What Can Second Life Teach Us About the Metaverse

15 years in the past, Philip Rosendale, the founding father of Second life, made a daring prediction. He told the Guardian, “The 3D net will quickly be the dominant factor, and everybody can have an avatar.”

Seeing how his creation had one million energetic customers on the time, the concept didn’t appear that inconceivable.

Quick-forward to at this time, and we’re nonetheless ready for our avatars. The Metaverse continues to be years away from turning into a actuality. However many organizations are working onerous to make it occur.

Whereas Second Life is now just about a ghost city, with around 27,000 active users, as soon as it was a thriving neighborhood, it was one of many first examples of what a Metaverse may very well be.

Listed below are some issues that Second Life can train us in regards to the Metaverse:

Having an Economic system is Important

A giant a part of what made Second Life so profitable was its economic system. There was an actual change of products and providers going down. Folks have been shopping for and promoting land, creating and promoting garments and objects, and offering providers like golf equipment and occasions.

Between 2003 and 2013, Second Life customers spent over $3.2 billion on in-game purchases. That’s some huge cash altering palms, displaying that individuals are keen to spend actual cash in digital worlds.

NFTs Have a Sensible Use

Whereas NFTs technically weren’t round till the 2010s, digital objects have been used in a similar way in Second Life. Folks would purchase and promote land, garments, and objects. Whereas some folks might even see NFTs as a speculative funding, they’ve a sensible use.

As an example, gown designers would create unique attire and promote them for top costs. And whereas the individuals who designed these things represented solely a small share of Second Life’s economic system, it nonetheless proved that there’s a marketplace for digital items.

Ease of Use is Key for Widespread Adoption

One of many greatest issues with Second Life was the comparatively excessive barrier to entry. In line with estimations, between 20% and 30% of first-time Second Life users didn’t return to the platform for the second time.

A part of the explanation for this was the steep studying curve. Customers needed to discover ways to create an avatar, navigate the world, and use the controls. And in the event that they didn’t have pals or contacts in-game, they might seemingly get misplaced and quit.

With Metaverse platforms, we have to ensure that they’re straightforward to make use of, or we’ll danger dropping plenty of potential customers.

We Want Higher Headsets

If the Metaverse goes to be successful, we want higher headsets. These days, VR headsets are nonetheless too costly and ponderous for most individuals. They’re additionally not. very comfy to put on for lengthy intervals.

Oculus Quest 2 is a step in the suitable course, however we want even higher headsets if we’re going to make the Metaverse a actuality. We’d like headsets which are lighter, extra comfy, and cheaper. Solely then will we see widespread adoption of VR know-how.

The Sooner We Study the Sooner We’ll Arrive

Second Life was a pioneer on the earth of digital actuality. It was one of many first examples of what a Metaverse may very well be. And whereas it’s now just about a ghost city, it could possibly nonetheless train us rather a lot in regards to the Metaverse.

An economic system is crucial, ease of use is essential for widespread adoption, and we want higher headsets. If we are able to be taught from Second Life’s errors, then possibly, simply possibly, the Metaverse will turn out to be a actuality.