Emerging technology
Embracing the Metaverse No conference is complete without a discussion on disruptive technologies and nowhere more so than in gaming. Frédéric Mancosu, Zachary King, Joseph Borg and Andreas Glarner shared their views with the IMGL audience T echnological developments have played an enormous part in the burgeoning of our industry in recent years, and rapid change continues to provide both challenge and opportunity, threat and possibility. NFTs and cryptocurrencies were the talking points in 2021 and early ‘22, but attention is increasingly turning to the Metaverse. For some, this amorphous cyberspace of avatars and virtual 3D spaces offers a life-enhancing chance to travel, experience and engage without unplugging the AR glasses. For others it is a world of cyber bullying, harassment, fake news and fraud. So is the Metaverse hype, hope or hell? Whatever anyone’s personal view, the Metaverse is certain to become a big part of our digital world if only because of the sums committed to making it happen. The Metaverse (often dubbed Extended Reality or xR by insiders) is being backed by the major Silicon Valley tech companies who are investing $US billions in the project. This makes it effectively too big to fail and certainly too big for ambitious gaming lawyers to ignore. The coming Metaverse is likely to be dominated by big tech, but they may not have things all their own way. Yes, the likes of Google, Meta, Microsoft, Disney and Sony are likely to shape the centralized version but many worry that current online problems may be magnified if Web3 development is led by those who built today’s dominant web platforms. As a possible counterbalance to corporate dominance, there will be a parallel decentralized Metaverse where peer-to-peer networking will dominate. Here we look at two very different products that offer a first glimpse into how the metaverse may be colonized by gaming and gambling.
24 • IMGL Magazine • October 2022 • IMGL Magazine • November 2022
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