Neal Stephenson, the author of the 1992 novel Snow Crash, is believed to be the first to coin the term “metaverse”. In recent years, the term has become more popular, thanks in part to the success of the Meta project. Recently, Stephenson discussed his opinion on the future of the adoption of virtual worlds.
The sci-fi writer and co-founder of Lamina1, a blockchain metaverse company, believes that building experiences that millions of people consider worth having in virtual worlds is quite difficult, hampering the adoption process of the tech. He stated in an interview with the Financial Times that “There won’t be a metaverse that is used by millions of people until it contains experiences that millions of people find worth having, and making those experiences is quite difficult.”
Stephenson has established a clear relationship between the metaverse and gaming technology, citing Doom, the game created by ID Software’s John Carmack, as one of the games that kickstarted the metaverse era. He believes that blockchain and the metaverse have a natural relationship, enabling interconnection between the various worlds as part of a bigger world. The internal design of a metaverse can be done in a centralized way, but the movement of this data from one metaverse to another, part of a bigger metaverse, can be done using blockchain-based tools.
The author believes that blockchain-based tools can be used to create a decentralized network of interactions and financial transactions. This could help to build a metaverse that allows people to move freely from one environment to another. Stephenson and his team at Lamina1 are working on building a foundational layer for the creation of digital worlds that have an “engineering level that are a pretty good match with what blockchains are capable of.”
The concept of a metaverse has been around for decades, but its adoption has been slow. Stephenson believes that the success of the metaverse will depend on the quality of the experiences offered in the virtual world. The challenge is to create experiences that millions of people find worth having. Blockchain technology could be used to help create a decentralized network of interactions and financial transactions that could help to build a metaverse that allows people to move freely from one environment to another.
At the same time, blockchain technology could help to create a more secure and efficient way of connecting different virtual worlds. This could help to create a more immersive and secure experience for users, making it more attractive to a wider audience.
The potential of the metaverse is huge, but its success will depend on the quality of the experiences offered in the virtual world. Blockchain technology could be used to help create a decentralized network of interactions and financial transactions, making it easier for different virtual worlds to be connected. At the same time, blockchain technology could help to create a more secure and efficient way of connecting different virtual worlds, making it more attractive to a wider audience.
In conclusion, Neal Stephenson believes that the success of the metaverse will depend on the quality of the experiences offered in the virtual world. Blockchain technology could be used to help create a decentralized network of interactions and financial transactions, making it easier for different virtual worlds to be connected. At the same time, blockchain technology could help to create a more secure and efficient way of connecting different virtual worlds, making it more attractive to a wider audience.
