It’s strange, it was human in 2022. We seem to be in a strange position to mock, fear and reject the future depicted by the powerful technology billionaires that shape it, but at the same time we are always persuading ourselves. Others — The very future is certain to happen.
Facebook co-founder of Animatronics explained a new version of the Internet using VR.
Like so many major beats of our time, Mark Zuckerberg’s Metaverse presentation was barely distinguishable from the episodes of Black Mirror. In it, the co-founder of Animatronics Facebook described a new VR-driven version of the Internet. There you will meet, socialize, buy things, do your daily work, buy more things, and watch lots of ads. Then relax in a low gravity poker game. It seemed to be reborn as Nintendo Mii in the deepest part of hell.
Almost one-third of Americans (Opens in a new tab) It’s scarier than getting excited about the Metaverse. 87% have serious concerns (Opens in a new tab) About potential privacy issues in it.
Still, despite the fact that it clearly looks like an immersive pop-up ad and a nightmare hinterland of consumer goods of no value, anyone you’re talking about actually talks to them. Despite the fact that I didn’t say I want This, the conversation in the tech media that followed Zuckerberg’s laughter performance wasn’t about when such a future would happen, but when.
In particular, most of the excitement seems to come from those who see it as an investment opportunity. Those who have just shut down their crypto farm because their energy bills are too high. People who have purchased all NFT Ape drawings and are patiently waiting for them to retain the value of the Jackson Pollock layer.
They are anxious for us to live in the Metaverse, so they can pretend to be us and sell their costumes for real money.
But as the technology behind it becomes more sophisticated, there is another vision of how augmented reality and virtual reality can help our lives. And the most encouraging place you can find it now is the world of cycling.
Maybe you’ve heard of Zwift. Founded in 2014, the game is basically a combination of MMO cycling games and training tools, where riders connect their bikes to a static trainer and input to their bikes as a virtual avatar riding a 3D course. Move the virtual environment by looking at the screen that converts to. Zwift uses ANT + and Bluetooth connections, power meters, and height and weight data from riders to calculate how fast you’re moving through the virtual world, allowing other riders to follow the same route in one live event. You can track it.
As you can imagine, it started in earnest in 2020. Many cyclists invested in bike trainers, freeing up garage space and popping screens in front of them, as confused and constantly changing blockade rules arbitrarily restricted outdoor exercise. I rode my bike to the only permitted place, Zwift’s idyllic climb. And surely, climb.
Since 2016, Zwift has hosted things like esports elements and even had its own fraudulent scandal. (Opens in a new tab).. Dominated by UCI, the governing body of cycling, the Zwift World Championship has created athletes who have won real professional team contracts by competing with each other for the fastest cyclists on the platform.
The 2022 winner, Loes Adegeest, is currently on the UCI World Tour Team ICBT and has shown a strong show this season, including finishing 5th in the general classification of the Lot Belgium Tour. 2020 Champion Jason Osborne goes in and out of UCI cycling events to balance the time between semi-professional cyclists and rowers. And so far, there are three magnums deep in this article.
Zwift’s esports champions moving to UCI road cycling look great. Similar similarities can be seen in simulation races and motorsport. Sony’s GT Academy drivers drove and won the actual endurance race event. Also, some of Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc’s F1’s biggest stars, their simulation racing rigs suck electrolyte drinks through straws on the walls of the pits.
And it feels like a transferable skill that is an important element of the desired Metaverse. Since poker is poker, Zuckerberg took me there, but what other skills can you hone and see real progress while decorating your VR headset?
No matter how detailed the data is, it’s still just a real simulation.
Interestingly, the route from virtual cycling to the UCI-calibre competition is clear and feasible, but the road is not always capable of handling two-way traffic. Many pro riders were surprised that despite the superhuman VO2 max oxygen uptake and wattage per KG, they didn’t win the Zwift race when heavy indoor travel occurred in 2020. Probably. This is because Zwift doesn’t require the rider to handle the bike. Simulates important physical elements such as drafting. No matter how detailed the data is, it’s still just a real simulation.
Then Zwift isn’t perfect. But as an esports environment, and more broadly as an analog of Zuckerberg’s Schilling in the Metaverse, it’s pretty encouraging.
Most obviously, it is beneficial to your health. Riding a static trainer requires aerobic and anaerobic efforts. Burn calories. It may not tell you how to get off, where to put your weight on a tricky uphill to prevent the rear tires from losing traction, or how to take a 90 degree corner just before the lead-out sprint, but similar demands. Is imposed on your body for outdoor cycling. In other words, you can realize the benefits by going out to the bicycle on the move again.
And that’s what we lack in the version of the Metaverse we’ve shown so far. There are tangible benefits to our real life. The Meta presentation didn’t show us how to make us healthier, happier, or more connected with others.
Zwift isn’t without nonsense. From jerseys to facial hair to bicycles and wheels, there are plenty of customization options, and the virtual components you buy affect your virtual bicycle stats. For example, buying a deep aero wheel and aero frame improves simulation performance on a flat ride, but the lighter weight produces less wattage on steep uphills than another rider on a heavy virtual bike. You can stand on top. ..
If that sounds a bit “game industry”, then these purchases aren’t paying to win. At least it’s not real cash. Zwift’s currency is Drops and can be earned by completing actions within the platform. Calorie consumption, distance marker cover, pacesetter riding and more. It cannot be purchased, traded or gifted in cash. Therefore, those who have been using the platform for a long time may have an advantage over newcomers due to the unlocked virtual gear, but at least they had to sweat to get it. ..
The important thing is that no one pretends that these items are real. Zwift’s beard isn’t an NFT, and despite the bike parts with the actual manufacturer’s brand and visual design, DropShop has nothing else.
There are some great lessons that the PC gaming esports scene can learn here. And in the long run, there are more important lessons that the proposed Metaverse can digest. Zwift’s message wasn’t about buying things, despite the high initial cost of buying on the platform. It’s not trying to create a permanent virtual market that takes your real-world money and turns it into a fake property.
More importantly, it not only is good for your health, but also allows you to practice skills that are applicable in the real world. And that’s allegedly why people are actually using this fast-growing Metaverse.
