Thoughts on <the metaverse>

I didn't see Ready Player One as the least bit futuristic in terms of its vision. In fact, I spent the entire movie thinking, "Yep, that is how it will be".

If you are a gamer, the idea of a metaverse, 3D virtual worlds, then you have probably already experienced a "metaverse", at least at a basic level. The first MMO (massive multiplayer online) game I played was called Ultima Online. I use to play it for hours every day. I can distinctly remember rushing to the computer to log in and hoping my friends were on Ventrilo, an early online messaging system. I can also remember the first time I use real money to buy a virtual product. I don't remember how much I spent. But, I suspect it was something like $20. What did I get in return? Virtual gold that I could use to buy better equipment for my character.

That concept might seem weird to some. But, it shouldn't. Why? Because I'll bet you have paid "real money" for a song or album that you have on your iPhone. What do you really own? Nothing but a virtual song. My virtual gold is really no different. In either instance, we traded real-life dollars for a virtual item that we saw as valuable.

Enter the Metaverse

If you can get past that concept then the idea of a metaverse shouldn't be too much of a stretch for you. Until I tell you that one day many of us will do more than just play games in the metaverse. We will work. Heck, we will even own real estate in the metaverse. Not a believer? People are already snatching up virtual real estate. The cheapest price on one of the two most popular real estate companies, Sandbox, is >$10,000. That's right. You too can have a bunch of 1s and 0s (i.e. code) that equates to a virtual house for the low, low price of $13,000. Oh yeah, there are already metaverse real estate brokerage companies as well.

In the future, your meetings will most likely be held in the metaverse with the assistance of VR/AR (virtual reality/augmented reality) glasses. I know of a mega-bank that is already experimenting with holding their team meetings via Oculus headsets.

Need to pay for your metaverse house? No worries. You can earn money through "play-to-earn" games that will pay you, via incentives.

Today I learned about an artist whose paintings are created in the metaverse using an Oculus headset. Her work is amazing. You should watch this video. She makes a living making such beautiful art.

Alright, I'm done trying to convince you that in the near future people will work, play, date, and just all-around live in the metaverse. Let's talk about what you should do with this information.

So, What!?

The metaverse isn't going away. In fact, it is only going to get more prevalent in our lives. Facebook didn't rename itself Meta based on a fad.

So, what should you do with this information? It depends.

At the very least you need to take the time to learn more about the metaverse (just for fun, I've typed that word out 18 times now). Think about how it will impact your personal and professional lives in the near future.

Maybe even go ahead and buy a VR/AR headset. I looked at the Oculus this Christmas for my daughter. But I hesitated because I read one article that said they still needed improving. Then today someone I know, that isn't into gaming, told me about how she and her fiance have been playing games on their Oculus for weeks now. The same game every...single...night.

For me, I am always looking at trends as an opportunity. The metaverse will create, is creating, all kinds of opportunities. If you are someone who is always looking for investment opportunities then I recommend looking at some of the up-and-coming metaverse companies (This isn't investment advice. Do your due diligence). If you are a business owner or have been looking to start a business, doing something that is built around the metaverse could be a really good opportunity.