Ask the advertising industry: What is the definition of the metaverse? | Perspective | Campaign Japan Japan

While many people are talking about the metaverse and trying to drive business around it, there is still no standard agreement on what constitutes a metaverse. The most common image of the Metaverse is a virtual or augmented reality world where you can wear goggles or glasses and “jack in” to have conversations with other people.

Online game platforms such as League of Legends, Fortnite, and World of Warcraft claim that their massively multiplayer online games (MMOs) are the Metaverse. Platforms like Roblox and Minecraft are also considered by many to be a metaverse.

While accepting all these claims, the advertising industry is struggling with how to utilize these functions and environments to promote products and services. We are focusing on in-game advertising, product placement, NFTs, etc., but we do not have a functional definition of the metaverse. To begin with, the word “metaverse” comes from a typical science fiction dystopian novel, and it still exists in our imaginations.

How did the term “metaverse” come about?

The term “cyberspace” was coined in William Gibson’s novel “Neuromancer” published in 1984, and refers to the digital world connected by the Internet and the visual (and He foresaw the future of auditory (auditory) interaction. In 1992, Neil Stephenson coined the term “metaverse” in his book Snow Crash. Written in the early days of the Internet, Snow Crash’s metaverse is depicted as a virtual reality world that is an infinite reproduction of the natural world, unrestricted by physics or government.

In 2003, Linden Lab’s Second Life offered us a virtual world on a flat screen, but it never really caught on. In 2011, when Web 2.0 was spreading all over the world, Ernest Cline’s novel “Ready Player One” (Japanese title Game Wars) depicts a metaverse called OASIS similar to the virtual world of Snow Crash, This solidified the concept of interacting with others. However, many environments unrelated to this concept are now called the metaverse, including virtual platforms like Decentraland, mobile games, and MMO games.

The Metaverse is a growing segment that brings consumer attention and engagement to brands. Therefore, we must have a working definition of “metaverse”. This definition must not only clarify the concept, but also the specific specifications and platforms for creating brand experiences and building relationships with consumers.

What characteristics does the Metaverse currently have?

It is connected to the internet infrastructure and is online. The platform and environment are “always on” and users must be online to participate in the universe. But users don’t necessarily have to wear goggles or a virtual reality headset. You can also use your mobile phone, tablet, or PC. Also, there is no need to be on a wired LAN network, and you can interact via 3G, 4G, 5G, or wireless LAN. But being online and connected are essential features of the metaverse. When it comes to advertising, being “digital” is a must.

Another characteristic is that the metaverse must allow multiple users to interact within its environment and community. This means you can play games with someone, chat with them (via voice or text), watch things together, have virtual meetings with your avatar, and more.

This is a communal space where people can come and go as they please. Virtual meetings held using Google Meets, Microsoft Teams, Zoom, etc. can also be considered a metaverse. This is the same thing as Meta saying avatars can do everything in Horizon. But from an advertising perspective, they are private environments, and ads may not be served.

Another feature is its “real-time” nature. Facebook is an online community, but we don’t call it a metaverse. People come and go as they please, and it’s an asynchronous interaction. We post, share, react and leave comments.

We don’t interact with people in real time on social networks. But in the Metaverse, people expect to play games, have conversations, and in other words, share the moment. It’s not like I’m expecting a reaction later on. When it comes to the digital advertising industry, real-time capabilities will further advance advertising technology’s ability to get clients’ messages to the right people at the right time.

What is “Metaverse”?

Taken together, these characteristics define a metaverse as an online, real-time community. There are private and public metaverses in the metaverse. The metaverse also allows for creative activations such as programmatic advertising, product placement, and sponsorships.

We already advertise in our in-game inventory through ad platforms such as Digital Turbine, Ironsource, and Bidstack, and we are working on esports sponsorship deals. We also support brands. He also helps brands grow their presence in Roblox, Minecraft, and Fortnite. Some of these efforts fit this definition, but others do not fit this definition under some conditions. Can all of these be called metaverse projects?

Also, will this definition still hold true even after Web 3.0 evolves? Perhaps the definition needs to be refined to include the visual effects of 3D webs, not just flat 2D webs. The concept of metaverse only covers a portion of “digital advertising,” so it may eventually become a meaningless term. However, at least in the advertising industry, this definition may be useful in clarifying what is currently called a “metaverse” and what is not.

Joe Nguyen is a senior strategic advisor at H+, the digital services network of Hakuhodo/DAC Group. He is the former Senior Vice President of Asia Pacific at ComScore.