[1st Reuters]–The official company name will be changed to “Meta Platforms” to show its stance of focusing on Facebook “Metaverse (giant virtual space)” related businesses. The company believes Metaverse will be the next mainstream Internet space to replace mobile.
It is generally understood that the Metaverse is a shared virtual world that can be accessed from different devices and can freely move between digital spaces. Long before Facebook CEO Zuckerberg brilliantly advertised in the form of large robots and digital trips to ancient Rome, many companies have actually called Ready Player One (Spielberg’s virtual network). We continue to create software and hardware that may be used in the future drawn by “Sci-fi movie set as the stage”.
It could take more than a decade for this metaverse to be fully realized. Cooperation between major technology companies will also be needed. In June, investment firm Roundhill Investments launched an exchange-traded fund (ETF) to profit from Metaverse-related businesses. A few hours before Facebook announced the name change, another investment company had set up a similar ETF.
The companies involved in the Metaverse are:
◎ Roblox
Robrox, a major gaming website that went public this year, envisions Metaverse as “a place where people can share a number of 3D experiences for learning, working, playing, creating and socializing.” The company’s goal is to provide users and developers with a way to create a digital world. The CEO also mentions the future of shopping and commerce on a platform with a virtual economy based on the company’s own currency.
◎ Microsoft
Microsoft CEO Nadella has announced this year that he will build an “enterprise metaverse” that blends digital and the real world. Microsoft, which developed the game machine “Xbox” and released the popular game content “Minecraft” to the world, is also important in the game industry. Phil Spencer, who heads the Xbox business, talks about plans for a “metaverse, or mixed reality structure.”
Facebook, which will change its official name to Meta Platforms from December 1, wants to be considered a Metaverse company rather than a social networking service (SNS). The company, which has about 3 billion users, has invested heavily in the fields of augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR), and the VR space “Horizon” accessed using the headset “Quest”. Is being built.
◎ NVIDIA
Semiconductor giant NVIDIA has built a platform “Omniverse” that connects the three-dimensional world with a shared virtual space. The omniverse used for simulating real buildings and factories is positioned as the basic structure when building the Metaverse.
◎ Unity
Unity software, which develops software used for video game design, may also sell technologies and means that can be used to build the metaverse.
◎ Snap
Snap, which runs Snapchat, a photo-sharing app, has been working on overlaying digital space in the real world for a long time, making full use of customized avatars and AR filters. Earlier this year, we announced the first glasses to bring AR to real life.
◎ Autodesk
Cloud software Autodesk creates programs that architects and engineers use to design buildings and products.The company’s software is also useful for building virtual worlds for games and entertainment.
◎ Tencent
China’s Tencent is the world’s largest video game company on a sales basis. It also holds shares in major game production companies such as Epic Games and Activision Blizzard. The South China Morning Post, an English-language newspaper in Hong Kong, reported that Tencent has registered a number of Metaverse-related trademarks for its instant messenger tool “QQ” this year.
◎ Epic Games
Epic created the popular game “Fort Knight” and developed it into a place where you can experience society by adding elements such as dance parties and virtual music concerts to the mother’s shooting game. Users can also dress their avatars in different dresses and create their own islands and games for a fee.
Epic also works on a game engine called “Unreal,” which is used not only for game development but also for visual effects such as the background of TV programs. CEO Sweeney has strongly criticized giant platformers such as Apple and the Alphabet, arguing that the Metaverse must be a common space for everyone to participate in.
◎ Amazon
Amazon.com, the world’s largest cloud service provider and provider of a variety of media services, is expected to play a role in the Metaverse.
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