Verses for the Metaverse

Hello there!

In keeping with the spirit of "from the Metaverse to the Universe", I thought of penning down possibilities with the Metaverse including overlaps into the "real world". By possibilities I mean use cases in the Metaverse. I know there is a lot of skepticism around this space and everyone is waiting and watching. But in the meanwhile, no harm in looking at what may be fairly commonplace, maybe a few years from now :) So here are a few use cases across industries, for the Metaverse:

1) Online shopping would probably see a lot fewer "returns" with more and more use of virtual in-shop experiences. In the metaverse, customers can try, touch, and feel digital versions of the items they are considering for purchase. Another interesting aspect that comes up is the possibility of having "in-person" shopping experiences in a physical store situated thousands of miles away, on another continent

2) Real Estate assessment can be made much more convenient through virtual tours. You do not have to rely on the images and videos only. You get an "in-house" (literally!) experience from the comfort of your living room. This is actually being done by Savills, for instance. Not to speak of the virtual real estate with the likes of decenteraland enabling you to purchase virtual land, in a virtual world wherein you can buy and sell NFTs, and expect all of these digital assets to appreciate in value, over time

3) Digital marketers would probably feast on the slew of advertising options available in the metaverse. A whole new world of immersive, engaging advertising experiences await the consumers. Influencer marketing is also likely to be really big in this space, with avatars endorsing brands in the virtual world

4) Let's say you are planning a vacation and have shortlisted some options. The options comprise of a combination of choice of location/hotel/sightseeing/cuisine/cultural activities etc. You would surely like a real-world experience as a trial, for each of these options, before you decide. Imagine getting a sneak peek into each of the experiences and then going for it!

5) Virtual events are going to be a big deal in the metaverse. Apart from the concerts, art festivals and their kind even industry events and conferences are likely to benefit from this. Which means newer avenues for B2B marketers too :) and not just the glitzy world of consumer brands. Speaking of virtual events, I found the upcoming Metaverse music festival to be very interesting and intriguing! Here is a link to it, in case you want to participate :)

There are so many more use cases, but for now, we do wait and watch. And perhaps just wet our feet, with the occassional metaverse moment :)