Metaversed

LUIS BRAVO MARTINS is Chief Marketing Officer at KIT-AR, an Industry 4.0 startup focused on enhancing operators with augmented reality (AR) tools. Luis started working with AR in 2014 and since then became an enthusiast of its impact on business and society. He currently advises several organizations, like XR Safety Initiative Europe and the VR/AR Association, and coordinates the VR/AR section of APDC, Portugal’s telco, tech and media association. SAMANTHA G. WOLFE is the Founder of PitchFWD, an emerging tech consultancy that works with innovative companies on branding, marketing, and business strategies. Sam holds a MBA in Marketing and Finance from NYU Stern School of Business and teaches The Business of VR & AR, The Marketing of Innovation, and Avatars & Virtual Beings, all courses she created and developed as an Adjunct Professor at NYU Steinhardt. This is her second book.

Acknowledgments xv

Foreword xvii

Part 1: Get Ready 1

Chapter 1: Predictions 3

Size Matters 6

The Debate 7

Working Definition 8

Forecasts and Theories 9

Trends 10

Characteristics 12

Plan Ahead 15

Notes 17

Part 2: Understanding 19

Chapter 2: Technologies 21

Web3 21

The Spatial Web 24

5G, IoT, and Edge Computing 26

Digital Twins 29

Cloud Computing 30

Headsets and Glasses 32

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning 34

Blockchain 35

Woven Together 36

Notes 37

Chapter 3: The Race Has Begun 41

Pioneers in Virtual Space 43

Labyrinth 43

Second Life 45

Gaming- Verse 46

Roblox 48

Minecraft 49

Fortnite 50

Online Worlds for Sale 53

Infrastructure 55

Interface 56

Big Tech and 3D Content 57

Applications and Experiences 58

Conclusion 59

Notes 60

Chapter 4: New Rules 65

Governments 65

Cryptocurrencies 66

Public Standards Organizations 69

Creators and Communities 71

Disruptors and Academia 74

Deep Tech Start- Ups 75

Universities 76

Notes 77

Contents ix

Part 3: Opportunities 83

Chapter 5: A Great Reset 85

Personal Impact 86

Interpersonal Impact 88

SDGs and the Metaverse 90

Notes 96

Chapter 6: Doing Business in the Metaverse 97

Persistent Wallets 98

Are You Tokenized? 101

Business Models 103

Hybrid Experience Economy 106

New Jobs in the Metaverse 108

Notes 110

Chapter 7: Digitalizing Humans 113

Definitions 115

Facts 116

Creation 117

Embodiment, Presence, and Identity 118

The Real Influence of Virtual Influencers 120

Industry Applications 123

The Issues 125

Notes 128

Chapter 8: Metaversed Markets 133

Industry Applications 134

Art and Performance 134

Advertising, PR, Marketing 139

Retail 146

Gaming 152

Entertainment 154

Production 155

Sports and Fitness 160

Automotive, Aviation, and Aerospace 162

Military 164

Healthcare 166

Hospitality and Tourism 171

Architecture and Real Estate 173

Manufacturing 175

Training and Education 178

New Opportunities 184

Notes 186

Part 4: Challenges 197

Chapter 9: Understanding Reality 199

Seeking New Frontiers 201

Post- Truths in the Metaverse 203

Assumptions 206

A Protocol and an Engine 210

Governance and Access 213

Notes 215

Chapter 10: Privacy and Safety in the Metaverse 219

Data Issues 222

Your Internet of Things 224

Security 227

Social and Emotional 228

Harassment 229

Digital Cloning 230

Hacking 230

Society 231

Children’s Safety 232

Safety Controls 233

Notes 234

Chapter 11: New Rights and Regulations 237

Crypto Scams 238

New Medium and Platform Risks 241

Metaverse Dark Web 242

Challenges and Risks 242

Trust Across Worlds 243

Assess 245

Inform 246

Manage 247

Prevent 247

New Rules for New Ways 248

Notes 252

Chapter 12: The New Humanity 255

The Impact of Data 255

Reality, Digital, Technology 260

IoT (Internet of Things) 260

Wearables 261

Robotics 262

Self- Driving Cars 263

Exoskeletons 264

It’s All Connected 264

Where’s the Line? 265

Singularity 265

Post- Humanism 266

We Don’t Know Yet 269

Notes 270

Part 5: Preparation 273

Chapter 13: Building the Metaverse 275

Start Your Immersion 277

Play Video Games 277

Try Virtual Reality 278

Get Social in VR 279

Try Haptics 279

Try Augmented Reality 280

And, Yes, Crypto 280

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning 281

Wearables 282

Ubiquitous AR Cloud 282

Avatars and Digital Beings 282

Ethics, Trust, and Risks 285

Prepare 287

First Steps in Each Market 289

Art and Performance 289

Advertising, PR, Marketing 289

Retail 290

Entertainment and Music 291

News 291

Events 292

Casinos 293

Adult Entertainment 293

Sports and Fitness 293

Travel and Tourism 294

Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) and Real Estate 295

Transportation 296

Manufacturing 297

Health 298

Education 299

Governments’ Immediate Challenges 299

Notes 301

Chapter 14: A Toolbox for the Metaverse 303

Predictions 306

Technologies 307

Web3 and Blockchain 307

Spatial Web 309

5G, IoT, and Edge Computing 309

Digital Twins 310

Cloud Computing 310

XR 310

Headsets and Glasses 312

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning 313

Woven Together 314

The Race Has Begun 315

New Rules 316

A Great Reset 317

Doing Business in the Metaverse 317

Digitalizing Humans 318

Metaverse Markets 318

Interoperability 318

Privacy and Safety 319

Rights and Regulations 320

New Humanity 320

Building the Metaverse 321

Next Steps 321

Notes 322

Index 325

Acknowledgments

Major thanks to Nigel Wyatt for creating the opportunity, and to our team at Wiley— Jim Minatel, Melissa Burlock, Pete Gaughan, Patrick Walsh, and Barath Kumar Rajasekaran— for the trust and patience throughout this process. Thanks to all the experts who took the time to contribute their

unique insights to this book. Martina Welkhoff and Amy LaMeyer,for your preface and words of encouragement. Thanks to the inspiring members of our amazing metaverse ecosystem who contributed quotes to the book, namely (in alphabetical order): Alan Smithson, Alex Coulombe, Alina Kadblusky, Alon Grinshpoon, Amber Osbourne, Andres Leon-Geyer, Angeli Gianchandani, Anne

Ahola Ward, Antonia Forester, Antony Vitillo, Ash Richter, Ben Erwin, Brandon Powers, Brendan Bradley, Carla Gannis, Christina Heller, Cortney Harding, Christy Seville, Chris Valentine, Danilo

Castro, David Parisi, Elena Piech, Emily Olman, Gonçalo Prata, Henry Keyser, James Watson, Jan Pflueger, Jason Chung, Jason McDowell, Jesse Alton, Jimmy Vainstein, Joanna Popper, Juliana

Loh, Katie Hudson, Kavya Pearlman, Keisha Howard, Kiira Benzing, Linda Jacobson, Manuel Oliveira, Marco Magnano, Mariia Tintul, Marisa Borsboom, Mark Sage, Nuno Folhadela, Mike Pell,

Rafael Pavon, Regine Gilbert, Richard Ward, Robin White Owen, Sammy Popat, Sarah Hill, Sonya Haskins, Susan Persky, Susanna Pollock, Tupac Martir, Valentino Megale, Veronica Costa Orvalho,

Vince Kadlubek, and Unai Extremo.