the diversity of Mark Zuckerberg
Like a vision of the meta metaverse expanding slowly and steadily Mark Zuckerberg attracts more criticism on the Internet. Last week he announced that virtual reality Platform Horizon Worlds Launched in France and Spain Horizon Worlds is free the game the development of which the company has already spent almost 10 billion dollars. The announcement was made along with a virtual selfie that showed the CEO’s avatar – expressionless and flat – before a pair of unimpressive scale models of the Eiffel Tower and the Sagrada Familia crashed into a green ground plane. Twitter exploded with comments. ‘Come work at Meta, where the most brilliant technologists of the time have reached the level of 1995 graphics.,’ one user said.
The ensuing backlash was not Mark’s first. When Horizon Worlds was first launched in the US and Canada in December 2021, and the internet didn’t make much of an impression on it either. User avatars were presented as rudimentary floating torsos, reminiscent of a video game from the early 2000s, especially the Wii with its “mii” avatars that at least had legs. It wasn’t aesthetically pleasing or standard, as one might expect from a billionaire who claims to be unlocking the digital future.
This barrage of tongue-in-cheek disapproval on social media led to a hasty sequel just four days later with a carefully updated version of Mark’s metaverse with smiling eyes and rosy cheeks. The CEO adds:Major updates to Horizon and avatar graphics are coming soon. I will share more on Connect. Also, I know the photo I posted earlier this week was pretty simple – it was taken very quickly to celebrate the launch..’ The significant difference in style and quality leaves the question of what the metaverse should actually look like and what we should realistically expect.
images via meta
metaverse: precedents and expectations
By 2022, we have high hopes for computer graphics. In cinema, computer graphics are so complex that they cannot be distinguished from reality. Video games can also show stunning ultra-high fidelity visuals. Of course, hi-fi graphics get more glitchy and difficult to render when it comes to open world games and RPGs, especially virtual reality as in Horizon Worlds (see here).
In early 2003, Second Life introduced a virtual world where users could create unique personalities and interact with each other live. Player avatars looked clunky and awkward (see screenshot). here). In 2017, Fortnite was released as a multiplayer game with vibrant stylized graphics and customizable skins. In 2021, the revamped NoPixel GTA V role-playing server flooded the internet with its seemingly endless array of features and customizable characters. To see the depth of options, watch Twitch streamer xQc has created one of his GTA 5 RP characters.
what happens to graphics?
When determining the success of these multiplayer “metaverse” worlds, it’s important to consider the number of users playing at the same time, not just graphical fidelity. As the number of players increases, the graphics quality tends to deteriorate and the chance of crashes increases. Fortnite’s battle royale mode requires 100 players, while creative sandbox mode can only have 16 players per server. Meanwhile, NoPixel’s latest server is accommodating 250 users at a time – a massive improvement over 2019, when only 32 users could join.
What leaves viewers confused is that Meta doesn’t seem to be sacrificing graphical fidelity for the sake of player count. In promoting his metaverse, Mark boasts that it will be used by hundreds of millions or even billions of users, although since its launch in December 2021 in the US and Canada, Horizon Worlds can accommodate up to 20 people in one space. In February 2022 Meta argued what Horizon Worlds as well as Horizon Playground the total monthly user base was 300,000 that users created 10,000 worlds in the game.
Horizon Worlds launched in the US and Canada in 2021
When viewed through virtual reality goggles, the environment in Horizon Worlds seems somewhat jerky and dizzying. Players’ hands are still difficult to control and seem incredibly awkward while playing. Meanwhile, judging by the settings of the players’ environment, the sound is a stream of voices, as if the crowd is talking to itself. There are moderation methods where players can democratically vote to kick individuals out of the world if they annoy or offend the group. Mods roaming some open worlds may even issue a warning or ban in person.
How Forbes The author noted that the vision of the “metaverse” already exists and is used in the form of video games, which have been wildly popular for many years. Minecraft, GTA, and even Roblox allow a community of players to interact in a virtual world that can be endlessly sculpted and customized. Perhaps there is an untapped community of people seeking to attend virtual business meetings as a floating torso. We look forward to the next round of updates as horizon world pushes forward.