Author: Jiawei (Twitter: @Elegy4TheArctic)
tl;dr
- VR devices are the basic prerequisite for accessing the metaverse in the future.
- VR metaverse projects are not very differentiated so far. Therefore, user acquisition and user retention are both key points and difficulties.
- The adoption of VR devices is, after all, still early, so it might require infrastructure first and economic incentives first.
- Easy-to-use toolkit/library/ SDKs are necessary to stimulate community creativity.
VR & Metaverse
In general, The VR metaverse projects are basically similar, covering the following elements.
- The main relation is to experience the metaverse with VR devices.
Matthew Ball, former head of strategy at Amazon Studios, defines the hardware devices used in the metaverse as:
The sale and support of physical technologies and devices used to access, interact with, or develop the Metaverse. This includes, but is not limited to, consumer-facing hardware (such as VR headsets, mobile phones, and haptic gloves) as well as enterprise hardware (such as those used to operate or create virtual or AR-based environments, e.g., industrial cameras, projection and tracking systems, and scanning sensors). This category does not include compute-specific hardware, such as GPU chips and servers, as well as networking-specific hardware, such as fiber optic cabling or wireless chipsets.
Among the existing VR metaverse projects, Somnium Space and CEEK are relatively compatible with hardware devices.
Somnium Space is compatible with mainstream VR devices, including Oculus, HTC VIVE, HP, VALVE, Windows Mixed Reality, etc. Somnium Space has also partnered with TeslaSuit for its XR costume that integrates three systems: haptics, motion capture and biometrics to provide realistic immersion. Moreover, it supports the experience of sensations ranging from gentle touch to physical exertion while capturing motion data.
As a VR-based platform for metaverse concerts/sports events, CEEK offers primarily portable VR devices. Currently available for purchase on its website for $99, the CEEK VR devices are compatible with most iPhone and Android smartphones and offer a VR app.
- Marketplace is provided for players to trade assets in the metaverse, such as characters, lands, pets, materials, etc.
Take Victoria VR as an example, VR land as NFT can be used to build in-game public buildings (mines, warehouses, etc.), buildings to display items (stores, showrooms, etc.), and to build private buildings (clubhouses, businesses, etc.). Resources include wood, energy, sand, metal, water, etc., which are needed for the construction of buildings and the creation of objects (other NFTs).
There are three different sizes of plots in Somnium Space: small, medium, and large. The floor price of the small plots is 3.33 ETH, and the total trading volume is 26.3k ETH.
In addition to the profit methods described below, trading of in-game assets also serves as a profit point within the metaverse.
- Several ways to earn rewards, including but not limited to:
Staking: For example, staking a “Golden Ticket” in Victoria VR earns a fixed 20% annual return, which can be unlocked immediately upon staking activation to purchase VR land in it.
Games: Decentral Games has built a metaverse casino based on Decentraland that supports blackjack, roulette, poker, slots and more, and players can earn rewards by holding NFTs, completing daily challenges and competing on daily leaderboards.
Quests: In Victoria VR, there are built-in quests ranging in rank from normal to legendary, each with decreasing frequency and increasing chances of earning rare badges and NFTs.
Creation: Create VR scenes in the metaverse and sell them.
Advertising: A 21-story skyscraper is built in Bloktopia based on VR, containing different spaces for games, CEX, DEX, NFT, etc. The real estate that owns the building can create content, play games, entertain friends, and more through the first-person view of VR, or earn revenue by placing ads.
In November 2021, Bloktopia created a virtual office for Kucoin in the building, supporting VR experiences, virtual interactive furniture, and live chat and communication.
- Provides a custom editor, library, or SDK.
These tools facilitates players to create metaverse built-in elements such as 3D model assets, scenes, artwork and mini games.
For example, Somnium Space has developed a UnitySDK for its platform that enables users to upload full bodies of characters and complete scenes to plots, and even use full-body tracking, including lips, fingers, and eyes. Users can use a variety of tools such as Visual Builder, Avatars SDK, Builder SDK and WORLDs SDK to create and use a variety of experiences from any device. And it can be accessed through the WebXR client as well as native PC and VR clients.
In December 2021, Somnium Space created headquarters for FTX in its VR platform.
3D Scanning
3D scanning could be a transit point for the migration from “real” to “virtual”.
In terms of 3D scanning services, Metahero’s scanners can perform ultra-high-definition 3D scans of real-world people or objects to migrate all content into the metaverse, creating personalized 3D avatars and virtual objects for games and social media. Each scan costs \(1,000 and is paid for in the form of \)HERO.
Metahero’s 3D scanning partners scanned over 300 people and migrated their personal entities into the metaverse at this year’s Blockchain Conference in Dubai.
VR Infrastructure
Since the VR metaverse projects are not differentiated, and until VR devices are more widely adopted, there may be a greater need for infrastructure-type tools, or built-in editors and SDKs for games that facilitate player creation, the former being essential to creating an immersive VR experience, and the latter building a sense of engagement and accomplishment in player creation.
Neos is an “innovative metaverse engine” developed by Solirax that integrates game engine logic, asset synchronization and processing, and asynchronous tasks into a single entity designed to accelerate the development of social VR applications and provide the necessary tools and resources for all types of projects, including automatic support for a wide range of VR devices, online multiplayer, and cloud storage capabilities.
Users can leverage virtual tools and devices for entertainment, art, education, or content production. It is worth noting that Rothenberg Ventures, an early investor in Neos, has also invested in Robinhood and SpaceX.
As an infrastructure, Neos provides a comprehensive wiki and documentation for developers, encourages community-driven development, and currently has 3.5k Issues on Github. The official Neos Twitter feed often retweets VR scenes created by the community.
Closing Thought
The “VR bubble” of a few years ago, piled up by huge funding and media hype, is still fresh in our minds, and has been followed by a lull in recent years. But in the context of the future direction of the metaverse, VR still has a story to tell.
- The development of VR technology may have matured and stabilized, while it is still too early to talk about the application of brain-computer interfaces. But the migration to the metaverse will require a sound infrastructure, both at the hardware and device level and at the level of developers and community creation tools. The device medium is a fundamental prerequisite for a good user experience; easy-to-use tools for creation are inextricably linked to the quality of the platform.
A metaverse project that integrates with VR should at least be compatible with mainstream VR devices and provide a user-friendly toolkit whenever possible. * In a metaverse where gameplay is relatively homogeneous, differentiation needs to be considered from the following perspectives.
The game experience. If you ignore the financial incentives, the game experience is the primary consideration for most people. Game experience includes hardware adaptability, device portability, and low latency of the network, in addition to game quality.
Token economy and incentives. Objectively speaking, the number of people who own VR devices is in the minority. In terms of attracting players, financial incentives may play a leading role. In addition to DeFi, we can consider introducing creation incentives and content incentives.
Partnerships. Establish partnerships with well-known IPs, influencer, or virtual idols. Fan economy is also applicable in the metaverse.
【免责声明】市场有风险，投资需谨慎。本文不构成投资建议，用户应考虑本文中的任何意见、观点或结论是否符合其特定状况。据此投资，责任自负。
