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Step into the Metaverse. How the Immersive Internet Will Unlock a Trillion-Dollar Social Economy. Edition No. 1

  • Book

  • 256 Pages
  • May 2022
  • John Wiley and Sons Ltd
  • ID: 5839992

An incisive glimpse into the future of the internet

In Step into the Metaverse: How the Immersive Internet Will Unlock a Trillion-Dollar Social Economy, future tech strategist, entrepreneur, and thought leader Dr. Mark van Rijmenam delivers a startlingly insightful discussion about how the world as we know it will fundamentally change as the physical and the digital worlds merge into the metaverse, impacting the everyday experiences of people, companies, and societies. The author maps out the extraordinary opportunities and challenges facing business leaders, consumers, regulators, policymakers, and other metaverse stakeholders trying to navigate the future of the Internet.

In the metaverse, you can be who you want to be, where you want to be, and companies and consumers are only restricted by their own creativity how they can benefit from the immersive internet. With engaging commentary on issues ranging from avatars, identity and digital fashion to non-fungible tokens (NFTs), blockchain and the economics of the metaverse, this book also offers:

  • Discussions on the importance of an open and interoperable metaverse build on the web 3.0 paradigm if we want to reign in the control of Big Tech over our identity, data and lives.
  • Explorations of the enormous - and largely untapped - potential for metaverse entertainment, including gaming, music, media, and sports and how brands can engage with their customers in novel ways and how digital twins will change how we work and innovate.
  • Considerations related to the dangers of an always-on, immersive internet, including data breaches, avatar imposters, mental health issues, corporate and state surveillance, and the need for metaverse law.

A fascinating read you won’t be able to put down, Step into the Metaverse belongs in the hands of executives, managers, and other business leaders who play a role in digital transformation or execution. It's also an invaluable resource for anyone interested in the future of technology, the internet, and social interaction.

Table of Contents

About the Author ix

Foreword x

Preface xii

2032 xiv

Introduction xxiii

Chapter 1: The Future Is Immersive 1

From Web 1.0 to Web 3.0 1

From AR to VR to XR 8

What Can the Metaverse Become? 12

Six Characteristics of the Metaverse 17

Interoperability 18

Decentralization 20

Persistency 22

Spatiality 24

Community-Driven 25

Self- Sovereignty 26

An Open Metaverse Means Freedom 30

An Endless Blue Ocean 31

Chapter 2: Creating an Open Metaverse 35

Open vs. Closed 35

The Hybrid Web 41

An Open Economic System 44

Chapter 3: Be Who You Want to Be 47

The Rise of the Avatars 47

Digital Fashion 55

iCommerce 62

A Cambrian Explosion of Identity 65

Chapter 4: Be Where You Want to Be 67

Virtual Worlds 67

Gaming in the Metaverse 74

Sports in the Metaverse 77

Media and Entertainment in the Metaverse 80

Education in the Metaverse 83

Power to the Creators 86

Chapter 5: Unbounded Creativity for Brands 89

Beyond flash 89

The Power of an Immersive Community 92

Endless New Touchpoints 94

Continuous and Real- Time Insights 95

Increased Sustainability 96

Virtual World Considerations 97

The Era of Experience Marketing 98

Creativity, Community, and Co- Creation 102

Chapter 6: Exponential Enterprise Connectivity 107

A Changing World 107

The Future of Immersive Work 110

The Metaverse Job Market 114

How to Get Started 117

Digital Twins 117

The Role of Governments 125

Chapter 7: The Creator Economy 129

A Vibrant Metaverse Economy 129

Why Tokens Matter 133

Challenges of NFTs 138

Digital Real Estate 143

Economic Mechanisms 146

From DeFi to MetaFi 150

Chapter 8: Digitalism in the Metaverse 155

Technology Is Neutral 155

Dangers of the Metaverse 156

The Datafication of Everything 157

Privacy Is an Illusion 158

Abuse, Harassment, and Illegal Content 159

Imposter Avatars 160

Data Security 161

Increased Inequality 162

Bad Bots Controlling the Web 162

Increased Polarization 163

Biased AI 164

Health Issues 165

Verification, Education, and Regulation 165

Verification 166

Education 168

Regulation 169

Surveillance or Empowerment 171

Chapter 9: The Future of the Metaverse 175

BCI: The Future of Immersive Experiences 175

A Renaissance of Art, Creativity, and Innovation 178

Epilogue 183

Acknowledgments 186

References 189

Index 215

Authors

Mark van Rijmenam