During a summer 2021 earnings call, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg made a groundbreaking statement by introducing the concept of the metaverse. He expressed his belief that in the near future, people would view Facebook not just as a social media company but as a metaverse company.
This announcement left cyberpunk sci-fi enthusiasts worldwide in awe and curiosity.
Prior to this revelation, Neal Stephenson had depicted the “metaverse” in his 1992 novel “Snow Crash” as a virtual reality platform controlled by wealthy corporate leaders. It highlighted issues of social inequality and addiction, where individuals immersed themselves so deeply that they neglected their real lives.
The term ”metaverse” was initially intended as a cautionary tale rather than a strategic business move.
However, in October 2021, Zuckerberg declared that Meta would take over Facebook’s name and shift its primary focus to building the metaverse.
His original vision centered around creating an internet based on virtual reality. Just like how we currently engage in various activities online, such as shopping and learning, Zuckerberg envisioned these experiences taking place within immersive 3D environments where users interact through avatars. While some aspects of this virtual world could be accessed through augmented reality or traditional devices like phones and computers, Meta firmly believed that VR was the future.
2024-10-02 09:15:03
Article from www.computerworld.com