Terminology that you need to understand the Metaverse

Understanding the Metaverse is quite complicated, all the more so because it doesn't really exist yet. Big companies like Epic Games, Nvidia, Microsoft, Intel and Facebook are not stopping talking about the metaverse and the innovations that are happening in it. In parallel, the number of new words that are needed to describe its certain aspects is increasing.

Precisely because of this, we decided to address this terminology; to enable the curious to better understand the new step in the development of the Internet.

Definition of metaverse

What makes the metaverse special? Unlike the modern way of searching the Internet, which takes place in 2D by scrolling through the content and consuming it on the screen, you will be able to experience the metaverse in 3D. With VR headsets and glasses , you will be able to "walk" through the content you are interested in.

For now, it is unclear whether there will be only one common or multiple separate metaverses, but it seems that one thing will be constant. The metaverse will be a new, immersive generation of the internet and will be accessed using virtual or augmented reality technology.

Matthew Ball, one of the supporters of the metaverse and investor in VR technologies, whose writing on the metaverse has heavily influenced Mark Zuckerberg, describes the metaverse as "the direct successor to the mobile internet" and "a platform for spending leisure time, working and existence itself." Neal Stephenson is a science writer who coined the term "metaverse" in his popular book Snow Crash. In it, the metaverse is the name of a virtual world in which we follow the protagonist of the book, aptly named Hiro Protagonist.

Meet your digital twin

Mirrorworld: Mirrorworld is a digitally created imitation of the real world where there are virtual twins representing real people, places and things. Mirrorworld worlds can often be seen in the Sci-fi genre, in series, movies, games and other fictional works. Examples can be seen in the Stranger Things series, the film series The Matrix and the book and the film of the same name Ready Player One. The metaverse could be one such mirrorworld tailored around the real world or some other fictitious world that we might see, for example, in a video game.

                Skeumorfni design: This strange term, in essence, describes a virtual world in which virtual objects are made to look very much like real objects. Such metaverses can be very similar to the real world, tailored in appearance and physics of the real world, but still not completely identical.

Digital twin: A digital twin is a virtual version of an actual object or structure. This term was first used in 1991 in David Gelernter's Mirror Worlds. The digital twin technology was first used by NASA in 2010 to simulate space capsules. Microsoft specifically emphasizes the need for this technology when building metaverses.

Avatar: Avatar is your virtual persona; A character that represents you in the metaverse. An avatar can look like you, like some cartoon character, or whichever way you want to create and show it to others.

Navigating the metaverse

MMORPGs ( massively multyplayer online role-playing game): are interactive games that form the basis of what many consider to be the metaverse; millions of people who are together in one place. A place where they can play games, build things, visit virtual stores and even go to concerts. Some examples of games like this are Fortnite, Roblox, Minecraft, etc.

Oculus and Horizon virtual study rooms: In 2014, Facebook bought Oculus for $2.3 million. Although the leading VR platform, Oculus will now be the gateway for all those who want to peek into Facebook's idea of the metaverse. Also, Facebook introduced virtual workrooms that are called Horizon Workrooms and function as VR's alternative to Zoom and similar platforms.

Second Life: Online virtual world created in 2003, Second Life is an example of the social experiences that mteaverse can provide. While not an MMORPG in the truesense of the word (not made as a game), Second Life is still an open-world social network with avatars. The metaverse could look like a VR version of Second Life.

Nonfungible token's (NFT): Blockchain-based certificates of authenticity of digital objects you own and proof that you own the object. NFTs serve as proof that you possess some virtual ownership in the metaverse.