The Metaverse is a famous topic nowadays, it’s a virtual space where people can live, work, play, and interact with others. After the videos we had to watch for the lecture I realized it reminded me of the game The Sims. If you ever played The Sims, the Metaverse might remind you of that game, it’s a game where you control characters, build homes, go to work, and socialize. The Metaverse offers a similar experience but on a larger scale. Is the Metaverse just The Sims for adults or is it something more?
How the Metaverse is similar to The Sims
In The Sims, there are virtual characters that you control and guide through their daily life. You make them work, buy clothes, meet people and even build their homes. The Metaverse is similar, you create an avatar, which is like your character in The Sims. However in the Metaverse, that avatar is you.
You can walk around virtual worlds, attend events, talk to other people and even shop for digital clothes. Both The Sims and the Metaverse are about living a life in a virtual world. The difference between the two is that the Metaverse aims to be a huge, infinite virtual world that makes a connection with real life, while The Sims is just a game.
How the Metaverse is more than just a game
The Metaverse is not just for fun, it is already being used in many serious ways:
- Virtual workspaces
- In The Sims, your character might have a job or run a business (Pittman, 2023). In the Metaverse, companies like Meta and Microsoft are creating virtual offices, where people can meet as avatars in a virtual room instead of video calls, making remote work feel more interactive (Moates, 2024).
- Digital shopping
- Just like you can buy clothes and furniture for your The Sims character, this is also possible in the Metaverse, brands like Gucci and Nike are selling virtual clothes for avatars in the Metaverse. Some people are even buying virtual land, which is becoming valuable. For the brands, it gives them the space to try new and bold designs without the actual traditional manufacturing process. It opens infinite possibilities for self-expression and creativity (Haqshanas, 2024).
- Entertainment
- In The Sims it is possible to join different activities and social interactions. The Metaverse takes this a step further with virtual events like concerts. For example, Travis Scott performed a virtual concert on Fortnite in 2020, at least 12 million people attended this virtual concert, all together in the same virtual world. Other artists announced they are planning to do the same (White, 2021).
The Metaverse might look like an adult version of The Sims, but it has more potential than just a game. It can change the way we work, shop and socialize. While this can be exiting and fun, there are still questions about security and privacy regarding the Metaverse.
What do you think about the Metaverse? Do you see it as an addition of games like The Sims or will it be a big part of our daily lives? Share your thoughts!
References
Moates, C. (2024, June 25). Virtual offices: Are they the future? Retrieved September 17, 2024, from Landvault: https://landvault.io/blog/virtual-offices-are-they-the-future
Pittman, T. (2023, August 22). The Sims 4: How to Go to Work. Retrieved September 17, 2024, from Gamerant: https://gamerant.com/the-sims-4-how-go-to-work/
Haqshanas, R. (2024, June 11). From Gucci to Nike: How Top Brands are Redefining Fashion in the Metaverse. Retrieved September 17, 2024, from Cryptonews: https://cryptonews.com/news/from-gucci-to-nike-how-top-brands-are-redefining-fashion-in-the-metaverse/
White, M. J. (2021, November 23). What is the metaverse? A deep dive into the ‘future of the internet’. Retrieved September 17, 2024, from Digital Trends: https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/what-is-the-metaverse-the-future-of-the-internet-explained/#dt-heading-the-future-of-the-metaverse
Interesting blog post!
In my opinion, the metaverse could be beneficial for many people because it facilitates easy communication, especially when parties are not in the same location. This could lead to more efficient and effective interactions.
However, I am afraid that real-life communication might become challenging for some people. Being in the virtual world could also provide an escape from reality and allow people to avoid facing their own mistakes. Therefore, I am uncertain how people will behave in the real world after joining the metaverse.
Furthermore, it might be challenging for the elderly or younger individuals, as it could negatively impact their health. To explain it a bit: for the elderly, using the metaverse might be difficult due to its technical complexity. For younger people, they may prefer staying at home and interacting in the virtual world rather than communicating with others in the real world.
In conclusion, the metaverse has its advantages and disadvantages. But whether it will become popular or not, in my opinion, it is too difficult to predict.
Very interesting observation! Your comparison between The Sims and the Metaverse is insightful and highlights the key similarities while also pointing out the potential of the Metaverse.
I do however believe that The Sims and the Metaverse are actually more similar than we think – if you were able to take the role of your Sim and “play” the game, you would be doing the same things as in the Metaverse, meaning going to work, meeting with friends or going to a concert together. It is like having a little avatar that will do everything you want it to do in The Sims but in the Metaverse that avatar is you! I think the small difference that I see between the Sims and the Metaverse is because to me they both are abstract, intangible, digital places that I just cannot imagine “living” in.
As much as I like the concept of Metaverse, to me it seems a little too crazy and I do not think I could indulge in it myself. I appreciate the social aspect of in-person work, school and meetings with friends and I do not think I am ready to let go of it.
Hi Mirjam, you made a very interesting post. The metaverse is easier to understand when put next to the popular game sims like this. I do think that the Metaverse with more refining can have a big impact on our society. Just like how facebook became so widely adopted. If the metaverse becomes a smooth and easy to use app with high quality visuals and smooth loading times it will definitely have a chance of succeeding and becoming the next big social media platform. Especially with the younger generation seeing more and more value in digital goods.
HI Mirjam, let me start of saying that I like your title. Very funny and a good question. I do think the Sims is comparable to the Metaverse. Because you use an avatar to communicate with virtual world just like in the Sims. However, I feel like the Metaverse is much more than that. It is a way of not only communicate with the virtual world but also build relationships, careers and lifestyles. You described very well that Metaverse could be used in various environments. I want to add in that the Metaverse will also benefit education. this article by (Lin et al, 2022)/ Lin, H., Wan, S., Gan, W., Chen, J., & Chao, H. C. (2022, December). Metaverse in education: Vision, opportunities, and challenges. In 2022 IEEE International Conference on Big Data (Big Data) (pp. 2857-2866). IEEE), describes Metaverse being very important to educational development in the future. Which could be true, especially because education itself is becoming more digitalized.