Step into the Metaverse. Mark van Rijmenam

Step into the Metaverse - Mark van Rijmenam


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now cheery. “A UN published report just announced the 2024 Supply Chain Resilience project a resounding success. Smart Contracts and a UN-backed Central Digital Currency are now firmly established.” Ae's uncanny smile peaking slightly in the corner as she gave the news. “The WWF also published a report earlier this afternoon claiming the metaverse reduced traffic pollution,” Ae quickly added.

      An hour later, Laya's driver pulled into her family home's tree-lined driveway. While her government-issued autonomous 4×4 could drive itself, this was one time Laya listened to her security and stuck with a human driver.

      “We're here, Prime Minister,” a tired voice announced from the front of the car.

      Laya sat there for a moment, taking shelter from the bracing wind and looking in through her kitchen window. As she sat in the cold and dark, she was warmed by the sight of her smiling family. Well, her smiling Zack and Terry, with Mia just sitting on the kitchen side, scrolling what Laya assumed was an AR social feed. Laya took it all in, soaking in this rare moment of peace.

      Laya burst through the door, loudly announcing her presence to the household. Excited, Zack and Mia came running from the kitchen and embraced their mother.

      “We haven't seen you in so long,” Mia told her mother through dewy eyes.

      “It was only a few hours ago.”

      “Mom…,” Mia pulled back slightly to look at her mother in the face. “We haven't seen you in 64 days. I've been counting.”

      As the evening went on, Laya basked in the physical company of her family. Sitting around the same table for the first time in months, they regaled each other with stories from school and work. Midway through their meal and halfway through one of Terry's anecdotes, that flashing red light appeared in Laya's eyes. Her family knew what that meant, and a saddened silence descended on the table. Terry, trying to hide his disappointment, stood to hug his wife.

      “If they need you, go. We love you.”

      Laya raised her hand to her glasses but hesitated. Instead of answering, she removed them. Her family looked confused. Happy, but confused, as Laya calmly put her glasses down on the dining room table. “If it's important, they'll send someone.”

      On November 13 and 14, 2020, American rapper, singer, and songwriter Lil Nas X, also known as Montero Lamar Hill, appeared on the virtual stage on Roblox, the global gaming platform especially popular among children. As a first for Roblox, the concert attracted an incredible 33 million attendees, enjoying a unique performance inside the virtual world.3 For Lil Nas X, who is often regarded as a trailblazer, the virtual concert provided a unique opportunity to connect with millions of his fans when physical shows were not possible due to the pandemic. While in-person concerts are capped by the capacity of the stadium and the laws of physics, anything is possible at a virtual show to wow fans, and they can offer a magical experience. Lil Nas X debuted his new single Holiday during the concert, and by all measures, the virtual show was a massive success. It generated a lot of publicity for both Roblox and the rapper, launching a new entertainment format for Roblox and generating almost $10 million in virtual merchandize such as digital costumes, accessories, and avatar skins, which users could purchase using the in-game currency Robux.4

      The rise of these massive interactive live events (MILEs) is a first indication of where the internet is heading and the opportunities that come with the next iteration of the World Wide Web. Who would have thought a few years ago that 33 million people could attend a concert at the same time? All could experience it from the best possible vantage point and sharing that experience with friends who are scattered across the globe, creating collective memories in times when physical connections were not possible. Online entertainment and socializing in virtual gaming environments are very normal for Generation Z (those born between mid-to-late 1990s and 2010) and especially Generation Alpha (those born after 2010), even before the pandemic hit.

      Ten years later, the baby has grown up in a world where the internet is everywhere, always available at the push of a button, and online interactions are as normal as physical interactions. She looks at the world from a completely different perspective than Millennials, let alone the Baby Boomers who currently run the world. As such, she feels very comfortable immersing herself in a virtual world with endless possibilities and opportunities, despite all the problems that come with that, as we will see later in the book. To her, the metaverse has always been here, and the more advanced our (digital) technologies will become and the more the physical and the digital merge, the better she will be able to navigate this so-called phygital world.


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