We often use the term “Metaverse” (singulare) as if it refers to a single entity. In reality, there is no such thing, at least not yet. Whether or not we can ever accurately say there is a single metaverse is the difference between an open metaverse and a closed one.
Author Neal Stephenson coined the term “metaverse” in his 1992 novel “Snow Crash.” In his sci-fi tome, he described an entirely virtual world that functioned as a parallel society. Since its inception, a wide range of groups including technologists, Mark Zuckerberg, the crypto community, game developers, and many more have adopted the term “metaverse.”
Earlier this month, Tim Sweeney, CEO of Epic Games, the creators of Fortnite and Unreal Engine, laid out his grand vision during the company’s “Year In Review 2022” livestream. He told viewers that the gaming giant planned to pull together its various strands, including game development and its film and TV work with Unreal Engine, “into something that comes closer and closer to the metaverse from science fiction.”
“Not the dystopian version… but the really positive versions where you and your friends get together into a real-time 3D social experience and can explore the whole world.”
There is still no exact definition of what a metaverse even is, but it has developed and narrowed over time. Most users of the word accept that it will be some form of a virtual world – or worlds. In the Web3 community, many believe it will involve digital assets like អិនអេហ្វអេស and cryptocurrencies, and will employ smart contracts to create a trustless, decentralized online space not controlled by any one company. However, not everyone is on the same page.
Source: https://beincrypto.com/the-future-of-the-metaverse-is-open/