The Metaverse already exists. Think about Fortnite, Roblox, Sandbox and Minecraft gaming platforms. These examples are not exactly Metaverse in the conventional sense of the word, but rather the forerunners of the Metaverse.
2D virtual environment was the previous step, the next step is 3D virtual reality linked into the perceived virtual Metaverse.

We are moving from a bystander of the virtual world to a direct participant of the events inside it.

The growing interest in the Metaverse from business and users’ side is based on the already implemented examples of virtual 3D space use for games, entertainment, education and for making money.

What does Metaverse actually look like?

It’s a 3D simulated world that models our reality, even beyond our world. An inhabited augmented world, the Internet that we live in, rather than just contemplating.

Key components required for implementation of Metaverse:

• The Avatar. A digital twin of a person that can communicate, work, argue, learn, play, buy and enjoy life inside the Internet. Digital avatar represents us in Metaverse, expressing our personality.
• Components of the virtual world: places, spaces, games, arena of action, where the avatar can go from one to another.
• The Platform to bring all together, a more mature technology giving us more immersive reality. For example, Metaverse will allow you (your avatar) to move from one virtual space to another like we do in a real physical world. You can create a replica of your home, your office and put it into virtual reality. You can buy a virtual car in a virtual store and drive wherever you like. Virtual ownership, virtual shopping, virtual service — we already operate with these concepts in practice.

Examples of Metaverse application

Emerging Metaverse opportunities are evolving at super speed.

Let’s imagine how the Metaverse can be applied and what benefits can be obtained.

1. Entertainment and gaming
   Early version of Metaverse was a 3D gaming platform. Imitation of feeling of presence inside the game space completely differs from 2D gaming experience.
   Metaverse opens up completely exciting possibilities for gamers and a stunning sense of the reality of gaming action. New immersive entertainment experiences allow you to visit virtual exhibitions and concerts (Fortnite concerts is a real example), go on tours to unexplored corners of our and other planets.
2. Education
   Online education has become the new normal due to the COVID pandemic. Metaverse will take distance education to a new level.
   Teachers and students all over the world can meet in the Metaverse getting a new learning experience, more immersive and profound.
3. Professional training
   Mastering professional skills in a 3D simulator means a new level of practical training for both civilian and military jobs.
4. Conferences and meetings
   During the pandemic, we have almost lost the habit of personal meetings at work. Future virtual meetings will move to 3-D space with digital avatars and the imitation of presence in one room. With Metaverse, there is no need for all conference participants to be in the same physical space: the ability to see yourself among the avatars of other participants, hear their voices, see their gestures and emotions, creates a complete presence effect. VR-goggles and motion capture gloves will immerse you in the atmosphere of a live meeting, no matter where the participants of the conference are in reality.
5. Management and control
   Metaverse means a much more immersive experience of coordination and interaction in different industries, management and service operations. Employees of the city service companies can quickly remotely receive a stream of up-to-date information about their areas of responsibility using Metaverse. Example: police officers can monitor what is happening on the roads and streets of the city with full immersive effect, and quickly respond to accidents. Similar examples of using Metaverse can be given for engineering services: electricity, water supply, etc.

Metaverse money-making opportunities examples

The business potential of Metaverse is being explored by millions of users and developers.

• Virtual goods and digital assets sales.
  This immense business opportunity is becoming a reality right now. Many companies are already selling products that only exist digitally. You already know about digital clothing and fashion brand accessories. Real estate deals already exist in Metaverse. The most common example of Metaverse digital-only goods is NFTs.
• Advanced customer experience.
  A virtual try-on, virtual guide, virtual shop assistant — these are new customer experiences, new ways of interaction between companies and their clients. Exciting AR-shopping in virtual shopping malls — a number of global brands have already seized on the idea and are using Metaverse for promotion.
• Digital ownership and crypto assets
  Creation, maintenance and monetization of content is a great money-making potential in Metaverse. For example, you can earn money by buying and selling cryptocurrencies. NFTs, virtual assets can grow in value over time and this is an exciting chance for making business.

In this article, we have only slightly opened the door to peek at the opportunities and amazing experiences that the Metaverse discovers for us.

Existing platforms (Decentraland, Sandbox, Fortnite, Roblox, World of Warcraft and League of Legends and others) can be called examples of the Metaverse. Вut still in the future, when all these and other virtual worlds will be united, and users will be able to freely move between them, dispose of with their virtual assets, buy, sell, play, then this will be the real Metaverse.

The younger generation is likely to become the main users of metaverse benefits.

There will be many more ways to use the Metaverse, examples we don’t have yet. Endless opportunities which we have to discover, explore and implement in the nearest future.