What are the biggest players in the Metaverse industry? — part 1
Just like I mentioned in the last article, Metaverse is highly likely to become the “successor of internet”. When the paradigm will be shifting, there would be tons of opportunities for enterprises to develop and build their own moat. So today, we are gonna see which existing tech giants are trying to dip their toes in this industry and which new companies are endeavoring to hold a place in the new field.
Existing household companies entering into Metaverse world
Facebook Metaverse
A few months ago, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg told his colleagues Facebook will be transformed from a social media company to a metaverse company in 7 years and Facebook will create more than 10,000 job opportunities related to metaverse in EU. What an ambitious vision!
When Facebook just acquired Oculus, a VR headset manufacturer in 2014, everyone just thought FB would like to have more influence on the field of intangible device. However, now we can discover that Mark has had a bigger and more visionary goal which is dipping his toe in metaverse industry.
In the interview with Verge, Mark said “Metaverse will be an ‘embodied internet’ co-created and operated by different companies in decentralized way instead of being controlled by one or two companies. There are different portals to the metaverse. It could be accessible across different computing platforms, such as VR headset, AR device, PC, mobile device or gaming console and you could enter it in 3D version with VR device, or you could enter it as 2D with PC.
Now we have little information about Facebook specific plans in metaverse field. From my perspective, I reasonably speculate Facebook would like to not only control one of the physical portal, which is VR headset, but also develop their own metaverse platform evolving from Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp.
(Facebook just announced their new vision on metaverse. Please have a look at Facebook (Meta) Ambition on Metaverse)
Basically, if Facebook could create a user-friendly metaverse platform to attract more and more users to participate in it, they will gain much more power to bring more service providers to build application in the platform. This concept is so-called two-sided markets which means you can make money from users and also monetize from suppliers. With the network effect intensifying, the flywheel effect is gonna multiply as well. I will explain these concept in the next article.
Nvidia Metaverse
Nvidia, GPU & AI leading company, will soon launch their own version of Metaverse — Omniverse which could be regarded as a metaverse for business and engineer. Omniverse is like a hub for creators, designers, architects, engineers and vendors to do 3D simulation, real-time collaboration and testing before the product launch. It’s much safer and less-risk.
Now there are more than 400 enterprises using Omniverse to test their product. For example, BMW is simulating their new car factories by using Omniverse before building it. It will lead to a planning process that is 30% more efficient than before. Eventually, Omniverse will enable BMW to simulate all 31 of its factories. Volvo also make good use of Omniverse to design their new car, while Ericsson is simulating future 5G wireless networks inside Omniverse.
WPP, the world’s largest marketing services organization, is also using the Omniverse to reinvent the way how advertising content is made by replacing traditional on-location production methods with entirely virtual production.
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang describe his vision on Omniverse: First, there should be an engine for the metaverse is photorealistic. Second, in the Omniverse, everything should obey the law of physics, including laws of particle physics, of gravity, of electromagnetism, of electromagnetic waves. Third, the Omniverse should be open and everyone could enter the virtual world freely with different portal.
Compared with Facebook, Nvidia’s intention is much clearer. Jenson would like to make good use of Nvidia’s advantage — leading AI technology to roll out their Omniverse — a photorealistic virtual world for creators to simulate the real physical world and help clients test their products before the product launch. Apparently, Jensen put his focus on B2B market and it seems they do have a solidified and concrete business model to run their metaverse platform. We can see Nvidia gradually transform from a pure hardware manufacture to a conglomerate with business service and hardware product.
Apart from Facebook and Nvidia, there are still some tech giants trying to enter in metaverse field, such as Apple, Microsoft, Google and so on. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said they will create the “enterprise metaverse” which looks like Nvidia Omniverse; And it is rumored that Apple will develop AR glasses as their next generation core product. Again, we should pay attention to those big tech giant’s plan in metaverse industry because this will totally change our world…
Next week, we are gonna introduce some potential players in metaverse field which are not well-known for some people. Stay tuned!
Reference:
Mathew Ball
Washinton Post
Verge
Venturebeat
NewYork Times
Forbes
