The recent name change of the prominent digital companies globally has left ripples that continue to rock the world. Mark Zuckerberg’s idea to change Facebook’s name to ‘Meta’ left the whole world confused (besides him keeping a bottle of sauce on a bookshelf). The news blindsided many. It has also given rise to numerous conspiracy theories that continue to plague the internet. And there seem to be little means of knowing the truth and separating right from wrong. In this article you’ll get to know all about facebook metaverse Meta.
Many questions seem to be up in the air. In this article, we will look at some of the most important ones and answer them through facts. And although the string of questions is endless, the most asked question remains the same- What is Meta?
Origin
The actual origin of the word ‘Meta’ belongs to Neal Stephenson, a science fiction author. The word is a part of a more extensive term- Metaverse. Metaverse is a digital, shared virtual place that allows people to connect with others virtually through technology.
It has long since been the effort of companies to create an actual perceivable digital world that would allow people to meet others digitally. This is done through AR and VR.
The race to create the best VR equipment (in the late 2010s) attributes to the same goal. So while the technology has not fully matured yet, Facebook decided to take the lead. And it has done so by announcing a slew of features and deliverables and rebranding its company to Meta.
Metaverse
Facebook declared that it is now a “metaverse-first company, and not a Facebook-first company.” This roughly translates to the fact that users would not require Facebook accounts to use Facebook’s other services.
The company aims to create a metaverse, like the one that Stephenson mentioned in his book. And it has started that by incorporating the name ‘Meta’ in the parent company’s name. This metaverse can potentially change the way we consume and interact with content through digital means. Additionally, with the growing interest in this field, Facebook aims to have a slice of the collective cake and eat it too!
Controversies
The rebranding comes at a time when the company embroils in various legal disputes over the world. It also has the unfortunate (fortunate?!) timing of being near the global shutdown that resulted in a loss of face. All of this has led to many schools of thought taking steam.
The first theory is that Facebook is trying to distance itself from the legal battles throughout the world. The logic does look sound, and the loopholes in the law might do that (as a very far-fetched thought). But it doesn’t hold any water.
The second is that Facebook is trying to make people forget about the global outage that took down Facebook and its affiliates (WhatsApp, Instagram, etc.). Again, this is more of a conspiracy theory than a controversy, but it is too far-fetched (although it makes sense if Facebook were an anxious entity, like me; but since it isn’t, we can safely disregard it.)
The third and most widely accepted story is that Facebook is trying to dominate the metaverse market. Of course, the tools for implementing metaverse already exist, with many rival companies pouring in funds towards that end. However, by naming itself an analog of the digital world, it seems that Facebook is looking to become synonymous with Metaverse. Hence, the name change.
Logistics
Facebook announced its decision to create and deploy the Metaverse in Connect 2021. As discussed, the term refers to a digital place where people use their avatars to interact. While it might sound simple, many technologies need to work together to make it a reality (no pun intended).
That is why VR and AR advancements will play a huge role in determining the success of the Metaverse. According to Facebook, the ‘Metaverse’ will include anything and everything that users use to interact with the digital world. It would also allow them to interact with other users in the same digital space.
Announcements
Facebook, or rather Meta, announced a slew of products during Connect 2021, with most of them focussing on the deployment of the Metaverse.
Horizon Home
Horizon Home is the new VR-based experience that Facebook will develop in the future. It would act as the platform to host all the users’ digital presence (the avatars, for the lack of a better word) and allow them to interact with it and others in real-time, thereby creating a fully interactive and responsive digital environment.
Messenger Calls
This might seem a little familiar, but Meta will bring Messenger calls to a VR-based reality experience later this year. This would allow users to answer or start calls with other users while logged in the virtual environment of Meta.
If things go well, people would also be able to answer other calls and interact with the speakers, all in the same virtual environment, without leaving the comfort of their homes.
Gaming
The VR world is incomplete without the inclusion of VR and AR-based gaming. To that end, Meta has anointed the re-release of the cult-classic game GTA: San Andreas for the Oculus Quest 2. In this game, the players will be able to live through the eyes of the famous CJ. They will also be able to carry out missions while fully immersed, using VR headsets.
Increased games will also seem lucrative to many budding VR gamers wading through this niche alongside the companies. In this way, Meta plans to better its tech and provide a superior experience for the user.
Fitness
Digital fitness is one of the most sought-after niches in the current times. This is because there is a continuous need for fitness, no matter what the times are. To capitalize on this genre, Meta has decided to create fitness accessories that seamlessly work with the Quest 2.
The products shall arrive by next year and promise to introduce better touch controllers and an exercise-optimized facial interface.
Business
The business suit of the Meta division will provide access to increasing productivity and work-related applications. All of it will be housed in a digital environment, creating a genuine WFH concept.
It has set its sights on migrating the business world to Metaverse by utilizing the platform’s various features. This will also help the company increase its foothold in the corporate world.
Deployment
The one thing that plagues all businesses is competition. Facebook Metaverse knows that it is not the only company that can build and create the Metaverse. Many other competitors, such as Google and Microsoft, are trying to capitalize on the growing hub of the digital world.
That is why, to push ahead, Meta has detailed an ambitious plan that aims to keep the Metaverse free. They will do this by offering their devices at lower prices to increase their adoption rates.
These VR devices will provide access to the different parts of the Metaverse. Additionally, Meta also plans to release a new VR project named Project Cambria. It will be more expensive than the Oculus but well worth the money given its superior tracking tech.
And finally, to sum it all off, Meta is also releasing Aria, its AR Galles project, which is in the works. Meta expects to launch the majority of the projects by next year.
Now, for people using PCs and other such devices, they will have the option to use the Meta feature that supports sideloading and streaming from PCs. This will allow people to choose (and not force them) to use the Quest Store to find apps or reach customers.
Furthermore, Meta plans to offer creator and developer services at a low charge to maximize the overall creative economy. With the Metaverse, Meta looks to escape the rules and financial burdens of Apple and Google, which tightly control and manipulate the iOS and Android platforms.
Time Frame
The technology, while advanced, is not quite up to the mark yet. This is going to delay the oncoming work of the true Metaverse by some time. However, the intense competition in this field is sure to increase the pace of innovations exponentially.
Accurate and real holographic projections are going to take a lot of time before they become real. With the presence of other big fishes in the pond, it remains to see whether Meta is successful in capitalizing on the momentum they have created or will other companies overtake them in this pursuit.
Privacy
The rise of the Metaverse is also endangering another aspect that humans love to covet- privacy. With so many intrusive applications on the web right now, it has become imperative to protect your online privacy.
However, the Metaverse, powered by Meta, seems to work on similar lines as Facebook. While Mark has assured everyone that the Metaverse will concern the user’s privacy, any tangible outcomes are yet to be seen.
Furthermore, Facebook has announced that they don’t want to surprise people by springing the tech on a theme at once and want to work with the governments and the people at each step towards the deployment of Metaverse.
Whatever may be the case, given how all-encompassing Meta wants its project to be, the way it handles privacy and security will be the talk of the digital world for a long time to come.
Challenges
The deployment of a digital universe is not without any challenges of its own. The first challenge arises in terms of scalability.
The amount of hardware and software resources needed to deploy the Metaverse is phenomenal.
The second challenge arises in terms of interoperability. In an ideal world, any piece of software or hardware bought from the Metaverse should work anywhere within the Metaverse. However, this might create problems in real life, which tends to be less than ideal.
This problem also translates to in-world trading objects. For example, Metaverse creates PUBG and Fortnite inside the homeworld. Now, the whole game houses inside the digital world, but an item bought in PUBG or Fortnite cannot be used in each other’s domains.
But that is what Metaverse wishes to accomplish, and that is why the goals of Meta are seen as lofty because they would be essentially rewriting the rules and standards from scratch.
Dystopia
Some society sees this move as insufficient, owing to Facebook’s monopoly of the already existing digital world. The original book where this was first seen, Snow Crash, was set in a dystopian future, and many people believe that this is precisely what we should be staying away from.
After all, no one wants to store all their digital eggs in one basket and suffer the losses for any carelessness on the part of any party.
Conclusion
We’ve covered almost every aspect, to get you know all about facebook metaverse. Althought there is no way that we can predict all that Metaverse can do in the future. Sure, we can make educated guesses and try to align them to the company’s goals, but in the end, it all comes down to Meta.
They want better privacy, but how they implement it will be something that the world will learn over time. The whole concept and implementation of Metaverse, in general, is exactly what it sounds like, a concept. Some brands have made enormous strides but have not even scratched the true potential of this niche.
PS: What about the sauce bottle on the bookshelf?
Alas, this is one mystery that seems impossible to answer. For context, when Mark unveiled the rebrand to ‘Meta,’ many people noted the placement of sauce bottles on a bookshelf, which many attributed to him “trying to fit with humans.”
While the exact reason is unknown, it was a surefire way of generating controversy and increasing the reach of meta, its products, and deliverables.
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