Step into the Metaverse

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.

Mark van Rijmenam, PhD, is The Digital Speaker. He is a future tech strategist who thinks about how emerging technologies change organisations, society and the metaverse. Van Rijmenam is an international keynote speaker, 4x author and entrepreneur.

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.

Auteur

Mark van Rijmenam, PhD, is The Digital Speaker. He is a future tech strategist who thinks about
how emerging technologies change organisations, society and the metaverse. Van Rijmenam is an
international keynote speaker, 4x author and entrepreneur.

Échantillon de lecture
Introduction

On November 13 and 14, 2020, American rapper, singer, and songwriter Lil Nas X, also known as Montero Lamar Hill, appeared on the virtual stage on Roblox, the global gaming platform especially popular among children. As a first for Roblox, the concert attracted an incredible 33 million attendees, enjoying a unique performance inside the virtual world.3 For Lil Nas X, who is often regarded as a trailblazer, the virtual concert provided a unique opportunity to connect with millions of his fans when physical shows were not possible due to the pandemic. While in-person concerts are capped by the capacity of the stadium and the laws of physics, anything is possible at a virtual show to wow fans, and they can offer a magical experience. Lil Nas X debuted his new single Holiday during the concert, and by all measures, the virtual show was a massive success. It generated a lot of publicity for both Roblox and the rapper, launching a new entertainment format for Roblox and generating almost $10 million in virtual merchandize such as digital costumes, accessories, and avatar skins, which users could purchase using the in-game currency Robux.4

Lil Nas X appeared as a larger-than-life digital twin and transported users to four different themed worlds, from the Wild West to a Wintery snow-filled world. Roblox's users regarded the unique experience well. Though some children would have wanted to watch the show alongside their friends, it was impossible to bring together all 33 million attendees on one server due to the current hardware constraints. Above all, it would have been utterly chaotic. Hence, players saw only around 50 other attendees watching the live performance, making it feel a bit empty. Apart from the occasional glitches expected from such a novel experience, the concert was a blazing success.

Less than a year later, in October 2021, Decentraland organized not just one concert but an entire, four-day metaverse festival with 80 different artists.5 Decentraland is a fully decentralized 3D virtual world controlled by a decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) where users can build their own unique digital experience and interact with others. The biggest drawcards for the virtual festival were Deadmau5, a Canadian electronic music producer and DJ, and Paris Hilton. Roblox and Lil Nas X targeted its young players, while the Metaverse Festival was focused more on the tech-savvy crypto community. Users could purchase digital merchandise using the in-game's crypto MANA, such as digital wearables for their avatars,6 and all attendees received a nonfungible token (NFT) in their wallet as a *Proof of Attendance.7

When you started reading this book, you might have wondered why does a business book on the metaverse start with a fictional story and discussing two virtual events? Am I in the right place? Well, yes...you certainly are. The two concerts, and the many other concerts that have taken place in games such as Fortnite,_ show that the lines of the real and virtual worlds are starting to become intertwined experiences working in tandem. The fictional story shows what the metaverse can become, and it won't be long before we live in such a future. In its most basic form, the metaverse is where…