The integration of the publishing industry and Metaverse has kicked in. Applications such as AIGC (AI-generated content), AR, and VR are seen as notable transitions.
What is Metaverse?
“Metaverse”, a portmanteau of “meta-” and “universe”, is an improved hypothesis of the Internet that supports a sustainable 3D virtual environment through conventional personal computers as well as virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR).
The term Metaverse was mentioned by author Neal Stephenson in 1992 in the science fiction novel Snow Crash. It depicts a virtual world where people interact with each other through digital avatars. Movies like The Matrix and Ready Player One are the best examples of this idea.
In a nutshell, Metaverse is not a technology, but a comprehensive application of technologies such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, big data, cloud computing, and virtual reality to create a digital living space that interacts with the real world.
Metaverse is the goal of publishing industry
Nowadays, in the publishing industry, Metaverse is not just a well-known concept, but more a reality everyone is striving for.
Metaverse virtualizes and digitizes the real world, requiring a large number of transformations in content production, economic systems, user experience, and real-world content. Metaverse has begun to reshape the traditional business form of the publishing industry.
The integration of the publishing industry and Metaverse has kicked in. Applications such as AIGC (AI-generated content), AR and VR (virtual/augmented reality) are considered an important transformation that Metaverse has brought to the publishing industry.
In the future, as AIGC technology develops, it will be possible to convert text into videos and 3D content in an ideal state. At this point, the reader will embark on another level of the reading experience. Standing at a new starting point, the publishing industry needs to accelerate to keep pace with the development of technology and time.
Besides, Metaverse bookstore has also been mentioned by many people in the publishing world, and in the near future, Metaverse bookstore will become a self-operated store based on publishing organizations. Instead of bringing books from publishers to publishers, bookstores, booksellers, etc., now when Metaverse is integrated, publishers only need to open a bookstore through this technology, animating the actual interior of the bookstore, displaying books, and hosting webinars of online autograph sessions, so that readers not only gain “immersion” in the “shopping” but also can exchange and make book purchases online.
Looking at the timeline, the development of the metaverse can be roughly divided into 3 phases: an early stage from 2021 to 2030, a mid-stage from 2030 to 2040, and an achievement stage from 2040 to 2050.
This means that within the next 10 years, the traditional publishing model will face a reboot. It needs to catch up with technology as soon as possible to lay the foundation for integrated development as well as the transformation, enhancement of publishing and distribution of digital publications.