Perhaps one or the other reader is now wondering what it means that companies are building the Metaverse. One would quickly like to think that it is a project that belongs to Meta, formerly Facebook, simply because the name suggests it. But behind the dream of the Metaverse, which is so much older than all of Mark Zuckerberg’s efforts, are many different companies from a wide variety of industries.
The metaverse, as a virtual world, consists of much more than a pure social VR component. It needs avatars, world builders, computing power and and us.
So to enable the infrastructure, decentralized structures via blockchain, or even spatial computing, it takes a number of experts and visionaries who want to see the metaverse thrive. These key players include the following companies, among others:
Meta/Facebook
At the top of the list simply has to be Meta. They currently have, according to reports, the most building blocks to make the Metaverse a success. Not only do they have the community they have built up over the years using Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, but they also have the technology.
Their purchase of Oculus puts them at the forefront of headset production for virtual reality. Combined with their content team and previous experience in the social media business, their path to the virtual future is paved.
Nvidia
It’s not just since the news that Nvidia is partnering with Meta to build an AI supercomputer for the Metaverse that it’s clear they want to actively participate in this new market. News such as their interactive avatars and increasing activities in 3D modeling for the Metaverse also make the company an important pioneer in the metaverse.
The Nvidia Omniverse, announced in 2021, even deals with just that. The interaction of AI, graphics and supercomputing in the virtual environment.
Decentraland
Decentraland is probably one of the first providers of an already functioning metaverse. They even openly describe this new way of interaction as their core product and the center of their work. Since their inception in 2017, Decentraland’s business has been in Metaverse real estate. Just late last year, they sold over $3 million in real estate.
By offering their own building kits for the Metaverse, in which users can also build their worlds, they are right at the core of the Metaverse and are gaining fans.
Epic Games
Perhaps one or the other reader knows Epic Games rather from another area. The company became known with their game Fortnite, where you move together through a virtual world and experience adventures.
In itself, that doesn’t sound so far away from what the Metaverseum is supposed to be later on. Just a few months ago, the company announced that they want to focus on the co-creation of the Metaverse in the future and raises for this in a funding round equal to 1 billion dollars.
The Sandbox
The Sandbox is a video game for iOS and Android first released on May 15, 2012. It was developed by Pixowl and acquired by Animoca Brands in 2018. Today, however, it is much more than an app, but another key player in the race for the metaverse.
While Pixowl may not quite match the vision of the other companies on the list, The Sandbox can look to partners like Snoop Dogg, adidas, Atari, and even the Smurfs.
Microsoft
Of course, Microsoft can’t be missing from the list. While Meta is trying to conquer the Metaverse with Horizon, Microsoft has developed its own digital offering. Called Mesh, the virtual world can be connected to Microsoft’s other services like Teams, Windows or even the company’s VR offerings, seamlessly integrating into the Windows environment.
Perhaps this very point is a sign of success, as we already find Microsoft on all our computers.
This list is far from complete. There are several other companies, such as Apple and Niantic (known for Pokémon Go), which are working on hardware or content for the metaverse. Who will win the race in the end, or whether a large shared metaverse will emerge, will still be determined this year.
Post picture: Meta
