Metaverse is the name used to name an immersive, collective and hyper-realistic virtual environment, where people will be able to live together using 3D customized avatars.
It was coined by writer Neal Stephenson in his science fiction book “Snow Crash”, published in 1992. The work tells the story of “Hiro Protagonist”, a character who in real life is a pizza delivery boy, but in the virtual world – called metaverse in the story – is a samurai.
Some projects have tried to create something similar to a metaverse. One of the main examples is the game Second Life, released in 2003 by Liden Lab. The game is a 3D virtual environment that simulates real life. Users can create avatars and socialize with each other. The game has attracted thousands of gamers, but has failed to fully unite real and virtual worlds.
