“While you gaze into the metaverse without really understanding what it is, the metaverse gazes back at you and gradually penetrates your life.”
(c) Unidentified digital avatar
The difference with the Nietzschean abyss in this case lies in the fact that we know more about our abyss, that is, our dark side, than about the metaverses.
What associations does the word metaverse evoke in your head? Some kaleidoscopes of virtual reality headsets, snippets of news about the renaming of Facebook to Meta, Epic Games with its Fortnite events (who knows what’s the matter?), and other incoherent info. Meanwhile, the metaverse is a powerful and promising trend that will gain more and more powerful influence in the coming years − Gartner is worth believing.
The opportunity to plunge into the virtual world with the help of VR technologies causes a general stir among those who have already managed to join this. So far, this niche is only at the beginning of its development, and companies such as Epic Games and Meta are becoming pioneers in their attempts to create an interconnected virtual reality gaming universe.
Friendly advice you didn’t ask for, but still 一 if you don’t want to hopelessly fall behind both the preferences of the players and the activities of more adventurous competitors, dive into the topic of the metaverses right now.
Here are the numbers to prove it.
Global spending on the core technology of the metaverse, VR/AR, will rise from $12 billion in 2020 to $72.8 billion in 2024. Not to mention the prospects for the metaverse market revenue itself. Just take a look at this estimate from Statista. Considered to be the next iteration of the Internet, the metaverse will clearly make a splash between 2022 and 2030.
Understanding the essence of this trend will help you begin to navigate the murky waters of the metaverse and choose the right strategy for working with it. So let’s talk in more detail about the concept and prospects of metaverse gaming, how it works, and what famous metaverse projects are already on the lips.
Briefly about the Metaverse
Although we are here more to immerse ourselves in the game component of the metaverse, a general definition does not hurt. The most interesting thing here is that the metaverse does not have an authoritative definition. But there are several frameworks from opinion leaders.
It is important to understand that the metaverse does not equal the virtual world. The metaverse may consist of a large number of interconnected virtual worlds. But no virtual world is a metaverse.
Venture investor and metaverse ideologue Matthew Ball outlined the main features of the metaverse in 2021:
| Endless existence | It never resets, pauses, or ends. Time in the metaverse flows continuously, just as it does in the real world, it cannot be stopped. |
| Limitless audience | No limit on the number of concurrent users. Everyone can connect to the metaverse at any time and participate in its life on an equal footing with the rest. |
| Fully functioning economy | The ability to earn and spend different types of currencies, hold auctions, invest, etc. |
| Digital & physical | The metaverse unites the physical and digital worlds, open and closed platforms, private and public networks. |
| Interoperability | The ability to transfer data, items, assets, and content between digital worlds. For example, a user should be able to transfer cars from GTA Online to Need for Speed or gift them to a Facebook friend. |
| Many contributors | Metaverses should be filled with content and experiences created by its users: individuals, groups, or commercial enterprises. |
Since the metaverse is still only at the initial stage of development, active discussions of its nature and characteristics continue to take place.
For example, should the metaverse be centralized or non-centralized? Centralization provides control of the metaverse by a single body. It knows the personal data of users and determines the comprehensive interaction with users and the use of services. But in fact, this contradicts the very essence of the metaverse.
Sam Hamilton, Creative Director at Decentraland Foundation, argues that the centralized metaverse is not a metaverse, it’s a video game and curated entertainment.
What Is Gaming in the Metaverse?
Gaming in the metaverse is a way for players to interact with each other in real time using digital avatars.
Actions in games of the metaverse are similar to actions in the real world: people communicate, play, earn, spend, and invest money, create their own content, organize events, gather in communities of interest, and so on. Metaverse gaming is a combination of:
- Social interaction
- Games-as-a-platform
- Mixed reality
- Crypto assets
- Interoperability
The goal of the metaverse is to provide users with an outstanding experience through total immersion in an alternative digital world. The user must understand that this is not an ordinary game, but a full-fledged universe with individual interaction between all elements.
Let’s talk about each element in a little more detail to better understand metaverse games.
Social Interaction
Unlike traditional VR experience, gaming in the metaverse is inextricably linked to ongoing social interaction. Any multiplayer game takes on new facets and dimensions due to the ability to attract your friends from the real world to the metaspace, develop communities of interest, exchange information, organize events, compete, and so on.
Games-As-A-Platform
The general idea behind this concept is that there are limitless possibilities for user-generated content. Users not only use the available features and services, but also create their own content, form their subspecies of games in the main game, and even organize their own gaming events.
Mixed Reality
Metaverse gaming seamlessly combines augmented and mixed reality to provide the user with a seamless and engaging experience. Different levels of reality, from augmented in a group chat and mixed in a board game to a full-fledged virtual reality, switch depending on the user’s actions and adapt to each specific case.
Crypto Assets
Metaverse gaming crypto assets are one of the vital elements of the game in the metaverse, as they are the foundation of a decentralized gaming economy. Using in-game tokens, players purchase and sell assets, hold auctions, and participate in various financial activities.
Interoperability
Asking how to play metaverse games, for better understanding, you can imagine a digital space where the boundaries between different games are blurred. Assets from one game can be transferred to another with full ownership due to NFT rules.
How to Start Playing Metaverse Games?
To join gaming in the metaverse, it is not necessary to have a virtual reality headset. Of course, it is a key component of immersiveness, but its absence will not prevent you from playing metaverse games. You need to have the following:
- Reliable and fast internet connection.
- PC, mobile device, or console.
- Blockchain wallet to join the game economy.
Metaverse vs Video Games
The notion that a metaverse vision has questioned traditional gaming is not correct. Conventional video games will continue to develop as usual, while the gaming metaverse has its own path.
We already know that the metaverse differs from the video game in its non-centralized nature. Also, based on the above characteristics of the metaverses, we can summarize the following features offered by the metaverse and missing from conventional video games:
- There is no limit on the number of concurrent participants.
- More activities: the ability to attend events and organize games inside the game, etc.
- The ability to earn money thanks to the built-in blockchain system.
- Sandbox mode: players can create their own assets, buildings, maps, and other content.
- The option to transfer in-game assets from one game environment to another.
Gaming Metaverses: Creation Features and Team Composition
How about creating your own metaverse? Sounds very big and pathetic, doesn’t it? And this is no wonder. Kevuru Games specialists note that the creation of the metaverse is a very complex process, which is fundamentally different from working on conventional software.
Virtual worlds are huge – millions of people can enter and interact at the same time. This leads to a colossal load on servers and requires specialists to master a non-standard technology stack.
We can distinguish the following features of working on metaverse projects:
- Providing the metaverse with content. It is necessary to organize support for a large number of 3D characters and related attributes of the game: objects, houses, environment, etc.
- Synchronizing objects and characters. This is important for faithful reproduction of the game world.
- Moderating of user-generated content. This results in operating costs for resource administration.
Due to such complexity, a highly qualified team of 100+ specialists is required to create the metaverse, including 2D and 3D artists, character artists, concept artists, game designers, UI/UX specialists, sound designers, managers and marketers, DevOps specialists, etc.
There are about 20 developers in this list of professionals. Among them are:
| Unreal Engine specialists | Server high load programmers | Blockchain specialists |
| This engine was created specifically for online games, so it can be called the best option for the metaverse development. | It is important for them to be able to operate servers at a high level and distribute loads between them. | The metaverse is closely connected with blockchain technologies, cryptocurrency, and NFT. |
The problem is that today there are very few developers who have the necessary technology stack in their arsenal. The shortage of personnel leads to a rise in the cost of such projects and even brings them to the AAA level. But companies are still willing to invest in the metaverse.
In addition to significant financial costs, the development of a metaverse project also requires significant time resources. It will take at least 2 years for the development team to create the simplest cyberspace from scratch.
Metaverse Development: Kevuru Games Experience
Kevuru Games already had experience in developing the metaverse. The pioneer project was the so-called Fashion Metaverse, where users were supposed to be able to buy clothes and communicate with each other.
Another project that the Kevuru team was working on was the Nano Wars game. We performed a full-cycle game development, starting with the creation of the GDD and ending with the deployment of the DevOps infrastructure by specialists. Nano Wars is a game with NFT biological cells and NTF modules for them, which are used to create your own teams and battles with an opponent. On the platform, you can feel like a real mad scientist:
- conduct laboratory experiments and turn cells into new biodigital creatures;
- breed rare nanocells, unique mutated versions of your NFT tokens;
- sell them or trade them and earn Biometa tokens for winning battles.
The goal of the game is to form an ideal tribe, each cell of which is capable of gaining powerful skills and scarce attributes, and may even turn into a new variety.
Top 8 Metaverse Trends for the Next Few Years
Although it is still difficult to predict how fast the metaverse will develop and how accurate the forecasts are, some of its trends can already be identified.
1. AR and VR in Games
AR and VR devices and sound systems play an integral role in the virtual gaming industry. As the metaverse evolves, these technologies are seeing exponential growth, highlighting their value and relevance to today’s marketplace. According to a report by the International Data Corporation (IDC), global VR headset shipments grew 241.6% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2022, driven by continued demand and supply reduction.
2. Metaverse Events and Sales
Over 10 million concurrent Fortnite users took part in the Marshmello Concert online. The metaverse could approach the $800 billion mark through live events and advertising. The same applies to the sale of virtual assets for internal tokens of different metaverses. For example, the most expensive piece of virtual land in the world of Decentraland was sold for a record $2.43 million.
3. Avatar Enhancement
Metaverse development trends also indicate that avatars are becoming more and more advanced. Corporations such as Meta and Microsoft are focusing on improving digital avatars that fit into the business environment.
4. Movement Tracking
Since for high-quality interaction in the digital world, it will be necessary to track movements in the real world, the development of tracking technologies will become one of the main priorities in the coming years.
5. Digital Twins
This technology creates a complete 3D virtual and spatially accurate model of any building or space. Businesses will be able to create exact copies of physical objects, which will then function as separate divisions. Consumers can use digital twin technology to virtually try on clothes, explore new stores before they open, and visualize home items before buying them.
6. NFT Crypto Projects
Despite the decline in interest in NFT as a separate phenomenon, NFT as an integral part of the metauniverses still has a strong position and is actively developing. For example, non-fungible Decentraland tokens are collectible items, including clothes and the game’s virtual real estate – LAND. To purchase, users must have MANA, Decentraland’s native cryptocurrency.
Dive Deeper:
✔ How to Make Your Own NFT: All You Should Know
✔ How Much Does It Cost to Make an NFT: From Pictures to Metaverses
✔ How to Create an NFT Marketplace: Key Points in Simple Words
7. Cloud Computing
The immersive and versatile aspects of the metaverse will constantly require cloud computing to process, store, and analyze the data generated by the platforms. A metaverse platform will not succeed if it cannot provide a flawless user experience or if it is difficult to scale.
8. Data Science
The metaverse will collect a huge amount of data, which it will extract and use almost instantly. While the metaverse is based on a distributed technology such as blockchain, it is necessary to ensure that the data received in one part of the metaverse is reflected in the user experience in another part. Consequently, studying the next generation of data engineering is becoming a key area of education in the world of the metaverse.
The Most Popular Metaverse Gaming Companies
Several major players in the market quickly recognized the potential of the metaverse and invested enough money to be considered the first metaverse gaming companies.
And while conservative companies claim that the end of human civilization will come in the form of VR glasses and a mass exodus into a virtual dystopia that threatens reality, others see the metaverse as a new level of interaction.
Facebook (Meta)
The world’s largest social network was one of the first companies to announce major investments in the metaverse. At the end of October 2021, Facebook rebranded to Meta and announced that it was opening the Horizon Worlds metaverse to all users in the US and Canada. Previously, it was available in beta to a limited number of Oculus VR users.
In Horizon Worlds, users of Facebook’s Oculus virtual reality glasses will be able to create an avatar to walk around an animated virtual world. Also there they will be able to play games and interact with the avatars of other users. The company also said that users will have access to mechanics for creating their own games and locations. After that, they can be submitted for consideration to the developers of the metaverse.
Epic Games
The famous American gaming company and the creator of the legendary battle royale Fortnite and the most advanced game engine Unreal has closed a $2 billion investment round for projects in the metaverse.
The round was led by Sony Corporation, which provided $1 billion in funding. The other investor was KIRKBI, which owns LEGO. Together with these companies, Epic Games plans to develop services for games in virtual reality.
Microsoft
Just days after Facebook changed its name to Meta, software giant Microsoft unveiled its vision for the metaverse. The company said that its own metaverse will be available to anyone in 2022. A platform called Mesh for VR collaboration with 3D avatars will be integrated into Microsoft Teams in 2022.
Mesh will initially be a standard virtual space for meetings or public events. In the future, individuals and companies will be able to create their own spaces with the tools that Microsoft will develop for them.
Another feature that the development company plans to implement is a 3D avatar that allows people to attend a meeting without actually turning on the camera. Microsoft plans to use artificial intelligence that can mimic facial expressions and gestures and translate human speech into another language in real time to help people from different countries better understand each other.
While the experience of meeting in the VR universe can be enhanced with a VR headset, Mesh users will not need to purchase such devices. As planned by the developers, users will be able to use their laptops, tablets, PCs, and smartphones − whatever they like.
The Most Famous Metaverse Games
While still in its early stages of development, metaverse gaming is already attracting a large amount of investment from various gaming companies. Here are some of the pioneers in the field who have already achieved incredible success and their main gaming tokens.
Decentraland (MANA and LAND)
Decentraland is a decentralized virtual reality platform that is one of the first metaverse gaming players. It consists of land plots, the right to which is determined by the LAND token, and other content that can be bought in the MANA cryptocurrency based on the Ethereum blockchain.
In addition to trading in items and real estate, players can manage their personal space however they want: fill it with games, activities, and works of art that other users can interact with. In November 2021, the Government of Barbados signed an agreement to acquire a piece of land for an embassy in Decentraland. Thus, Barbados became the first state in the world with an embassy in the metaverse.
The Sandbox (SAND, ASSETS, and LAND)
The Sandbox is a multiplayer sandbox game where players are given the opportunity to create their own worlds with unique objects.
Sandbox is a genre of video games or programs where the main features are full or partial configuration: object management, terraforming, map creation, etc.
With a certain similarity to Minecraft, Sandbox invites players to create puzzles, mazes, buildings, maps, and other digital assets using free tools. It is even possible to make entire games with VoxEdit and Game Maker without programming knowledge. The created assets can be monetized as NFTs and sold for SAND tokens on The Sandbox Marketplace.
Unlike Minecraft, Sandbox has a well-implemented blockchain and merchandise market where players buy and sell their creations. In addition to the SAND token, the platform has the ASSETS token, representing user-created in-game assets, and the LAND token, which represents digital real estate.
Axie Infinity (AXS and SLP)
Axie Infinity is one of the most popular play-to-earn metaverse games with the first NFT collection to reach $4 billion in sales according to CryptoSlam. This Pokémon-inspired game challenges players to collect, raise, and sell fantastical creatures called Axies. Each creature has over 500 customizable body parts. The descendants of Axies acquire new characteristics depending on the combination of their genes.
The game has two types of tokens, AXS and SLP. Players receive AXS (Axie Infinity Shard) as a reward for their in-game achievements: farming and selling Axies, participating in PVP battles, collecting and selling rare Axies, etc. SLP tokens are the main source of income for players. They can be sold or used to breed new Axie creatures. This token has an unlimited supply and can be obtained by completing daily quests and skirmishes with other players.
Refresh the memory of our previous meeting with Axies and Decentraland in a post about the 5 best blockchain games of 2022
Learn moreThe Metaverse in a Few Months: A Special Framework
The number of requests for the development of metaverses has increased. But not every company is ready to wait years for the release of a ready-made solution. Therefore, Kevuru Games CTO and his team are already working on the creation of the Metaverse Framework, on the basis of which it will be possible to create a digital space:
- Much faster. If the development of the metaverse from scratch takes at least 2 years, then the template will allow you to get the finished product in a few months. Thus, you will be able to see the result of your investment much faster.
- With minimal risk. When you already have the basis of the product, it is enough to add the necessary content, and the metaverse is ready to use. Everything happens predictably, and possible risks are foreseen in advance and leveled in time.
Speed is the very secret sauce of successful investments that we’ve promised in the title.
Backed by a guarantee of high speed and low risks, you can be sure that your investment will definitely pay off in the foreseeable future. And with the metaverse market’s projected revenue over the coming years, the ROI is likely to blow your mind.
Final Thoughts
Even though metaverse gaming is only at the beginning of its journey, it is a huge field for experimentation and has every prospect of becoming a revolution in the use of technology for a variety of purposes. While circumstances have contributed to the mass transition of people around the world to remote work, the metaverses are able to partially restore the desired interaction with people and revive traditional ways of remote communication.
In order not to miss the opportunities offered by the metaverses, think about incorporating them into your business strategy now. We perfectly understand metaverse games and can provide you with comprehensive advice regarding the creation of your promising metaverse project. You will get a full preview of the key features of your future gaming metaverse, its economy, capabilities, and distinctive characteristics. Get involved in the metaverse now and become a trendsetter in this area tomorrow.
