Keeping Tabs
It is important to keep tabs on the people you disrespect.
On of the markers of the postmodern era, which I guess is still ongoing, is “the disappearance of a sense of history” (Jameson 1988). One way in which this shows is the way business analysists, tech gurus and other people from the valley can just excrete the most hubristic claims again and again without encountering any skepticism or critique and without any repercussions when their claims inevitably don’t come true.
So I think one of the ways we should engage the attempted colonization of the future by the Valley is to remind them and us of the past.
The Metaverse
Meta sent an email blast to Horizon Worlds users today stating that the social VR world will officially end on its Quest VR headsets; starting March 31, Horizon Worlds will no longer be in the Quest store. Some Horizon-specific perks, including Meta Credits, avatars, and some digital clothes and in-world purchases, will also be removed. The VR worlds will be shutting down entirely on June 15, after which the service will be available only as a mobile platform. The move comes after Meta made widespread cuts to its Reality Labs division in February, laying off 10 percent of employees in its VR department. (Wired @ archive.is)
And here are some choice predictions of our business geniuses @ some the major consulting firms:
- McKinsey: “With its potential to generate up to $5 trillion in value by 2030, the metaverse is too big for companies to ignore.” They also helpfully comment that this is, yes indeed, equivalent to the size of Japans’s economy. (Source)
- Mordor Intelligence see the Metaverse with a market size of 165.57 billion USD by 2025 (so by last year). (Source)
- Citi Group: 8 to 13 trillion USD by 2030. (Source)
Satya Nadella:
“The metaverse is here, and it’s not only transforming how we see the world but how we participate in it – from the factory floor to the meeting room. Take a look.” (LinkedIn)
Sources
- Jameson, F. (1988). Postmodernism and the Consumer Society