Interesting take, thanks for posting.
In my own studies as also a PhD candidate (like you) in a VR/AR related project, it became apparent that a metaverse, like successful vaccine, can’t happen in a profit driven world.
Which, if you accept it, changes everything.
We’ve seen many would be metaverse attempts come and go.
The real killer apps are in MR, more than VR, a succesful metaverse won’t be just VR, it has to be MR/AR. That will require a live digital twin of the real world, in the virtual domain, so that all XR/VR glasses of all users, from all manufacturers, present their information in the context of the same common background, no matter where they are.
The glasses will need to be used by most people, ideally replacing mobile phones, they would incorporate scanners to scan the environment around all users to update the digital twin, whilst superimposing personalised virtual enhancements of the real world in the view of the glasses user.
Things like corridors visible inside actual real buildings, with live people walking in them would not be too difficult with the scanning technology already in mobile phones.
Planned buildings superimposed on patches of ground for which buildings are planned, roads visible through mountains and trees, with live cars on them, street signs and lights for unlit, unsigned streets,
live dial-up performances from anywhere in the world of all kinds that might be public, or just private to us, available anywhere, on train platforms, even in moving trains.
But it can’t be done at profit, not possible, because the unity needed to create a whole digital twin can’t happen at profit.
Profit requires divisions and differentials, which must be eliminated to achieve the required collaboration.
Like as for vaccines, none for profit can be given to everyone some people have to go without for profit to be maintained. A digital twin can’t be just part of the world, otherwise it isn’t a world. It has to be all or nothing, and it can’t be all at profit, so it has to be non-profit.
In other words, the world will need to be very different than it is rigjt mow.
I haven’t lost hope we will see that change very soon, in fact it appears to be happening right about now. Covid might just be the catalyst.
Things will be very different in a non-profit world, with everyone effectively wealthy, far less reason for anyone to be getting up to anything, what would be the point, if nothing to gain?
Personally I believe a serious metaverse attempt could be the undoing of facebook, in which case if the source code was left open, wouldn’t be a bad thing.
