This book review was written by Eugene Kernes
“Here, then, is what I mean when I
write and speak about the Metaverse: “A massively scaled and interoperable
network of real-time rendered 3D virtual worlds that can be
experienced synchronously and persistently by an effectively
unlimited number of users with an individual sense of presence, and
with continuity of data, such as identity, history, entitlements,
objects, communications, and payments.”” – Matthew Ball, Chapter 3: A
Definition (Finally), Page 43
“Sending enough data and in a timely fashion is just one
part of the process of operating a synchronized virtual world. The data must also be understood, code must
be run, inputs assessed, logic performed, environments rendered, and so
on. This is the job of central
processing units (CPUs) and graphics processing units (GPUs), broadly described
as “compute.”” – Matthew Ball, Chapter 6: Computing, Page 98
“The concept, history, and future of the Metaverse are all intimately tied to gaming, as we’ve seen, and this fact is perhaps most obvious when we look at the basic code of virtual worlds. This code is typically contained in a “game engine,” a loosely defined term that refers to the bundle of technologies and frameworks that help to build a game, render it, process its logic, and manage its memory. In a simplified sense, think of the game engine as the thing that establishes the virtual laws of the universe – the ruleset that defines all interactions and possibilities.”
Is This An Overview?
The metaverse is a massive interoperable network that
enables people to synchronously experience virtual worlds with continuity of
data. A virtual place for people to
work, and find leisure in. There are
various hardware and software problems that would have to be overcome to enable
the metaverse.
Data would need to be interoperable, for different computer
systems or software to understand each other.
Products made in a software would need to be read and rendered in other
software. The virtual world would need
to have enough data sent, and sent quickly enough to be effective. While real world physics laws are ubiquitous,
for virtual worlds, codes would need to be written for every possible
interaction. Property rights would need
to be legislated to determine who the owner of the product is, and how would
the transaction be recorded.
Caveats?
As development of the metaverse is being led by the virtual
gaming industry, much of the book is about virtual games. There are examples and industries outside the
gaming industry, but the virtual gaming industry is prominent. Terminologies and technological
infrastructure problems can be of a general interest, but many of the
references can be more interesting to those who play the games.
