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1、THE METAVERSEWhat it is,what it does and why the mobile ecosystem will shape its evolutionC NTENTSINTRODUCTION.3EXECUTIVE SUMMARY.5DEFINITIONS:THE METAVERSE FACTS,FICTION AND HYPE.8IS THE METAVERSE HERE NOW?VIRTUAL GAMES AND WEB 3.0.11 WHY THE METAVERSE IS RELEVANT FOR YOU.14THE METAVERSE:CHALLENGES
2、.16MONETISING THE METAVERSE TODAY KEY PLAYERS AND BUSINESS MODELS.24METAVERSE HARDWARE:VIRTUAL REALITY AND AUGMENTED REALITY.30FINAL TAKE AWAY.32ABOUT MEF.34 2022 Mobile Ecosystem Forum Ltd2 WWW.MOBILEECOSYSTEMFORUM.COM01INTRODUCTIONThere is nothing more constant than change in the Mobile Ecosystem.
3、You can add the Metaverse to the long list of factors that are re-shaping our markets(or in the case of the Metaverse should I say will reshape).In terms of market chance,there is plenty to get your teeth into:the evolution of radio technology,the emergence of new business models,the new regulatory
4、structures and the social impact of mobile just to start off with.The Metaverse adds another layer of complexity,and it is not yet a fully formed concept either many find too early or confusing even to talk about.Nevertheless,it is worth considering early on:it has the potential to reshape the way w
5、e consume the Internet something comparable to the emergence of the apps for smartphones.This report is trying to demystify this new customer model,and is trying to guide you away from the hype and closer to the real business potential.In fairness,the Metaverse today is more of a theory than anythin
6、g else-and much could change.However,adding a new way to enjoy entertainment,education,work and information on the Internet is a phenomenal opportunity to grow or defend your existing business.IntroductionDARIO BETTI,CEO,MEFTHE METAVERSEBACK TO CONTENTS 2022 Mobile Ecosystem Forum Ltd4 WWW.MOBILEECO
7、SYSTEMFORUM.COM02EXECUTIVE SUMMARYTHE METAVERSEThe Metaverse is a hot topic in tech circles right now.At Mobile World Congress 2022,for example,the word was everywhere from the show floor to the conference sessions.But for all the talk,the Metaverse remains a slippery concept to grasp.There are so m
8、any unanswered questions:do you have to wear a headset to enter the Metaverse?Or can you simply scroll it on a phone screen?Do you need an avatar?Will there be one Metaverse or hundreds?And if there are many,do they have to connect to each other?Perhaps most important:is the Metaverse an addition to
9、 the existing internet or is it a complete replacement?There is no agreed-upon definition yet.But perhaps it is best to think about the Metaverse as a user experience(UX)layer on top of the existing Internet.By this description,the Metaverse moves internet users from the 2D experience of a web brows
10、er to a 3D virtual world in which they can meet people,play games,be entertained,do businesses or even go shopping.The next phase of the web?We might think about this transition as the next phase in a 30 year online story.First there was web 1.0,which let users share(mostly)text content via hyperlin
11、ks.In the late 1990s came the PC-based web,which added browsers,pictures,colour,audio and eventually video.By the mid 2010s the world had moved on the Web 2.0.This added a social dimension.The web became platform through which people could create and share their own content.This is the internet of F
12、acebook,Twitter and YouTube.Now Web 3.0 is possibly imminent.This is the decentralised web built on top of artificial intelligence and Blockchain technology.It has the potential to give users more autonomy and privacy and also remove the need for intermediaries to manage networks.At present,Web 3.0
13、is mostly theoretical and the subject of heated debate.But the consensus is that it could reduce the dependence on big technology companies running large services.Its important to remember that the Metaverse is not the same as Web 3.0.But the two are linked.We can assume that many Metaverse projects
14、 will be built on top of this distributed ledger architecture(the basis of blockchain).In fact,a small number of pioneering projects Decentraland being a prominent example are already testing the potential of marrying virtual worlds with a self-sovereign foundational structure.The Metaverse nowHowev
15、er,many early Metaverse experiments are not built on Web 3.0.They are centralised immersive worlds that run on todays Wi-Fi and 5G networks.And they are being built by some of the worlds leading tech companies.Facebook is at the forefront of this activity.It changed Executive summary 2022 Mobile Eco
16、system Forum Ltd6 WWW.MOBILEECOSYSTEMFORUM.COMBACK TO CONTENTSTHE METAVERSEits name to Meta such is its faith in the Metaverse concept and has launched projects such as Horizon World to test its potential.Other experiments indicate that you might not even require holographic 3D or a headset to acces
17、s the Metaverse.Minecraft and Roblox are good examples of games turned into virtual worlds.These games demonstrate many of the qualities we associate with the Metaverse concept persistence,avatars,mass participation etc but can be accessed easily on a smartphone.Are they true Metaverses?Experts disa
18、gree.But its revealing that huge brands such as Nike,H&M and Sothebys are building prototype presences in these 3D worlds.Whatever our definitions,we can agree that the Metaverse remains an embryonic idea.This is partly for conceptual reasons.But also technical.Super fast connectivity and extremely
19、low latency will be required to support the full-on Metaverse experience.For this reason,the underlying Wi-Fi and 5G networks need to evolve too.Commercial potentialStill,in this formative period,it is important to keep on top of developments.Why?Because without a doubt,the Metaverse will eventually
20、 create business opportunities for all stakeholders in the mobile ecosystem.Huge companies are aware of this.In parallel with Facebook/Meta,Google is working on a metaverse-updated version of its interactive glasses.Meanwhile,Epic Games has raised$1bn to support its internal development of a Metaver
21、se.At the start of 2022,global investment bank Goldman Sachs predicted that the Metaverse could be an$8 trillion opportunity.Its an eye-popping number.And it reflects the growing belief that the Metaverse is not just a collection of multiplayer 3D games.Instead,it is a new UX layer for the internet
22、one that every brand,retailer and enterprise will need to embrace.The Mobile Ecosystem Forum membership comprises some of the worlds foremost experts in digital commerce,identity,communication and entertainment.Naturally,our members are already thinking about how their knowledge and experience will
23、translate across to the Metaverse.This white paper is part of that thought process.The aim here is to:l Outline the origins of the Metaversel Provide some definitionsl Give examples of existing projectsl Describe the technological advances that are making the Metaverse feasiblel Explore how MEFs key
24、 areas of focus payments,identity,trust,communications apply to the Metaverse 2022 Mobile Ecosystem Forum Ltd7 WWW.MOBILEECOSYSTEMFORUM.COMBACK TO CONTENTS03DEFINITIONS:THE METAVERSE FACTS,FICTION AND HYPETHE METAVERSEThe Metaverse is embryonic.For all the hype around the topic,there is still no agr
25、eed consensus on exactly what it is.This is understandable.In all technological speculation there is always a degree of guesswork.Still,plenty of industry insiders have tried to define the Metaverse.We can use their analyses to come to a better and simpler understanding of the term.And it seems that
26、 the best way to do so is by starting with the user experience.The Metaverse:UX at the centreIf we look back across the history of computing,we can see how advances in the user experience are frequently the start point for rapid innovation.Think of the graphical user interface.When point,click and c
27、ursor took over from typed instructions,it enabled Amazon,eBay and Google to prosper.Now think of the mobile touch screen.When users started to swipe and tap,it kickstarted the age of Tinder,Uber and TikTok.So perhaps its best to think about the Metaverse in these terms as a user experience(UX)layer
28、 on top of the existing Internet.Framing it this way,we understand that the Metaverse is not the internet itself.Instead,it is a UX layer that moves people from the 2D experience of a web browser screen to a three-dimensional virtual world.In the Metaverse,people can create a new digital presence(po
29、ssibly an avatar)through which they can meet other users,go to concerts,buy things,conduct meetings or work all without the need to be physically present.And the way that they will interact will be much more natural than it is in todays digital spaces.Today,people click or scroll or tap on screens a
30、nd keyboards.In the Metaverse they may well use gestural interactions,voice control or gaze detection.This above description of the Metaverse is a good place to start.However,as we have stressed,there are many other takes out there.Its worth noting some of them.What Zuck saysPerhaps a good place to
31、start is with Mark Zuckerberg,the CEO of Facebook/Meta.Given that Zuckerberg has wagered his future on the concept(and re-named his company in the process),his definition should be illuminating.At the launch of Meta,he said:“The Metaverse will feel like a hybrid of todays online social experiences,s
32、ometimes expanded into three dimensions or projected into the physical world.It will let you share immersive experiences with other people even when you cant be together and do things you couldnt do in the physical world 2022 Mobile Ecosystem Forum Ltd9 WWW.MOBILEECOSYSTEMFORUM.COMDefinitions:The Me
33、taverse facts,fiction and hypeBACK TO CONTENTSTHE METAVERSE“You can think about the metaverse as an embodied internet,where instead of just viewing content you are in it.”Another useful way to understand the Metaverse concept is to think less about what it is and more about what it does.For this,a s
34、ummary was put forward by the VC Matthew Ball.In a series of long and widely-read blog posts about the Metaverse he argued that it should:Be persistent The Metaverse never pauses.It just continues indefinitely.Be synchronous and liveIt is a living experience that exists in real-time.Be without any c
35、ap to concurrent usersEveryone can participate in The Metaverse at the same time and with individual agency.Be a fully functioning economyIndividuals and businesses can create,own,invest and sell.Span both the digital and physical worldsThe Metaverse will support private and public networks/experien
36、ces,and open and closed platforms.Make digital items and content interoperableUsers will be able to take their content from one virtual world to any other.Make content creation available to anybodyContributors can be independent individuals and commercial enterprises.Its been pointed out that many o
37、f the above criteria could easily apply to todays 2D internet.This is a fair comment.For this reason,its important to consider each of these Metaverse characteristics in the context of an immersive 3D experience.2022 Mobile Ecosystem Forum Ltd10 WWW.MOBILEECOSYSTEMFORUM.COMWhat might life be like in
38、side a mature Metaverse?Heres a scenario as imagined by Mastercard in a 2021 post“Imagine you are having coffee with a friend in the park.She mentions a pair of sneakers she likes and suggests you might like them too.In an instant,a selection of sneakers flashes up into your peripheral vision.As the
39、 digital images float by,she details the style,allowing your AI assistant to fine-tune your selection.You see the sneakers she recommended but you dont like some of the detailing.Your AI assistant copies them and open up your customizer.With a simple swipe,you give your friend access and together yo
40、u swap out the laces and tweak the colour combination.With another gesture,you buy the sneakers and purchase an NFT version to dress your holographic avatar.Theyll be delivered from the on-demand factory later in the week.You say goodbye to your friend and tap your smart glasses to leave the park.Bu
41、t in fact,you never left your couch.”A MOMENT IN THE METAVERSEBACK TO CONTENTS04IS THE METAVERSE HERE NOW?VIRTUAL GAMES AND WEB 3.0THE METAVERSE 2022 Mobile Ecosystem Forum Ltd12 WWW.MOBILEECOSYSTEMFORUM.COMIf there is debate around what the Metaverse is,it stands to reason that there is equal disag
42、reement about what it is not.This discussion usually centres on two grey areas:virtual 3D games and web 3.0.Both have properties we can ascribe to the Metaverse:immersive,persistent,decentralised,massively multi-participant.And since there are multiple live projects that fall into these two categori
43、es,many people will listen to the talk about the Metaverse and say:doesnt this stuff exist already?Virtual 3D gamesThe sprawling persistent world of Second Life launched in 2003 and certainly set a template for future metaverses.Though it is still live,the limits of noughties technology prevented it
44、 from truly taking off.One can argue that todays virtual world games World of Warcraft,Roblox,Fortnite and others are the true successors of Second Life.They started as games but evolved into immersive social experiences.They all let players meet in vast virtual spaces,have fun,shop and enjoy collec
45、tive online events such as concerts.Is the Metaverse here now?Virtual games and web 3.0BACK TO CONTENTSTHE METAVERSE 2022 Mobile Ecosystem Forum Ltd13 WWW.MOBILEECOSYSTEMFORUM.COMCertainly,these worlds offer parallel digital experiences that are highly engaging.But its also true that navigating them
46、 today is essentially a traditional experience.To enter Nikes space in Roblox you need to download the Roblox app,search for Nike(by typing)and then click on the 2D Nike icon in the results.This is a lot of traditional web UX before arriving at the immersive 3D experience.So are these projects the M
47、etaverse,then?Well,as an article in Wired points out,“saying that Fortnite is the Metaverse is a bit like saying Google is the internet.Even if you can,theoretically,spend large chunks of time in Fortnite,socialising,buying things,learning,and playing games,that doesnt necessarily mean that it encom
48、passes the entire scope of the metaverse.”Wired argues that companies such as Google have built parts of the internetphysical data centres,security layers in the same way that Fortnite creator Epic Games might be building parts of the metaverse.It argues that other companiesincluding Nvidia,Unity an
49、d Roblox are contributing vital components of the infrastructure too.So maybe its more accurate to call these early worlds proto-metaverses and speculate that the revolutionary impact will come when they mature further or even combine together in a more interoperable Metaverse.To put this in a more
50、familiar way,the ultimate vision is a future in which an individual can do something in one virtual world(have a conversation,buy something,play a game)and then continue that activity seamlessly in any other.(see chapter on monetising the Metaverse)Web 3.0The conversation about the Metaverse is happ
51、ening at the same time as the discussion of Web 3.0.Certainly,the two concepts share some characteristics.But they are not the same thing.Essentially Metaverse is about experience,while Web 3.0 is about structure.In short,Web 3.0 is a new architecture for the web.It is built on decentralised protoco
52、ls that are:l Open.They are built from open source software created by an accessible community of developers.l Trustless.The network lets participants to interact publicly or privately without a third party.l Permissionless.Anyone can participate without authorisation from a governing body.How might
53、 this link to the Metaverse?Well,any Metaverse built on a Web 3.0 structure might more easily let participants own their assets and be properly compensated for their time and data.Meanwhile the decentralised nature of a Web 3.0 network might also make it better placed than a centralised network to s
54、upport millions of simultaneous participants and transactions.Some companies are already building Web 3.0 based Metaverses.They include Decentraland and The Sandbox.But,to repeat,Web 3.0 and Metaverses are not the same.BACK TO CONTENTS05WHY THE METAVERSE IS RELEVANT FOR YOUTHE METAVERSE 2022 Mobile
55、Ecosystem Forum Ltd15 WWW.MOBILEECOSYSTEMFORUM.COMHistory teaches us that every time the Internet introduces a new user experience,new commercial models invariably follow.The emerging status quo challenges the incumbents and creates opportunities for innovative market entrants.The Metaverse will inv
56、ariably throw up a new generation of important new enterprises.1.Text and image-based internet Search engines,Google,Wikipedia,Amazon,eBay2.Sharing and user-generated content internet Social media,Facebook,Twitter,Instagram3.Video streaming Netflix,Disney Plus,Hulu4.Always on mobile apps Uber,Tinder
57、,WeChat,TikTok,Deliveroo,Getir5.Immersive 3D Metaverse Roblox,Fortnite,Horizon WorldsThe Metaverse might also change the way employees work just as the internet did.Business leaders seem to think it will.In March 2022,Accenture reported the results of a survey of more than 4,600 business leaders acr
58、oss 23 industries in 35 countries.It found 71 percent of executives believe the Metaverse will have a positive impact on their organization while 42 percent believe it will be breakthrough or transformational.Why the Metaverse is relevant for youThe term“Metaverse”was first used by sci-fi author Nea
59、l Stephenson in his 1992 novel,Snow Crash.In the story,his characters strap on headsets in order to disappear into a virtual world using avatars of themselves.They play games,make friends and even use virtual currencies to buy virtual things.As so often happens,real life imitates fiction.Its a matte
60、r of record that the tech world loves Stephenson.He is a friend of Amazons Jeff Bezos.He was“Chief Futurist”at AR company Magic Leap.Google founder Sergey Brin has stated that Snow Crash had a particular influence on him.METAVERSE BEGINNINGS:THE ORIGIN OF THE WORDEnterprises will have to consider th
61、e new skills they will need to navigate the Metaverse economy just as they adapted to a world of web sites and apps.They will need to find employees with expertise in 3D modelling and avatar design.They might have to re-think event strategy,virtual inventory,customer relations and more.The Metaverse
62、 could also change the nature of work.Some gamers on Metaverse games such as Roblox already make money from creating tools,characters and assets in these platforms.Its easy to imagine that such many more such opportunities will arise in a more mature Metaverse.In an open global marketplace,what impa
63、ct might this have on immigration and other macro-economic factors?So while the Metaverse is still conceptual in many ways,the mobile ecosystem community should be thinking carefully about the opportunities it will yield.BACK TO CONTENTS06THE METAVERSE:CHALLENGES THE METAVERSE 2022 Mobile Ecosystem
64、Forum Ltd17 WWW.MOBILEECOSYSTEMFORUM.COMIf we define the Metaverse as a new UX layer for the internet,then we can assume that it will face the internets key challenges ownership and control,identity,trust,payments,communication etc.So lets explore these topics in more detail.Who will own the Metaver
65、se?Over the last decade the issue of data privacy has risen to prominence.Authors have written books about corporate surveillance,regulators have passed laws to limit data collection,and major companies have enacted policy changes to avoid allegations of creepy tracking.Obviously,in a Metaverse worl
66、d,where consumers live(for periods)inside immersive 3D worlds,these concerns will intensify.Today its possible to track a persons site visits,purchases and mouse clicks.In an embodied Metaverse,it might be feasible to gather biometric information where the eyes go,body temperature etc.This has led c
67、ommentators to speculate about the ownership of Metaverses.To sum up,Internet libertarians are concerned about a walled garden Metaverse run by private companies.They dont want to see social giants or VR device makers control the Metaverse as they control much of the internet today.The Metaverse:cha
68、llenges BACK TO CONTENTSTHE METAVERSE 2022 Mobile Ecosystem Forum Ltd18 WWW.MOBILEECOSYSTEMFORUM.COMThese groups argue that Metaverses built on Web 3.0 offer a more democratic alternative.They believe Web 3.0s structure can underpin a Metaverse that is closer to Tim Berners-Lees original vision for
69、the Web where“no permission is needed from a central authority to post anything.there is no central controlling node,and so no single point of failure.and no kill switch.”Yes,its a utopian vision.And as we have discussed,some Web 3.0 based Metaverses Decentraland,The Sandbox,Axie Infinity are alread
70、y under construction.But,equally,it can be argued that centrally owned entities do tend to win out in the real world.User-controlled organisations can be anarchic.Most of the time,consumers prefer the clarity and certainty that come with central planning.TWO APPROACHES TO METAVERSE OWNERSHIPWeb 2.0
71、Examples Fortnight,Roblox Organisational structure Centrally owned by shareholdersData storage Central serverPayments platform Credit/debit card,bank transferPayments type In-game currencyDigital asset type Leased and locked inside the platform Content business model Platform takes a rev shareWeb 3.
72、0Examples Decentraland,The SandboxOrganisational structure Community owned and governed as a DAO,or “Decentralized Autonomous Organization”Data storage Decentralised and local Payments platform Ethereum et al/crypto wallets Payments type Cryptocurrency and tokensDigital asset type Transferrable NFTs
73、 Content business model P2P:developers earn revenue from sales of digital items and users can earn through participation Identity in the MetaverseAs all MEF members know,identity is a key challenge in the digital age.In any transaction,trust matters.But when individuals transact with each other remo
74、tely,trust is elusive.You cant see the other party.You cant examine physical identity documents.In the absence of a strong identity layer,fraud and misinformation proliferates.To put it simply,being someone else is far easier online.These issues have not been solved in the current Internet era.The M
75、etaverse just makes them even more challenging.Questions arise such as:should every avatar be backed by a real identity and how can people migrate their identity across multiple worlds?A shared and trusted identity layer for all Metaverses would help.But who should provide it?BACK TO CONTENTSTHE MET
76、AVERSE 2022 Mobile Ecosystem Forum Ltd19 WWW.MOBILEECOSYSTEMFORUM.COMIts also possible that,over time,a users avatar will accumulate digital items,characteristics and assets just as we do in real life.This will increase the pressure to create a dependable avatar identity that persists over time.Iden
77、tity issues dont just apply to users.They also apply to brands.Recent years have seen a proliferation of fake brand phishing messages designed to deceive consumers.The fraudsters will certainly look for ways to do the same as enterprises start to transact on the Metaverse.Some security/trust special
78、ists have been thinking carefully about this topic.One of them,Tozny,says the following five identity practices should be a native feature of the metaverse:l Users should be able to bring their identity from a variety of services into a variety of VR/AR platforms and apps.Any metaverse identity on A
79、pple should be reusable on Meta,for example,and should be able to communicate with people on different platforms in a variety of services.l Users should be able to share attributes,claims and data across multiple services.When logging into a Metaverse app,a user should be able to selectively bring a
80、long information and share it with the platform and other users.This could include age,privacy preferences,and so on.l Users should be able to adopt personas according to their level of interaction with a platform and other people.The way they identify themselves personally to various apps and servi
81、ces should not be the default way they identify themselves to the public or communities.That is,the user should have control over an anonymous or semi-anonymous public persona.Transactions,communications,and other kinds of trust-based interactions can be handled anonymously to avoid abuse.l Users sh
82、ould be able to share attributes without revealing their complete identities.For example,the ability to prove their age without revealing birthday,name,or contact information.l Safety.The platform should know if a user has been blocked for bad behaviour.This can mitigate the trolling thats endemic t
83、o a lot of online communities.Payments in the MetaverseBrands are already experimenting with commerce inside the Metaverse.Clearly,the Metaverse has the potential to host a vast number of transactions.This raises the question:how will our avatars pay for stuff on the Metaverse?One option is,of cours
84、e,credit cards.However,card payments on the existing web already face many challenges(fraud,user experience).These problems will invariably migrate over to virtual Metaverse platforms.This may be why many web 3.0 based Metaverse projects frequently offer their own blockchain currency.For example,Dec
85、entraland and The Sandbox offer respectively MANA and SAND.Cryptocurrency payments are borderless,nearly instantaneous,and offer users a degree of anonymity and privacy that is not found with traditional payment methods.Obviously,users can convert their cryptocurrencies into local fiat currencies in
86、 order to spend the funds in their Metaverse wallets in the real world.BACK TO CONTENTSTHE METAVERSE 2022 Mobile Ecosystem Forum Ltd20 WWW.MOBILEECOSYSTEMFORUM.COMAnother crucial feature of cryptocurrencies is that they are programmable.Platforms can program them to compensate a user who has done so
87、me kind of work inside a network.No single intermediary can control this code to lock out any participant or seller.Non-fungible tokens(NFTs)might also become a possible Metaverse form of payment.NFTs are unique digital assets created and stored on blockchain platforms like Ethereum and EOS.They are
88、 often used as tokens of ownership for digital assets,such as virtual land,tickets and game items.Its possible that future Metaverses will allow users to barter NFTs in return for products or services.Needless to say,cryptocurrencies(or crypto)and NFTs come with many shortcomings.Most consumers are
89、still unfamiliar with them.Their user interfaces can be clunky and there is little of the consumer protection(around refunds etc)that conventional card payments allow.Indeed,there is much work to be done to clarify the legal compliance and security issues around crypto too.Look at Facebook.Its attem
90、pt to create a global digital currency(Libra/Diem)was crashed by regulations.An agreed legal framework will be needed for digital currencies to go truly mainstream.For these reasons,credit and debit cards are the default for todays predominant Metaverse games.Players of Roblox et al use special in-g
91、ame currency to buy digital items.But they use traditional cards to buy this currency(On Fortnite,the currency is V-Bucks.On Roblox,its Robux).BACK TO CONTENTSTHE METAVERSE 2022 Mobile Ecosystem Forum Ltd21 WWW.MOBILEECOSYSTEMFORUM.COMThe use of native in-game currency raises legal questions.It appe
92、ars that users dont really buy Metaverse goods,they license them on an indefinite and therefore revocable basis.Fine for a skin,but not so good when paying thousands of dollar for digital land etc.INSIDE THE METAVERSE ECONOMY MARGINS AND REV SHARESWherever there are platforms,they are usually argume
93、nts around business models.How much should the platform charge?Whats a fair return for the work they do?These debates have raged for decades from musicians suing record labels over percentages to Epics court battle with Apple over app store rules.At this early stage,the rev share for developers on t
94、he dominant Metaverse games platforms is often pretty low.For example,Roblox pays developers just 28 cents per dollar spent.Here is how the shares divide up.App Stores&Payment Processing Fees 24.3%Platform Hosting&Support 16.8%Platform Investment 11.1%Roblox Share 19.6%Developer Share 24.5%It seems
95、inevitable that the same arguments around business models will arise as the Metaverse develops.It will probably become even more complex.Why?Because the question of how much to compensate creators will become more important.Todays social networks do not pay participants for their posts,likes and sha
96、res.On the Metaverse,where there will be opportunities to create much richer content,users might expect to be.Communication in the MetaverseIn every previous iteration of the internet,communication has been key.If and when internet users begin migrating over to an immersive 3D version of the web,the
97、n we can expect communication(more precisely:messaging)to play an important role in the experience.This applies to both P2P and B2C.Nevertheless,messaging on the Metaverse will raise interesting new questions.Firstly,theres the question of input method.In a 3D virtual world especially one accessed v
98、ia a headset tapping on a touchscreen will not be feasible.What are the alternatives?Experts addressed this issue on a MEF webinar in March 2022.They agreed that speech-to-text could provide an answer for simple requests.Another possibility is to type on a virtual keyboard using the controllers that
99、 come with most headsets.In both cases advances in predictive text may help remove friction.Enterprises will need to consider this question as e-commerce migrates over to this new UX.MEF member Summit Tech is already experimenting with a more immersive form of online selling using 360 cameras and li
100、ve two-way video(see box).It recognises the need for messaging to evolve as users learn to click on virtual QR codes that generate on-screen chat bots.BACK TO CONTENTSTHE METAVERSE 2022 Mobile Ecosystem Forum Ltd22 WWW.MOBILEECOSYSTEMFORUM.COMIn its trials,Summit Tech is using RCS and other standard
101、 messaging platforms to host these conversations.It believes that brands in the Metaverse should be able to plug in existing messaging APIs in order to communicate with users.Needless to say,if Metaverse messaging proliferates it will probably become a channel for malpractice.We may well see new kin
102、ds of phishing blight the medium.It will likely become a target for spam.As with previous channels,Metaverse stakeholders will need to be vigilant and develop a collective response to these threats.LIVE SELLING BY 360 DEGREE VIDEOThe UX and design specialist Summit Tech believes it is possible to ac
103、celerate towards a kind of immersive Metaverse commerce with todays technology.To prove it,it has developed its own platform Odience.Summit Tech describes Odience as an“8K 360 VR tiled video streaming solution that seamlessly integrates social messaging,calling and sharing,together with ecommerce AI
104、 chatbots.”Its main target is online retailers,events,e-sports and social media influencers.Summit argues that brands and influencers already do live events on Facebook,Instagram and YouTube,but that these events are limited in terms of their interactivity and commercial potential.Odience addresses
105、this by turning any live stream into a richly interactive social event.The hosts just need to connect a 360 camera to the platform and they can overlay live streaming with chat bots,two-way in-stream video calls,rich messaging conversations,shopping events and more.Summit Tech has already piloted th
106、e platform with several partners,one of which was Vodafone UK.It used Odience to put on a live cooking demonstration to showcase its 5G MEC(Multi-access Edge Computing)network.BACK TO CONTENTSTHE METAVERSE 2022 Mobile Ecosystem Forum Ltd23 WWW.MOBILEECOSYSTEMFORUM.COMKey technology powering the Meta
107、verseIf we accept that the Metaverse is a UX for the fourth generation computing platform after PC,desktop internet and mobile then we must acknowledge that it will demand a new generation technological architecture.Mark Zuckerberg,Metas founder and CEO,said as much in a statement he made on the eve
108、 of Mobile World Congress 2022.He said:“Creating a true sense of presence in virtual worlds delivered to smart glasses and VR headsets will require massive advances in connectivity.Bigger than any of the step changes weve seen before.Things like remote rendering over edge compute cloud and wide-scal
109、e immersive video streaming will take entirely new types of networks.”Clearly,the Metaverse demands connectivity that is capacious(it can support millions of simultaneous players),fast(it can generate rich real time graphics)and low latency(it can reduce the lag between player activity and what happ
110、ens on screen).5G is one option.Standalone 5G is not just faster 4G.Its a new type of network,built on cloud infrastructure rather than the(mostly)physical network components that underly previous cellular generations.This brings radical improvements in speed,bandwidth and capacity.5G can reach up t
111、o 10 gigabits per second.Thats around 100 times faster than 4G.And it reduces latency to as little as one millisecond.By contrast,4G delivers 40 to 60 m/sec.However,advances this dramatic are still some years away.5G is nowhere near mainstream.Fixed line fibre networks offer a viable alternative of
112、course.And network advances can help.Todays broadband networks often use content delivery tools to push processing closer to the end user and ensure the data has less distance to travel.The networks can also use predictive algorithms to second guess what a user will do next,and thereby reduce latenc
113、y.Obviously todays Metaverse experiments provide a sandbox environment in which to test some of these ideas.BACK TO CONTENTS07MONETISING THE METAVERSE TODAY KEY PLAYERS AND BUSINESS MODELS THE METAVERSE 2022 Mobile Ecosystem Forum Ltd25 WWW.MOBILEECOSYSTEMFORUM.COMIf the Metaverse doesnt really exis
114、t yet,then why does app industry analyst data.ai(formerly App Annie)predict that Metaverse-related app projects will generate$3.1 billion in consumer spending in 2022?Because it is referring to a specific cohort of virtual 3D worlds Roblox,Minecraft,Fortnite that it defines as Metaverse mobile games
115、.Its not alone in seeing games as legitimate Metaverses.In a frank interview in 2021,John Carmack,the consulting CTO of Facebook-owned Oculus,said:“Minecraft and Fortnite are closer to the Metaverse than anything Facebook has built,or frankly,is likely to build,unless we wind up getting really lucky
116、.”So lets dig deeper into these products and others that demonstrate Metaverse properties.MinecraftIn an October 2021 article,the New York Times writer Clive Thompson wrote:The Metaverse Is Already Here Its Minecraft.Minecraft is a sandbox video game developed by Mojang Studios and now owned by Micr
117、osoft.The game lets players explore a blocky and virtually infinite 3D world in which they can discover raw materials,make tools and build structures or simple machines.They can also fight or cooperate with other players.Minecraft is the best-selling video game of all time,with over 238 million copi
118、es sold and more than 141 million monthly active users as of August 2021.So what are the arguments that Minecraft is a Metaverse?Here are Thompsons.l Its decentralized nobody owns Minecraft.Anyone can create inside it.They can create their own multiplayer world on a rented server.Or they can visit m
119、assive open servers where tens of thousands of other players compete in minigames such as Hypixel.l Its low tech and easy to join.Though there is a VR option,its not necessary.Players can have deeply immersive experiences on even ageing laptops.l Its creative.Minecraft is pointless for players who d
120、ont create:making shelter,making weapons and growing food.l Its open and hackable.The game gives players the ability to hack,which keeps it vibrant.Players can invent new tools and worlds,and this autonomy is why people are devoted to the game.l Its fun.This might seem like an obvious statement,but
121、people do need a reason to keep Monetising the Metaverse today key players and business models BACK TO CONTENTSTHE METAVERSE 2022 Mobile Ecosystem Forum Ltd26 WWW.MOBILEECOSYSTEMFORUM.COMcoming back to a Metaverse.They might make friends in Minecraft and this might become its biggest appeal but they
122、 go there in the first place to play.l Its an economy.The Minecraft Marketplace lets players buy skins,texture packs and mini-worlds from other players.In 2021,these creators generated$350 million in revenue.RobloxRoblox is similar to Minecraft in that it offers a virtual world with the emphasis on
123、open-ended play and discovery.But the platform has been much more aggressive in its desire to broaden its offering beyond gaming and into events and shopping.A key driver of Robloxs commercial activity is user personalisation.Players can update their avatars by paying for digital accessories with th
124、e platforms own currency:Robucks.Anyone can build and sell designs,and Roblox says individual creators earn around$500 million a year.Inevitably,brands have entered the Roblox Metaverse.In 2021,Roblox hosted the Gucci Garden,a two-week art installation.Players were given a blank avatar to walk throu
125、gh various themed rooms.They could then personalise their avatar by trying on/purchasing digital Gucci products.The experiment attracted 20 million visits,and generated hundreds of thousands of sales.Other notable brand partnerships include the Vans World virtual skate park,which drew 40 million vis
126、its in its first month,and Nikeland.The latter hosts virtual sports games and also lets players personalise their avatars with Nike items in a virtual showroom.In June 2021,Netflix launched a game on Roblox that let players visit a virtual version of the 80s-era Starcourt Mall from its show Stranger
127、 Things.Alongside brand experiences,Roblox has also gone big on virtual events.One of its milestone concerts featured rapper Lil Nas X.His November 2020 virtual gig attracted 36.9 million visits with virtual merchandise sales in seven figures according to reports.BACK TO CONTENTSTHE METAVERSE 2022 M
128、obile Ecosystem Forum Ltd27 WWW.MOBILEECOSYSTEMFORUM.COMFortniteEpic Games Fortnite is a survival game where 100 players drop onto an island and fight to be the last player standing.It is a gaming phenomenon with more than 350 million registered players.It is also a cash cow.Fortnite has been a pion
129、eer of player enhancement(selling skins,characters and even dances).This grossed Epic Games$5.1 billion in revenue in 2020.It has also been at the forefront of virtual events,hosting record-breaking concerts by Travis Scott,Ariana Grande and others.Epic Games has made no secret of its desire to expa
130、nd beyond gaming into a wider virtual world.In 2021,it announced a$1.78 billion round and said it would use the money to“build a new kind of digital ecosystem using real-time 3D technology,services that connect hundreds of millions of people,and a digital storefront that offers a fair business model
131、.”DecentralandWhat makes Decentraland different?The clue is in the name.Its a virtual reality platform powered by decentralised blockchain technology.In this sense,it is built on Web 3.0 protocols(whereas Roblox et al are built on Web 2.0).This means that users truly own the digital assets they crea
132、te,buy and sell.Decentraland launched in 2017 and says its goal is to create an open-source system for users to build whatever they want within its virtual space.Decentraland users numbers are still modest.But in 2021,interest grew.And so did economic activity.In June,one land package in Decentralan
133、d was sold for$913,000,with the developer Everyrealm turning it into a shopping district,which it called Metajuku.Shortly after,JPMorgan Chase bought a plot and opened its Onyx Lounge in the Metajuku mall.BACK TO CONTENTSTHE METAVERSE 2022 Mobile Ecosystem Forum Ltd28 WWW.MOBILEECOSYSTEMFORUM.COMThe
134、 SandboxThe Sandbox is a virtual world based on the Ethereum blockchain.It launched as a mobile game in 2012,but re-launched in 2018 as a largely PC-based blockchain project.There are plans to launch a full mobile version late in 2022.The makers of the Sandbox believe it is more user friendly than o
135、ther crypto-based Metaverse projects.They say players can participate without any coding skills.In the game,players create characters,items,or other in-game assets with lego-like 3D pixels called voxels using the Sandbox VoxEdit tool.They can trade them with other players on the Sandbox Marketplace
136、using the platforms native cryptocurrency,SAND.While players can create game experiences in The Sandbox for free,they have to acquire LAND if they want to buy and sell them.Each plot of LAND is represented as an NFT on the platform.As of January 2022,The Sandbox had raised$93 million in funding.It h
137、as partnered with 165 brands and artists including Snoop Dogg,Manchester City and Atari.The company says more than 100 artists have sold user-created NFTs for the equivalent of$2.2M in SAND on the Marketplace.Niantic Lightship platformNiantic is the company behind Pokmon GO,and it has a very differe
138、nt take on the best approach to the Metaverse.Predictably enough,it believes the Metaverse should enhance reality rather than draw us into a new one.It feels so strongly about this that its founder wrote a blog entitled:The Metaverse is a Dystopian Nightmare.Lets Build a Better Reality.He said:“At N
139、iantic,we believe humans are the happiest when their virtual world leads them to a physical one.Unlike a sci-fi metaverse,a real-world metaverse will use technology to improve our experience of the world as weve known it for thousands of years.”Niantics Lightship platform already underpins Pokmon GO
140、.Now,Niantic wants to build a map“to make the real world come alive with information and interactivity.”Just as important,it is working on a reference design for outdoor-capable AR glasses that can access this map and render information and virtual worlds on top of the physical world.HEFTY Metaverse
141、The HEFTY Metaverse is proof that Metaverse ambitions exist outside of the US West Coast.It is a collaboration between Indian entertainment giants T-Series and Hungama and Polygon,a specialist in Ethereum blockchain development.Hungama will create NFTs and rare collectibles based on special moments
142、from T-Series catalogue of content.There are no details of launch date.NVIDIA Omniverse Unlike the gaming-oriented Metaverses profiled above,NVIDIA Omniverse is orientated around enterprise and productivity.The Omniverse was developed as a digital twin to mimic the real world.It is a platform on whi
143、ch developers can collaborate in real time on 3D designs and virtual world simulations.The software is based on Pixars Universal Scene Description and NVIDIAs RTX technology.NVIDIA says about 200,000 individual creators and companies now use it.BACK TO CONTENTSTHE METAVERSE 2022 Mobile Ecosystem For
144、um Ltd29 WWW.MOBILEECOSYSTEMFORUM.COMHorizon Worlds This is Facebook/Metas attempt at developing something that resembles its vision of the Metaverse.Horizon Worlds is a VR-based social platform that brings together 20 people in a virtual space.It was first announced in September 2019 as a private b
145、eta.Since then,the Horizon suite of apps has expanded to include Horizon Venues for concertgoers and Horizon Workrooms for workplace collaboration.Meta wants Horizon Worlds to be a platform for creation as well as social interaction.To this end,it has made available ready-to-use VR building componen
146、ts such code blocks,sounds,and animation effects to help content creators.Meta launched Horizon Worlds in the US and Canada in December 2021.More notable Metaverse experimentsl Qualcomm Wooorld VR l Accenture their Nth Floor metaverse.l TechMahindra TechMVerse l HTC Viverse l MetaMalll TikTok Party
147、Islandl Mesh for Microsoft Teamsl Axie Infinityl RaceFil DotMoovl Etherlandl Metaherol Star Atlasl BloktopiaBACK TO CONTENTS08METAVERSE HARDWARE:VIRTUAL REALITY AND AUGMENTED REALITYTHE METAVERSE 2022 Mobile Ecosystem Forum Ltd31 WWW.MOBILEECOSYSTEMFORUM.COMAccording to some definitions,the Metavers
148、e must be a 3D model of the internet one that participants need to enter via some kind of headset.This is arguably the view of Meta,which paid$2 billion for Oculus,and which is basing many of its experiments around the latters VR headset tech.But there are,of course,alternatives to Oculus.Options ra
149、nge from a$10 Google Cardboard to a$999 Valve Index VR.Inside these headsets,users will be able to interact with each other as avatars or even photo-realistic holograms.The latter is a key focus for Microsoft.Its Microsoft Mesh platform lets users connect in a mixed reality virtual environment throu
150、gh virtual holograms.There is no shortage of push back against VR.Its critics argue that the hardware will never overcome the problems of nausea and disorientation.And even those who disagree accept that there are natural limits to the amount of time a person wants to spend cut off from the physical
151、 world.For these reasons,some argue that the Metaverse can be a 3D experience projected onto a 2D screen.For them,augmented reality offers the way forward.Many companies are now working on glasses that overlay the real world with interactive graphical enhancements.Examples include Snap Spectacles AR
152、,Metas Project Nazares Prototype AR Glasses and Microsoft HoloLens.Metaverse hardware:virtual reality and augmented realityTHE METAVERSE FOR EDUCATION The extraordinary success of Metaverse games such as Fortnite and Roblox has made educators sit up and take notice.In short,can virtual worlds improv
153、e learning?A handful of innovative companies are looking into this.MEF member Sam Media has developed a proposition called XR Academy.It attempts to educate users on subjects such as astronomy,geography,life-sciences,history,arts and culture via an VR and AR interface.Mindful of the need to reach as
154、 wide an audience as possible,Sam Media has made XR Academy compatible with any device.While headsets such as Cardboard and Oculus will run the content,learners can also use a regular smartphone for their virtual 360 degree field trips.BACK TO CONTENTS09FINAL TAKE AWAYTHE METAVERSE 2022 Mobile Ecosy
155、stem Forum Ltd33 WWW.MOBILEECOSYSTEMFORUM.COMThe Metaverse is the subject of immense hype.Investors are ploughing huge sums into Metaverse projects,while tech thinkers are exploring the concept from every angle.Some companies are even building their futures around the promise of an immersive 3D digi
156、tal layer.And yet,for all the chatter,the Metaverse still avoids easy categorisation.Games such as Roblox offer a clue.So do blockchain-based projects such as The Sandbox.And even workplace-oriented experiments like Horizon Workrooms and Microsoft HoloLens:Mixed Reality.Still,its difficult for most
157、companies to base a business strategy on such a nebulous space.But staying engaged costs a lot less.Consider the opportunities that virtual 3D worlds,virtual reality and augmented reality might deliver to your business.Ask yourself:l How can digitalisation enhance value creation?l How can AI and blo
158、ckchain support new customer experiences or make production more efficient?l What does better digital payment look like and how can it improve transactions?l What is the best way to secure the digital identities of the business and its customers?These are questions worth asking.So let other people d
159、ebate the definitions while you deploy a laser focus on the advances that could really make a difference to your business.Final take awayBACK TO CONTENTSTHE METAVERSE 2022 Mobile Ecosystem Forum Ltd34 WWW.MOBILEECOSYSTEMFORUM.COMEstablished in 2000,the Mobile Ecosystem Forum is a global trade body t
160、hat acts as an impartial and authoritative champion for addressing issues affecting the broadening mobile ecosystem.As the voice of the mobile ecosystem,it provides its members with a global and cross-sector platform for networking,collaboration and advancing industry solutions.The goal is to accele
161、rate the growth of a sustainable mobile ecosystem that delivers trusted services that enrich the lives of consumers worldwide.About MEFBACK TO CONTENTSMOBILEECOSYSTEMFORUM.COM 2022 Mobile Ecosystem Forum Ltd.All Rights Reserved.Disclaimer Mobile Ecosystem Forum makes no representation,warranty or un
162、dertaking with respect to and does not accept any responsibility for,and hereby disclaims liability for the accuracy or completeness or timeliness of the information contained in this report.The document was developed by MEF in collaboration with its members in full compliance with the programmes antitrust compliance policy.The information contained in this document may be subject to change.Please check for latest versions online.