Dear Mark Zuckerberg…
I hate your stinking guts. You make me vomit.
You’re scum between my toes!
Love, Cas
Yes, Mark, we need to have a conversation about the Metaverse. I’m a bit later because
after Facebook’s announcement that they changed their name to Meta
I just needed time to collect my thoughts. I’m ready now and I’ve actually come to
a really important conclusion. Which we’ll talk about today. But first, let’s say the
Metaverse already exists. What would that look like?
Well, using any headset you have, we can finally teleport…
To a world where we can look how we want…
Where we can do what we want, like feed our Pokemon in Nintendo’s World.
“Here you go buddy”. “Oh SHIT my SPACE SHIP!”
Where we can take our Pokemon from Nintendo’s World to an epic space battle in Disney’s
World, seamlessly. The Metaverse is like the real world, except
you can go anywhere, do anything, be anyone, and make money while you’re at it - the
only limits are your own imagination. Think of it like a MMORPG version of the internet
that everyone plays, the servers are constantly running and never turns off.
Ok, this is an exaggerated, but not entirely unrealistic version of what Mark Zuckerberg
pitched to us at the beginning of this month. Mark envisions this world. He wants to build
the Metaverse. That’s why Facebook’s head company and all its immersive technologies
subsidiaries will now be called Meta. So yes, Oculus will also change to Meta. ☹
And it’s really coming, the Metaverse is going to be OUR future and if done well, I
think it’s going to be one of the most exciting things we’ll see in our life time. Some
people think it may be decades away, but we’re actually much further than they think. I’ll
proof it to you today. However, there is a lot that could go WRONG.
Ready Player One is a good example, in this book and movie the writer takes us to a future
where a virtual reality entertainment universe called the OASIS runs parallel to the real
world.
Sound familiar? The Metaverse is like the OASIS.
And the term Metaverse isn’t new either, though. It was coined by Neal Stephenson in
his novel called Snow Crash, which was published in 1992.
In that book, the Metaverse is similar to the OASIS in Ready Player One. And in in both
books, people go there to escape the harsh realities of life like addicts. It’s a dystopian
future, because they’re all usually controlled by one entity. An evil corporation that doesn’t
have the people’s interests at heart, but instead, they do what companies do. Make money.
So the shareholders sets the rules and people outside of it are suffering.
You are probably starting to get what is inherently WRONG about the Metaverses in these stories.
Of course, these are just stories. Stories have villains or else it wouldn’t be a very
exciting. Still, a lot of people are scared that Facebook will become that evil corporation
and I get that. I am worried of that too because Facebook’s business model is to collect
your data so they can sell ads based on it.
In the last few years, they didn’t take good care of all that data so it was taken
advantage of with disastrous outcomes. So yes, Facebook isn’t the kind of company
you want to rule the Metaverse.
There’s some good news. I don’t think they can own everything and this is my important
message. But before we move on. Give me a moment for today’s sponsor that we might
need in the Metaverse:
What da heck are you doing VPN: You know, my job! I’m your trusty Surfshark
VPN Companion. So I am protecting your router so any data you send over the internet cannot
be intercepted by unauthorized people.
Cas: Oh right. You work so seamless, I sometimes forget you exist. But while you’re here,
could you maybe explain again what you do for those new here?
VPN: It’s my pleasure! I can do a lot of things, too much to say in just one minute
but I’m sure there’s something for your needs. Like for Cas, I protect her on unlimited
devices on a single subscription, which you don’t often see with my competition.
Cas: RIGHT, and I love that you can go against GEOBLOCKING! I dunno about you but I always
have certain shows I rewatch all the time like the Big Bang Theory, which I can’t
stream in the US but I can in other countries so I use Surfshark for that.
VPN: Yes, and I’m also competitive priced. So if you’re looking for a trusty, easy
to install, VPN companion too. Then click the link below for THE HOLIDAY SPECIAL OFFER
of 83% off and FOUR extra months for free. Cas: With 30-day money-back guarantee, so
if you don’t like it, you can break up with her anytime. No hard feelings 😉
So there is much wrong but there is light in the dark. Of course, the metaverse doesn’t
exist yet. So no one knows what’ll become but I don’t think the Metaverse, as Mark
envisions it, will work if they try to control the whole thing. In my opinion, for the Metaverse
to work, this is what it should be.
Like in the stories, the Metaverse should be a virtual universe that runs simultaneously
to our real world. But it should be ONE big decentralized universe that contains multiple
little worlds - Let’s call them microverses. These microverses could be from any company,
not just Facebook but also Nintendo, Microsoft, Valve, you, or even your mom if she wanted
to.
But they’re all connected. Think of the Metaverse like the internet, but revolutionized.
That’s why people call it Web 3.0. Instead of using text and 2D images, we get 3D representations
of everything as it’s in VR and AR. So instead of leaving a mark as a bland IP address, you
are now actually present as your custom avatar and can visit the various microverses with
it seamlessly. We actually already have centralized metaverses;
think about VRChat.However, instead of one company controlling what you can make, you
can decide it yourself in the Metaverse. Which can only happen if it’s decentralized, built
on the blockchain. So owned by the people using it. Like, everyone can make a website
and say anything on the internet; you can do the same in the Metaverse. In VRChat, there’s
already so much to do as people are free to build what they want, so imagine what you
could do in a decentralized one.
If all Microverses are on the blockchain. This means all virtual goods you collected
in that one game stay with you. So you can bring that with you to other microverses seamlessly.
It would be amazing.
I know most of you are gamers. So let me give you a game example. Imagine you bought a very
expensive cosmetic in Fortnite. Now, if you’re sick of playing Fortnite, it’ll stay there
forever. Kind of wasted money. But if Fortnite was in the Metaverse, you can bring that cosmetic
with you to a different game and use it there. Or you could decide to sell it, get your real
money back, and buy something in the new game you want to play.
This may all sound pretty far-fetched, but it actually isn’t. The tech to make this
possible is already here. It’s the blockchain, crypto, and NFTs. I can’t go too technical
right now because the video would be too long, but basically, if you own an NFT, everyone
can verify that publicly on the blockchain, and it’s almost impossible to hack that.
So practically, NFTs could be used for your custom avatars so people won’t be able to
steal them. I mean, your avatar may look like you, so no one should be able to impersonate
you.
There are already companies making these kinds of decentralized games. I am actually playing
one right now, and just by spending time with the game, I got rewarded with in-game currency
that I could exchange for real money, and it was more than I made in a month. It was
kind of mind-blowing because I was playing the game just for fun, it was addictive, so
I didn’t expect it. This is the kind of Metaverse I want. Not
one that we go to escape our real-life problems, but one that will bring people together and
potentially unlock incredible ways to improve our lives, like giving everyone more opportunities
to make money. It’s not going to replace the internet, but it will enhance our real
lives just like the internet kinda did.
But while we have the tech, we are not entirely there yet. We are missing one thing, and that
is interoperability. That what exists today is not yet connected, and it’s not easy
to access yet. Like it shouldn’t matter what VR or AR headset you use - The Metaverse
should be hardware-independent.
That is what I think Facebook wants to build. Mark actually confirms what I say in this
interview with GaryVee, link is below. The problem is that we don’t know if they will
make it open or a walled garden, but I believe what Mark wants, won’t work if it’s closed
off. It just wouldn’t be able to flourish.
So I think it’s important right now to start working together and shape the Metaverse so
it does NOT become dystopian.
Don’t get me wrong. It’s okay to distrust Facebook; it’s actually really good to be
skeptical of them. However, instead of boycotting the whole thing, let’s tell Mark what we
want.
I’m not asking you to demonstrate in front of the Silicon Valley building. I’m just
asking you to do what you can. It could be something small, like just voicing your opinion
on social media or using the feedback button on your Quest. Send this video to friends,
leave the video a like as that supports us, or just talk about it with family, teaching
them why it’s important to protect their data. Small things make a huge impact.
Of course, it’s naïve thinking this will change everything. I mean, Facebook is still
a company. But then again, let them invest in this and let them build it. Because if
it’s nothing like what we want. Well, I’m sure someone else will listen, and we can
pack our bags and move.
How about we try something now. I’ll giveaway a VR game of your choice on any platform.
If you go on Twitter, click on this link in the description, and it’ll form a Tweet.
You can type whatever you want out of the Metaverse; just use the hashtags - so I can
find these posts and pick a random winner in a week. Join the rebellion.
Let me know what you think about all this in the comments below too.
I also wanted to let you know that I’ll also start referring Facebook and Oculus as
Meta from now on. Even though, I don’t like it, but as a full time YouTuber have to stay
relevant as people will start searching for Meta Quest soon. Sad times. But double-edged
sword. I’m also so excited for the Metaverse, but there are bright and dark sparks. So let’s
try and keep each other safe, I will keep doing my part with these kinds of videos.
Leave me a like to support us & thanks for watching. A special thanks goes to our Champs.
As always, VR on!