This newfangled word "Metaverse" is starting to sound so often that it will soon start to turn back from it. And nowhere can we get away from it, since the leading technology giants have securely anchored it - the common Facebook brand (not the social network itself) has even been renamed Meta. So does the Metaverse have a future? If you ask Bill Gates, the answer will be a sure "Yes!"
Not so long ago, the tech mogul posted on his blog his own report on the results of a "difficult" 2021 and described a number of "reasons for an optimistic outlook on the future." One of these reasons, he called "the expansion of innovation," in particular, implying the introduction of virtual reality into the social sphere, an area that Metaverse is primarily aimed at. Such a forecast can be considered truly bold.
“I foresee that over the next two to three years, most virtual encounters will move from 2D gridded images - which I call the 'Hollywood Squares' model, although that probably gives my age - to a 3D space with digital avatars of participants. - says Gates. “Recently, Facebook and Microsoft revealed their vision of the future, which allowed many people to imagine what this will all look like.” Regardless of whether this name remains with her, the Metauniverse is already forming. And although the technical details will inevitably be rebuilt and gradually improved, in fact, this project represents the next stage in the development of the Internet (at least part of it) and is sometimes referred to as Web 3.0. Its main feature will be the digital interaction of users in the virtual space through 3D avatars. Naturally, this will require expensive equipment - some kind of VR / AR headsets or glasses, along with special gloves or joysticks.
For this reason alone, the billionaire's predictions that in 2-3 years Zoom-like meetings will turn into virtual reality can be considered very ambitious. On the other hand, this man founded and built a multi-billion dollar corporation that changed the entire computing world, so who, like him, can make such predictions.
Gates does not deny the complexity of user hardware, but his company is already working in this direction.
“Most people do not have such equipment yet, which will slow down the transition somewhat. (One of the conditions that accelerated the adoption of the video conferencing format was the fact that many people had PCs or smartphones with cameras.) Microsoft plans to release an interim version next year, in which the avatar will be animated using the webcam used in the existing 2D configuration, ”said Gates. He also added that:
“A lot of companies are already working on 3D avatars, and recently I had the opportunity to test some prototypes that made a very strong impression. One of the greatest advances over current solutions is spatial audio, which makes speech sound like it is actually coming from the direction of the speaker. You won't be able to imagine how unusual it is to hear meeting sound coming from just your computer's speakers until you try the alternative. There is still a lot of work ahead, but we are getting closer to the point where technology will truly repeat the experience of being in the office together. ”
The news is based on the articles Bill Gates Says Metaverse Will Be The Norm For Virtual Office Meetings In 2-3 Years and Reasons for optimism after a difficult year
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