The metaverse: a mixture of fascination, razzle-dazzle, and dismay

My latest thoughts on the state of the vision

Question:

How has your outlook on the metaverse changed since it was first talked about?

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Last October I wrote some thoughts about the metaverse vision, and how Meta is wholly invested in the realization of it. I have more nuanced thoughts, having attended virtual events on what the heck exactly is the “metaverse,” and experienced a first-hand taste with the Meta Quest 2.

My initial head nodder, as it pertains to the virtual reality hardware, hasn’t changed much. As previously mentioned the Meta Quest 2 is the most affordable, accessible, and user-friendly headset out there. The consumer headset is priced at $299—an insanely subsidized value—to get the hardware into the hands of as many consumers as possible. If one considers that the [now discontinued] Oculus for Business program offered standalone headsets for ~$799, it is not a stretch of the imagination to believe Meta has taken the stance of losing the immediate battle to win the war.

Data collection is where Meta might be recouping some loss. Much to my chagrin, the consumer headset requires owners to create or link their existing Facebook user account. And unlike the options presented in Facebook, there is no way to opt out of data collection and sharing. Users with dreams of ditching Facebook may find doing so a more complicated endeavor unless they also want to shelve their headsets. C’est la vie.

Presenting Oculus as the organization’s loss leader is a great move considering the company’s massive investment into recruiting talent, researching, and development. In the Meta Q4 earnings report it was shown that Reality Labs earnings jumped nearly 60% to $877 million in Q4 of 2021 simply by getting the products onto consumers’ noggins. Conversely, it is revealed in the report that Meta is spending billions (with an S) per quarter at Reality Labs to not only realize the metaverse, but to ensure its evolution as a suite of products, software and platforms.

Which brings me to Horizon Worlds. What I don’t see talked about all too often is the misrepresentation of the experience in marketing and investor relations material and what is actually baked into the software at the present moment. Facebook often pitches the metaverse as a bustling digital metropolis where you can do whatever you want, when you want, with whomever you want:

Pastel space metropolis eye-explosion… with jetpacks.

But in reality, Horizon Worlds feels quite empty most of the time—the central plaza is instanced to only a handful of people. The main hub isn’t much larger than a suburban park with not much to do other than throw paper airplanes, boomerangs, and explore user generated maps in the form of “worlds.”

“Bueller?”

What truly makes a virtual space special is its collective culture and its people, and right now that seems to be one of the major challenges. From virtual groping to allowing minors into strip clubs and incubating abusive behavior, none of the social experiences in Meta’s Oculus store (including its own software) currently provide adequate enough coverage by content moderators or enough options for communities to self-regulate.

The inconsistency between what is being presented in marketing versus what we’re seeing is—to put it bluntly—disheartening. This concern was brought up in a conversation between two users in a Facebook Group of Horizon early adopters, to which one user responded:

“I think your expectations are based on what we are hoping to build. Currently it’s the very beginning of something grand. If people complained in 1906 that the Ford Motor Company wasn’t making SuperCars yet, that would probably be similar to these types of comments. Plus - most people are interested in productivity rather than games. Once these things make people money, you’ll be more inclined to see things different.”

The majority of people I’ve talked to in Horizon Worlds are taking a “wait and see” approach. They’re resting on the hope that further development will introduce stronger support for community creators and introduce features for businesses.

Bill Gates was quoted saying most office meetings would take place in the metaverse within three years. Yeah… I just don’t see it happening. If you want to understand why, A TikTok user by the username @sysengineer put it succinctly in a video that graced my FYP about a month ago, and it hasn’t left my head since. Take a look: tiktok.com/@sysengineer/video/7058285483406658863

I have always been a strong advocate for the idea of virtual experiences that enhance our physical experience of the world. While I don’t have a complete vision of what the metaverse is supposed to be, I know that Meta’s Horizon Worlds and Horizon Venues isn’t quite there. It’s lonely, disjointed, confusing, kinda scary, and (sad to say) visually dumpy compared to other apps in the Oculus Store.

I know that Horizon Worlds is not meant to be the “all-encompassing” metaverse, but it is our only health-check on what the metaverse is capable of. And right now… I’m left shaking my head. Meta needs to truly study and question the way people interact with immersive digital environments:

• How do graphics in contemporary gaming, even if they’re not AAA-quality, help suspend disbelief and create an immersive environment?

• How did the ownership and creation of digital assets in Second Life become so important to its players?

• How has the player-led virtual economy in EVE Online helped to fuel the direction of the game and the universe the players inhabit?

• What makes eXp Realty’s Virtual University and regularly-held virtual classes such a draw for real estate agents versus other methods of building sales skills?

• What elements of MMORPGs like World of Warcraft and Guild Wars 2 keep players coming back? What negative aspects of those communities create rifts?

• What parts of the user experience allows Apple to maintain a 60-70% share of mobile device users in the United States?

But with that said, it’s always worth noting that billions of dollars are pouring into this endeavor each quarter. I’m sure—with a little patience—a cool toy might just become the next big thing.

TL;DR

Right now the metaverse is less of a material “thing” than it is a re-envisioning of how we interface with digital experiences. It’s conceptual. And I’m skeptical of whether Meta is the right candidate to offer us the fully actualized metaverse of the future. Still—it’s a wonder to experience; it’s not expensive, and I would encourage you to at least give it a try and see it for yourself.