<–Use cases Go to ToC Functionalities –>
This Chapter analyses the services that a Metaverse may provide but are not Metaverse specific. They may be provided by independent entities offering Services to a Metaverse Instance while potentially offering the same to other Metaverse Instances.
1 Content Creation
Content Creation is considered here as an External service because the creator economy combines different actors such as content creators, curators, and community builders (such as social media influencers, bloggers, and videographers), and the software and finance tools underpinning them. The Content Creation process materialises into three main steps: regular publication of content on a particular niche, building of a following within that niche, and monetisation of the audience using a variety of channels and methods.
Brands have already added this new media environment to advertising and sales as a new expense item in the lifecycle of their products and services. Depending on the industry, expenses may reach important levels and even be more important than the very capital invested into the development of a product or service. The estimated global content creation turnover is ~100 B$.
To be viable, the thousands of Metaverse Instances that are expected to be deployed in the next few years will have to offer a wide variety of Experiences and there is no doubt that the current creator economy can easily morph to suit the needs of the expected millions of Metaverse Environments and offer new opportunities to the current players to use and/or adapt their skills to the new context [12].
On the other hand, the path to the future is not clearly marked. While it is commonly held that creativity will be the last stronghold of humankind in the face of the Artificial Intelligence onslaught, we can see that today’s social networks are already flooded with content produced by generative models, i.e., deep-learning algorithms that allow computers to generate “original” content, such as text, images, video, audio, and code. Pleasant and consistent images can already be obtained by entering a text after a prompt and selecting images from the suggested list. The Metaverse will need content, but that will not necessarily all come from the current creators.
2 Content Creation Tools
Content Creation tools are available two sources: either a creation tool directly provided by the Metaverse Instance (e.g., Roblox), or a tool provided by an External Service Provider (e.g., MagicaVoxel[1]).
2.1 Roblox
Roblox Users can upload realistic block textures created by them and control the in-game physics of their Environments, build with materials and textures that represent elements of a Universe Environment, e.g., realistic brick, glass, and metal.
2.2 MagicaVoxel
The tool can be used to produce content in the MagicaVoxel file format[2]. It can be used in the native format in some Metaverse Instances, such as Voxels. It is also possible to convert MagicaVoxel content for use on other Metaverse Instances, such as Minecraft and Sandbox[3].
The licence of the MagicaVoxel content creation tool states:
Granted: use for any project.
Desired: credits to the content creation tool.
Disallowed: selling the software (original or modified) or shipping the software in other packages.
2.3 NVIDIA OmniVerse
NVIDIA Omniverse is a 3D content creation and simulation platform enabling users to create and collaborate on VR environments in real-time. The platform is intended for creation and sharing virtual environments where 3D Objects and Environments are created and manipulated. It also integrates with other applications, such as AutoCAD, Blender, and Unity.
The NVIDIA Omniverse Universal Design Collaboration (UDC), a feature of the Omniverse platform, allows users to collaborate in real-time to share and edit 3D models, text, and other design assets, as well as view and interact with them in a Metaverse Environment. It also includes communication and collaboration tools, e.g., chat and voice communication, and enables track change and task assignment.
A Marketplace is attached to NVIDIA Omniverse where objects can be sold and shared using the Omniverse Marketplace. Omniverse is announced to become be available as an open-source tool to individual creators.
3 Marketplace
A Service provider owns or operates a marketplace and processes sales or payments for marketplace sellers.
3.1 OpenSea
OpenSea[4] is a marketplace supporting the trading of NFTs for different Blockchains, such as Ethereum, Polygon, Solana. It also supports the creation of NFT collections. Trading can be performed using the native Blockchain currencies (e.g., ETH or MATIC) or crypto fungible tokens (e.g., USDC, MANA). The platform charges a 2.5% fee for each successful trading and allows the collection owner to charge royalties on each subsequent trading.
4 Crypto Wallets
Crypto wallets are hardware devices or software that store the Private Keys that enable the execution of Transactions on Blockchains. Custom crypto wallets offer traders dedicated solutions compared to those from crypto exchanges. MetaMask, Coinbase, and Trust Wallet are examples of software wallets. Trezor and Ledger are examples of hardware wallet manufacturers.
5 Cryptocurrency Exchanges
Cryptocurrency exchanges are centralised and decentralised platforms that facilitate the trading of cryptocurrencies for other crypto assets, including digital and fiat currencies and NFTs. A cryptocurrency User can buy and sell Assets at the current (spot) price or leave orders that will be executed when the Asset reaches the User’s desired price target (limit order). Current examples are Binance, Coinbase, and Kraken.
6 Development Services
Development Service Providers are intermediaries that help develop the business of an Operator on a Metaverse Environment, e.g., by discovering, buying, or renting locations suitable to attract and place programmatic ads, or building a Metaverse Environments, etc.
6.1 LandVault
A Development Service Provider claiming to:
- Helps brands build a Metaverse Experience and drive engagement.
- Covering from land rentals to project management, business measurements and insights.
- Discovering locations suitable to customers and buying or renting real estate.
- Enabling game developers to monetise their content through interactive, programmatic brand placements.
- Developing, promoting, and monetising the Metaverse.
6.2 Infinite Reality
Infinite Reality[5] provides tools and services enabling creators and companies to develop Metaverse experiences.
6.3 DigiSomni
DigiSomni[6] is Development Service Provider specialising in the development of solutions on the open-source platform Vircadia.
7 Platforms
This Section deals with services that provide infrastructures on which a Metaverse Instance can be nuilt
7.1 Metaverse.network
Metaverse.Network[7] is a blockchain for Metaverse Instances & dApps supporting Ethereum-compatible Smart Contracts. Developers can build dApps and games running on the M.N network.
7.2 Vircadia
Vircadia[8] is an ecosystem of metaverse applications enabling individuals and organisations to deploy their own virtual world solutions. The ecosystem includes Apache 2.0 components.
[1] https://ephtracy.github.io/
[2] https://github.com/ephtracy/voxel-model/blob/master/MagicaVoxel-file-format-vox.txt
[3] https://enteropositivo.medium.com/how-i-build-a-sandbox-game-with-magicavoxel-eb797afa8d76
[5] https://theinfinitereality.com/
