Getting physical: Understanding a future shaped by the metaverse
Will Freeman
Tuesday 19th April 2022
Playable Futures is a collection of insights, interviews and articles from global games leaders sharing their visions of where the industry will go next. This article series has been brought to you by GamesIndustry.biz, Ukie, Sumo Group and Diva.
As the conversation around what the metaverse will be continues to fascinate technologists, game makers, press and public alike, defining what it will be has become somewhat confused by hype, enthusiasm, and the influence of science fiction.
While some players wonder when they will step into Ready Player One's fantastical future, those actually working on shaping the metaverse still see tremendous value in asking what exactly it could - and should - be. One of those people is Alex Xu, who brings over 27 years of experience working in games and technology, having served companies including EA, SNK and Leyou Technologies. Today he stands as CEO of MultiMetaverse, a holding company that brings together numerous active projects focused on games, animation and merchandising, and that has a determined focus on helping understand and realise the potential of the metaverse.
Alex Xu, MultiMetaverse
For Xu, asking what the metaverse is remains a vital conversation.
"I think it remains the most important question about the metaverse," he enthuses. "And I think the most important thing for the metaverse comes in terms of how it is different from the virtual worlds that we are all familiar with. Because, you know, us gaming company people have been building immersive virtual worlds for three decades or more. If you think of the metaverse as just a virtual world, that's not something new."
In fact, says Xu, it is the familiar physical world around us that really
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