How Close Are We?

We see Hiro entering the Metaverse and all the things he can
do there. Do you guys think we will ever have our equivalent of the Metaverse?
We have "WOW" and there are a large amount of people that pay to use
it. It seems similar to the Metaverse; people have clans and have their own
characters. The only difference is that we can experience "WOW"
through a computer screen. As soon as we develop goggles similar to Hiro's
we'll be even closer. People already spend a lot of time on WOW as it is. So
how close are we to a Metaverse?

I feel that we are a lot closer than many people think. Look at it this way: many video game companies, like Nintendo for example, are very committed to making virtural reality a reality. With the wii gamers can be more emersed in what they are playing than they ever could have before. Once the technology advances to the next level of game play I feel that being fully imersed in a game is completely possible. Add the increasing depth of role playing games like WOW and-viola-you've got yourself one heck of a gaming experience.

They even have a Exercise Wii or whatever it's called that's coming out soon.
About the Metaverse thing--do some people go in and get so engrossed in it that they never come out, even to eat or sleep in the real world? THat would be very scary.

And there is Second Life

John Edlund

YES!! I'll get started on my second life right away! If you guys don't see me in class, call an ambulance!

Just kidding! That's amazing though. I mean I knew about all of the online and gaming communities people join. I never knew that they had something like Second Life...

I believe that once we develope virtual technology that can be used in the gaming industry, and that everyone can get it, we will have something like the Metaverse. We are close with all the online gaming that millions participate in. But I feel once the fact of being able to see the world and characters in your own eyes persay, that will be the point of no return. Second life has really exploded in some areas. I know of people who are millionairs in the game, and even heard and seen on T.V. of people who have made millions in real life off of the things they do in the game(if you call it a game). I think this is where the game has become the persons life, not just a "second" one. Their work consists of working in the game not reality. All i can say is that when virtual mixes wtih reality, we are going to see things that we never thought would happen, good or bad.

Second Life! I remember hearing about that on an episode of The Office. I now must ask you all to watch this hilarious clip: click here!

very funny!!

When i read about the Metaverse it reminds me of someone playing something similar to the Sims. I think it someday we could have something close to the Metaverse and I think it would be cool to be able to meet and interact with people all over the world in some kind of internet world

I think I'm going to start a Second life just to see how it is. I wonder how this will turn out. They actually call it the Metaverse and they have communities you can join such as the Ben and Jerry's community. All the communities seem to be sponsored by different companies.

The idea is certainly here right now, with Second Life, etc. but the technology isn't quite here yet. We don't have anything like the librarian yet, unfortunately. Then again, there is development going on in the area of pf these "personal agents" and I think that such a thing could definitely exist in the future.

I think it's a scary thought to think about a Metaverse existing. So many people would be absorbed in the world and it would make it hard to unplug one's self from it.

Sounds like the Spy Kids 3-D movie. (yes, I watched it, and yes, it was dumb)
The kids plug into the game and can't come out--they're stuck there until someone wins the game...and I forgot the rest of the storyline.

I also heard about Second Life but never really tried it out. I did hear about advertising, lawyers, and businesses making transactions in Second Life.

When I first read him mention the Metaverse, I instantly thought of WoW. People can spend countless hours plugged into that and they definitely make friends and personalize their characters as if they were themselves.

Actually, since this thread has been created, I've gone a made an account on Second Life. Its all true what they say about it. It can be addicting because there are so many people out there to talk to. You can just walk up and overhear someone's conversation. You can also mess with a bunch of sliders to change your avatar's appearance. Then you can make things for your clothing also. They have their own currency there, which you can get by donating, filling out surveys, camping (sitting in a world to add to the traffic and make the world higher on the search list), or getting a job.

People actually rent space on Second Life to advertise, or sell their own creations. I have a tank (Tiger I from WWII) that I want to sell.


I live in a public sandbox, so there is always random stuff floating around that people are building. Hehe, there is a such thing as a hobo in Second Life!

I just don't see the allure of a metaverse. It would only allure me for videogames.

The Metaverse in the story seemed lame as the only senses used were sight and hearing. It also seemed inefficient that you had to travel. It needed a search engine.

the Metaverse would be better if you would plug into it like the Matrix, so that you experienced all the senses and it seemed real.

btexpress wrote:

the Metaverse would be better if you would plug into it like the Matrix, so that you experienced all the senses and it seemed real.

Sounds like reality to me, pal.

...

But.

If we could "plug" ourselves into a different world where all our senses worked as well as in reality, and this alternate universe required you to "plug" yourself back into reality to get back to it, then -

o.o

*backs slowly out of topic*