Does anybody remember the Second Life boom when companies were trying to snap up linden-land and set up shop online? That failed, and I can't help but feel like the 'metaverse' concept being marketed to us is that, but with VR helmets and advertising strapped on.
Ask HN: How is the “metaverse” concept different from the Second Life boom?
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Re: Ask HN: How is the “metaverse” concept different from the Second Life boom?
#2Second Life required you were at least 18 at one point. It was meant more for social gatherings and meeting spots and I think (though I'm not 100%) that they shifted toward "virtual" office spaces with a focus on community building and digital trade using real-life currency.
The metaverse, as I understand it, is just Facebook Games but in VR, for kids and bored adults.
I think the outcome will be the same, though. I can't imagine how anyone at Facebook thought this idea would work.
Re: Ask HN: How is the “metaverse” concept different from the Second Life boom?
#3We have better technology (and thus immersion) now. It's a simple answer, but I think largely sufficient enough to explain why things may be quite different now.
The immersiveness that can be attained via modern high-end VR systems is simply not comparable to what we had a decade ago; it enables many more use cases and paradigms that wouldn't have felt usable, interesting, fun, or sometimes even particularly social in the past. To me at least, VR/AR seem like a pretty large medium shift, and I really expect them to stick around and become a large part of society.
Re: Ask HN: How is the “metaverse” concept different from the Second Life boom?
#4It’s a way for Zuckerberg to learn firsthand just how much luck was involved in his success.
Re: Ask HN: How is the “metaverse” concept different from the Second Life boom?
#5It will include scanning people’s faces and a thousand other privacy vortexes
Re: Ask HN: How is the “metaverse” concept different from the Second Life boom?
#6It’s a way for Zuckerberg to learn firsthand just how much luck was involved in his success.
It's not like he invented the concept. They are trying to take over the term though
Re: Ask HN: How is the “metaverse” concept different from the Second Life boom?
#7Re: Ask HN: How is the “metaverse” concept different from the Second Life boom?
#8Do you mean the Facebook metaverse or the general concept?
I can't comment on Facebook. The current discussion surrounding the 'metaverse' often describes something that is more open, almost like the internet. Whether or not this happens in practice remains to be seen. I think the idea is that you may be able to teleport between worlds(servers run by companies or other entities) and carry some amount of your state with you.
I remain cynical. As someone who grew up reading William Gibson and dreaming of 'cyberspace' you'd think I'd be excited but I see this as being just as boring as Second Life and There but with better graphics. The metaverse talk lately reminds me of when CE mfgs decided they needed to push 3DTV on everyone because they were running out of fancy new things to drive TV sales. This is likely just a way to create a new channel for monetizing.
Re: Ask HN: How is the “metaverse” concept different from the Second Life boom?
#9Pretty much.
The possibly good news is it shows that Facebook doesn't really know how to avert its own decline.
Re: Ask HN: How is the “metaverse” concept different from the Second Life boom?
#10Do you mean the Facebook metaverse or the general concept? I can't comment on Facebook. The current discussion surrounding the 'metaverse' often describes something that is more open, almost like the internet. Whether or not this happens in practice remains to be seen. I think the idea is that you may be able to teleport between worlds(servers run by companies or other entities) and carry some amount of your state wi…
The Facebook metaverse