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The metaverse is bullshit

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Re: The metaverse is bullshit

#141

Post by ladyanita22 »

I'm gonna give a not so popular opinion: Facebook may have a future beyond social media, or at least beyond what we know as social media. Back when Google was absolutely not this huge, they were a company whose main products were a search engine, a web mail client (which wasn't even the most popular), and a video content provider. They had to fight against powerful and big Microsoft, who controlled all the spectrum of computing (back in 2007, even IIS was popular) in a closed and proprietary manner, who applied the rules of EEE as a means of survival and who made sure nobody ate its cake.

But then, Google built a platform based on open source software that was beyond what anybody had to offer back then (except for the iPhone, which was better but restricted to Apple), and now we know how the story goes (Alphabet has significantly higher revenue than Microsoft, and controls the web, the majority of phone devices and is gaining substantial market share in Microsoft's territory, the PC).

However, there's a platform nobody has conquered yet, because it's inmature: AR. This is an opportunity for Facebook (Meta). They know about social (Google doesn't that much, and for sure the rage nowadays is social interaction with the people, there you see Twitch's success), and they know about AR and VR. I can't say they've any significant advantage over Google, but I believe they can be competitive.

Recent news is they're working on a Microkernel-based OS (I think it's been managed by a top Windows NT co-developer, so serious people that know their stuff), with a small footprint to conquer AR, as the current software simply doesn't cut it. We don't know its status vs. Google's Fuchsia, which is the other contender, but if they can pull it off, it's a substantial improvement and a solid foundation for the future. The idea is to repeat Android's road to success: open but controlled ecosystem that many OEMs can take advantage of. I'm all in for that, and I hope it's either them or Fuchsia the ones that get us to the future (because I honestly don't believe Linux will be). Of course, I'd say Fuchsia seems much more ready, and they're not ready at all.

Plus, they're working on a smartwatch. Let's see how it is, because Google has tried for long, but they simply are not competitive vs. Apple. Facebook could do something different.

Again, it's not my intention to bash Linux, or to say I like Facebook. I absolutely hate FB's social practices, but they know how to engage people, how to do social, and their work on Open Source, crypto, the internet as a whole and VR/AR is absolutely splendid, and for that, they deserve credit.

Re: The metaverse is bullshit

#142

Post by cblconfederate »

benatkin wrote: post #132

One thing that is very bullshit about the metaverse and also twitch/YouTube is the hype behind "creators". At some point "content" got dropped from "content creators", and people who have this particular hobby or job, rather than others, are elevated to the role of "creator".

creator makes money from users. consumer who posts comments, like we do here, does not

Re: The metaverse is bullshit

#143

Post by laumars »

modeless wrote: post #64
Jasper_ wrote: post #52

> In a September 2021 Washington Post interview, Tim Sweeney imagined the future of advertising. "A carmaker who wants to make a presence in the metaverse isn't going to run ads," he said. "They're going to drop their car into the world in real time and you'll be able to drive it around. And they're going to work with lots of content creators with different experiences to ensure their car is playable here and there,…

> why the heck am I driving a car around? I can fly, can't I? By this logic nobody should play Gran Turismo because a Superman game exists. > You can't test legroom or the seat cushions, because your avatar doesn't don't have a body. So I don't see how you can realistically sell an actual real-world car, because isn't most of its function and design unnecessary in the metaverse? By this logic it's pointless to make a…

The point the OP is making is VR isn’t a domain where you test drive practical family cars. Sure you have racing games but how many people can afford, let alone justify, high ended performance cars for their family? And how many racing games do you see where people are driving boring (relatively speaking) family cars?

The point about VR games are that they’re an unrealistic escape. If you wanted a 1:1 with actual reality then you wouldn’t need Virtual Reality in the first place.

Re: The metaverse is bullshit

#144

Post by petepete »

Aeolun wrote: post #129
Jasper_ wrote: post #52

> In a September 2021 Washington Post interview, Tim Sweeney imagined the future of advertising. "A carmaker who wants to make a presence in the metaverse isn't going to run ads," he said. "They're going to drop their car into the world in real time and you'll be able to drive it around. And they're going to work with lots of content creators with different experiences to ensure their car is playable here and there,…

I dunno man, if Ferrari drops their car into the game then that’s going to be more awesome then I can ever model on my own. Even if I can drive a square block by designating it a car, it’s not really a car I want to drive in.

That's a bit harsh on the Nissan Cube!

Re: The metaverse is bullshit

#146

Post by noduerme »

benatkin wrote: post #108
Jasper_ wrote: post #74

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'd say a sizable majority play Gran Turismo because it's a fun test of skill -- learning the controls of an intricate machine, the layout of the game's tracks, and achieving some form of mastery over it. And I'm also sure some people play it for the fantasy of doing car racing in a safe environment, which is a very dangerous, expensive, and inaccessible sport for a lot of people. So, perhaps I misread Tim Sweeney's…

I thought modeless was wrong and that you weren't discounting the experience of driving, but rather the experience of driving a mediocre car. However, with your followup comment, it seems you're discounting the experience of driving. Suffice it to say that plenty of people genuinely love driving, both in video games and in the real world. Flying won't make driving obsolete any more than mountain biking has made hikin…

Same with manual transmissions. But watching my gf obsess over yeast cultures, I would say same about baking bread. Some people love a challenge; other people don't get it.

Re: The metaverse is bullshit

#147

Post by toastal »

> bullshit because tech moguls missed the part where cyberpunk is dystopian

This blog "missed the part" too. I hate how this site has no warning for a JS-required blog entry and then also wants you to connect to Google Analytics, Google Tag Manager, Google Syndication, and Taboola. Facebook deserves all the criticism and then some, but if behind the scenes you're selling out your readers, you're not much better IMO. Outline wants to "empower readers" and their ToS page doesn't even work (https://www.outline.com/terms.html).

Re: The metaverse is bullshit

#148

Post by Jasper_ »

noduerme wrote: post #124
Jasper_ wrote: post #104

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You're just describing multiplayer video games. We've already had those for more than 20 years.

Well, yeah. Honestly, a massively multiplayer GTA V or Red Dead 2 would basically be the whole Metaverse concept. The only differences would be: (1) You aren't there to complete missions; there's no storylines and it's totally open-ended. There are no writers, and (2) The spaces and content are created by anyone, not a central company, and (3) You can go from GTA world to Red Dead world to tons of other worlds withou…

I don't know, that just sounds like pitching a TV show without writers. Even a reality TV show or a cooking show needs writers to keep things entertaining. Otherwise, you sort of just have nothing to look at.

> You can code your own physical spaces and code your own avatar's abilities

I ask again: why can't I code my avatar to be the most OP avatar that ever exists? I will create a weapon that kills people if they look at me. What's the incentive to purchase new things if everyone can just code the most OP version and undercut the person next door? I will have the best cars, the funniest T-shirts, and the strongest potions, and you cannot stop me. Because I write Lua scripts.

There's some element of cooperation that is usually assumed when people talk about the metaverse but I don't see any incentive to maintain it that way. Garry's Mod and Roblox are platforms that do what you're talking about, today. The way they maintain this cooperation is that they prevent users from having strong autonomy in games that others make. In Roblox, your avatar is limited to a few cosmetic choices for customization, and in Garry's Mod, you don't really have any customization at all in most game modes.

Re: The metaverse is bullshit

#149

Post by 2muchcoffeeman »

laumars wrote: post #143
modeless wrote: post #64

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> why the heck am I driving a car around? I can fly, can't I? By this logic nobody should play Gran Turismo because a Superman game exists. > You can't test legroom or the seat cushions, because your avatar doesn't don't have a body. So I don't see how you can realistically sell an actual real-world car, because isn't most of its function and design unnecessary in the metaverse? By this logic it's pointless to make a…

The point the OP is making is VR isn’t a domain where you test drive practical family cars. Sure you have racing games but how many people can afford, let alone justify, high ended performance cars for their family? And how many racing games do you see where people are driving boring (relatively speaking) family cars? The point about VR games are that they’re an unrealistic escape. If you wanted a 1:1 with actual rea…

I for one am waiting for GT 10: Metaverse. So I can get stuck in virtual traffic, and be late for a virtual meeting.

Re: The metaverse is bullshit

#150

Post by benatkin »

cblconfederate wrote: post #142
benatkin wrote: post #132

One thing that is very bullshit about the metaverse and also twitch/YouTube is the hype behind "creators". At some point "content" got dropped from "content creators", and people who have this particular hobby or job, rather than others, are elevated to the role of "creator".

creator makes money from users. consumer who posts comments, like we do here, does not

A creator is also a user, no?
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