Where’s Planet Earth in the Metaverse?

How many Metaverse experiences map onto the four basic real-world coordinates of Planet Earth: latitude, longitude, altitude, and time?

Here’s a thought experiment for you. Whatever you’ve heard about the Metaverse and where it can take you — to fantasy game worlds, meetings and conferences, classrooms, hangouts and parties, and physical workout spaces — how many can accurately be mapped onto the four basic real-world coordinates of Planet Earth: latitude, longitude, altitude, and time? Most of the popular video games? Nope, they’re fantasy worlds. Your virtual home or office with idyllic backgrounds visible out the windows? Maybe, if it’s the North Shore of Kauai but not if it’s Planet Arrakis. Virtual workouts? To their credit, many advertise real-world tours and flyovers, such as “from the Galápagos to the Great Wall.” Outdoor Augmented Reality games like Pokémon Go? Yes.

©kmiragaya/123RF.COM

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Michael Naimark has worked in immersive and interactive media for over four decades.

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Michael Naimark

Michael Naimark has worked in immersive and interactive media for over four decades.