spaces completely modified to their tastes and preferences, another of the great possibilities offered by the metaverse.

Social opportunities

The metaverse can also contribute to society and offer opportunities to those who have a physical disability or who suffer from social anxiety, offering the possibility of experiencing and living situations that, in their physical conditions, they could not, but in the metaverse it is possible.

In the metaverse there are also darker spaces, where wicked people see their opportunity, they are the same risks of everyday life and must be attacked in the same way.

On the part of the companies, it is up to continue reinforcing the culture of ethics in open spaces regulated by the rules of coexistence and respect. While people must remember that each avatar will end up being a reflection of the essence of its user, because the one that influences the behavior of the human being is his heart and not the means by which he interacts.

Infinite possibilities

Everything indicates that it is the new reality, a new opportunity for companies to reach and reach more customers. There is a whole issue of regulations that is not yet clear and an order must be established as in any society, but there is already trade, millionaire profits, public interacting and living in a parallel world full of infinite possibilities. It is a blank canvas for all those companies, businesses and professionals who wish to enter and be part of the metaverse.