Whats the meta? A beginners guide to the metaverse

It would seem the last two years have been about breaking records in how many new phrases we can start using. We had “new normal”, “you’re on mute” and a myriad of others. Suddenly, we were thrust into the tech arena where the term “NFT” was coined, followed shortly after by the “metaverse”. Suddenly this became a buzz-word in every tech discussion the world over. So much so, that tech giant Facebook changed their company name to fit the bill, Microsoft bought out Activision which is one of the biggest gaming companies in the world and even footwear brands started working furiously on products that will be available there.

So what is it actually?

According to many of the world's biggest tech companies, The metaverse will change the way we see and experience the world. They are virtual, digital worlds where people can join using avatars they create and interact with other users all over the world in a shared space. Think of it as a video game you play, but every character in the game is a real person behind a computer or a pair of VR glasses, somewhere else in the world.

Many companies building these metaverses are aiming for them to be a place for work and play. So that you can leave your virtual home in the metaverse, attend a meeting with colleagues in your metaverse “office” and then go for virtual drinks or bowling with friends. All without leaving your desk. This comes at a time where staying indoors for extended periods of time has become commonplace so it's understandable that people would flock to platforms such as these without compromising their safety.

One can fully understand why big corporations are chomping at the bit to get involved with the metaverse. Nike has already begun plans to sell sneakers and other apparel to users in the metaverse, Even Coca-Cola has put out a bubble jacket that can be worn in Decentraland, another metaverse that users can join. Meta(Facebook) is also building a host of products like gloves you can wear that allow you to physically feel items in the metaverse.

First look at the new Coca-Cola bubble jacket NFT.

It includes a 1-of-1 version that can be worn in Decentraland. pic.twitter.com/MYKDaRyCNL

— Yano 🟪 (@JasonYanowitz) July 28, 2021

But this is not only open to corporates, as a user, you too can create your own products and sell to users in the metaverse, In fact, a mere decade ago a Chinese businesswomen named Ailin Graef was just your average gamer when she joined the Second Life metaverse, she began selling virtual clothing and steadily worked her way up to virtual real estate. She is now a multi-millionaire with a number of tech investments and still the number one virtual real estate dealer in the Second Life metaverse.

The stage is set for the metaverse to become the new normal (see what i did there) but how do you get involved?

The first step is to research the metaverse you would like to join, like moving to a new country, each metaverse will have its own pro’s and con’s. However, Nothing is stopping you from trying all of them until you find a place you can call home.

Then you can decide based on your budget if you would like to experience the metaverse as a player, a land broker, an artisan or all 3. The possibilities are truly endless in a new world where I can finally have the six pack I wanted at the click of a button.