Science fiction writer Neil Stevenson, in an interview with the Financial Times, called the conditions for the popularity of the metaverses and talked about the future of virtual reality.
He doubted the prospects of technology until people themselves decide to live in a digital world. This will require a unique “experiences that millions of people find worth having” to go to the metaverse.
According to Stevenson, reaching this level is extremely difficult. As an example of the successful implementation of the virtual world, he cited the 2021 Valheim video game. This is an open world survival sim that is procedurally generated on each playthrough – locations never repeat.
“I think people who spend a lot of time playing, especially multiplayer online games, are becoming accustomed to the idea of moving around in shared three-dimensional spaces. Which is clearly the most basic idea of the metaverse,” Stevenson said.
He also acknowledged the existence of games in which quality worlds are handcrafted. However, the writer is convinced that in the case of the metaverse, complete freedom of action and decentralization will be required.
Recall that in February, the manuscript of the cult novel “Avalanche” by Neil Stevenson was put up for auction at Sotheby’s. In the work of 1992, presumably, the term “metaverse” appeared for the first time.
In June 2022, Stevenson announced the launch of his own Lamina1 blockchain focused on virtual worlds and augmented reality. The project also involves the former president of the Bitcoin Foundation, Peter Vessenes.