Step into the Metaverse

Chapter 2Creating an Open Metaverse

Open vs. Closed

As discussed in Chapter 1, interoperability is the key enabler to significant value for society as a whole, enabling users to seamlessly move assets (including your identity) from one platform to another. But what does this really mean? What is the difference between a metaverse constructed of open platforms versus a metaverse that consists only of closed walled gardens, and what lies in between? Is some hybrid metaverse possible, with both open and closed digital experiences? As it appears, the spectrum of open versus closed is not exact, but there are multiple layers and aspects that determine how open or how closed a certain platform or experience is. One thing is clear, though: an open metaverse will deliver significantly more value than a metaverse consisting of closed platforms, let alone a metaverse consisting of a single, closed platform such as The Oasis as portrayed in Ready Player One. In fact, The Oasis was created, owned, and controlled by one person, which would mean the equivalent of one company owning the entire internet. Although some companies do their best to be portrayed as being the metaverse, it is not very realistic and, ideally, will never happen.

The less extreme variant is a metaverse that exists only of closed walled gardens, which is basically what we have today. The vast majority of organizations on the Web are centralized companies running platforms or websites, some of which have grown so big ...