Metaverse

The mataverse as envisioned in sci-fi literature like Neal Stephenson “Snow Crash” and Ernest Cline “Ready Player One” is still decades away, but we undoubtedly get there.

Currently the bandwidth of internet is probably most limiting factor for creating a pervasive and high quality metaverse. We currently rely on streaming large amounts of 3D data over this limited bandwidth to local devices to get rendered on them, that needs to change. The technology to do it differently is getting developed but is not there jet. Some tests getting done with powerful remote servers and low latency wireless 5G technology, but for VR latency must be incredibly low. Some say this can never be done, others say its matter of time to work out the kinks.

Anyways, there is also whole host of other problems that need to be solved jet.
For example the 3D data making up the metaverse needs to be standardized, so that your avatars and goods acquired can exist in the different metaverse worlds. Getting 1000ends or more people (avatars) in the same space is also a big problem. It was done in Fort Knight at some point but only with use of 10.000 different instances of the game somewhat synchronized and each having 40 people or something in that rage.

The big question for 3D artist are of course, where are the opportunity's to make money?
Currently my answer would be, not that much more then 10 years ago, but its slowly picking up phase.

Meta Horizon looks to me like a box for children to play in, it’s nice but the hardware it targets is very low spec (mainly Meta Quest). So you get some blocks, columns and squares to play with. As far as I know there is no way to make money in it (currently) via some in app content store or whatever.

The thing is, almost all recently developed 3D online games/platforms use association with name metaverse but it is not the metavese. The name metaverse points to a new form of internet (whole set of new technology connected in different way), currently internet is just the same so no metavese jet.

So lets just talk about current stand alone online 3D worlds/games (that's all there is for now), that have some opportunity in it to make money.

Second life is still there, personally never interested in it because of its low fidelity content.

Roblox is relatively new and floats on current hype around NFT’s, there are multiple way’s to make money with it but personally find it not interesting from perspective of visual fidelity and tools offered to edit content (personally believe its dead end).

Sandbox, somewhat same thing, different opportunity’s to make money but have to use its proprietary editor and lua scripting, low fidelity content, etc. will probably find some crowd that stay loyal to it but I don't believe it will be the big revolution.

Decentraland, basically same, own editor/scripting, low fidelity, etc.

To me they all just look like short term projects going nowhere, mainly to drive money to some pockets but not yours, but feel free to think otherwise.

I’m waiting to see what Tim Sweeny is cooking.

Personally have some criteria that needs to be met before I get interested.

1 Need to be able to store content in one place
2 Possibility to provide this content in more then one place (reach bigger user bases)
3 Need to be able to use my beloved tools to create content (Unreal engine, Blender, Houdini)
4 The connected worlds need to allow for higher fidelity content
5 Transactions need to be universally regulated via some system of smart contracts and blockchain
6 Preferably the worlds are VR compatible
7 Avoid current NFT nonsense rendering owning virtual land only for ……

Well I'm certainly interested to hear more about it! Please share your insights. I honestly work so much lately I haven't had time to learn much about the metaverse or NFT's so please, enlighten us.

Since I started modeling, it was obvious to me that the final destination of that work had to be virtual reality, and, in fact, my first models were virtual worlds, some of which are still perfectly functional.
At that time, neither technology nor the Internet allowed us to do great things, but with a browser and a model I could spend hours implementing a universe to my measure, a desert island with a ship stranded on the beach and remains of old buildings around here and around. there.
The fact is, little by little, various products were emerging, from games to more specific things, and it became obvious that we would soon reach the point where 3d models would enter their natural environment, virtual reality.
Of course, there are other fields for 3d production, architecture, industrial printing, etc.
But what interests most of us here is the production of virtual models for entertainment, games and movies will be absorbed into the broader framework of virtual reality sooner or later.
And here we come to the core of the question, let's imagine any game, you earn points and those points allow you to buy a sword, armor, a horse.
for the creator of the game, those are 3D objects that he may have bought in CGT, for example, the creator of the game, he has not bought the model itself, but the authorization to use it within limits that basically prevent him from taking over the model .
but for the player, they are not 3D objects, they are weapons, armor or a horse, and you must pay for them, not for the 3d model, and you must pay in the legal tender within the game.
Now, a person buys your car model in CGT for, say, 50 dollars, uploads it to the metaverse, and sells it for 2,000 dollars, but he is only playing at being a car salesman, it is another player who plays with him to buy it from him , the fact that the in-game currency is the same as the legal tender is irrelevant, no one has stolen the 3d model, they have simply used it according to the agreed terms.

yes, you are right, and it is reassuring that there are people who are far-sighted enough.
On the other hand, the way in which technologies are developed and trying to keep pace with them is still an interesting challenge.
and that is basically the idea of this thread, I do not have any special knowledge about it and rather I want to hear what anyone wants to share with a view to a better adaptation to the changes that, in my view, are inevitable.

i suppose most, of some of you, have seen the new year display from beijing, its an awesome show of animated holographic images based on a variety of 3d models, i´ve never seen this before, holograms projected on the air, this means a big jump in technology, and obviously it will no stop here, so, the field for designers and modelers, expand day after day, it´s not far the day your phone will display holograms as easily as it displays pictures today, acording to some news i read these days, i think things move really fast, and our market will do too, it seems strange to me that this community does not talk about this all.

Doesnt that still go against the Royalty Free license terms?

"Product may not be sold, given, or assigned to another person or entity in the form it is downloaded from the Site.

as purchased by a game’s creators as part of a game if the Product is contained inside a proprietary format and displays inside the game during play, but not for users to re-package as goods distributed or sold inside a virtual world;"

I think iterate cgi has defined very well what there is, and what should be.
Actually I think we all think the same, we need a technology that allows us to store and sell quality models in the metaverse and for now there is still a lack of that, but at the rate that things have been moving, it is possible to think that that moment will come throughout this decade.
Obviously, all current related technology is in its infancy, and we are not yet close to the ideal situation, but everything is moving in that direction and I think it is convenient to work with an eye on it because there could be a drastic change at any moment, It seems that Korean engineers have developed a digital holography system, which is something quite disruptive and sudden, although, obviously they must have been working on it for some time, there are likely to be more advances that catch us off guard.