Microsoft Metaverse vs Facebook Metaverse: What’s the difference?

• Blockchain Council
• September 15, 2022

We bet you came across the news on the 8th of October 2021. Well, if not, that was the day when the CEO of Facebook came up and announced a new name for the company that’s Meta, and a whole new concept of Metaverse!

From then till today, many have wondered what the Metaverse is and, more importantly, what the Facebook metaverse is about. But that’s not it!

In early 2022 Microsoft also announced its Metaverse, which might only stand as a tough competitor to Facebook. Whatever the case, it is a treat for the people. Since both companies have different objectives for their metaverses, let’s check it out briefly.

What is Metaverse?

The Metaverse makes use of cryptocurrencies, machine intelligence, Augmented Reality (AR), and Virtual Reality (VR). This digital reality enables people to immerse themselves in visionary or intense experiences using VR (via AR). Yet, one can come across several metaverses. Some of them are also virtual worlds like Decentraland or online video game portals like The Sandbox.

Metaverse is a technology that utilizes artificial intelligence, smart placement of borders, and communication platforms based on blockchain technology to give users a new experience in terms of gaming and entertainment. Metaverse is a platform that integrates technology, communication, and value networks to build an open ecosystem in which different platforms co-exist to serve all users.

Published in 1992, the term Metaverse appeared in one of the renowned books authored by Neal Stephenson, Snow Crash. In the book, people were represented as personas that can communicate with one another in the digital universe. In 2006, a project called Second Life was launched, which allowed people to use a virtual world called “The Grid.”

Neal Stephenson’s Snow Crash, published in 1992 and based on a project his friend had been working on at the time, describes a near future scenario in which the Internet has become mainstream, but through the use of a 3D interface called a Metaverse (short for “virtual universe”).

Metaverse is the new technology in many modern projects and will be applied to every product. The term was first used in a patent of 1995 as a combination of “meta” (distributed database) and “universe,” where each user could perceive multiple universes individually…”

Metaverse development is the foundation for the future of cloud computing and can be considered a huge step in this direction. Facebook, Microsoft, and others have proclaimed their interest in it, showing how effective and influential this concept is.

How Can Brands Enter The Metaverse Universe? 

The Metaverse is about connecting, communicating, and collaborating across time and space. Organizations can use the Metaverse to engage with their existing customers or use it as a tool for opening new markets. The link between businesses and their customers can be strengthened with the help of this empathetic innovation.

Through the Metaverse’s simulated experience, companies can design fun new experiences and connect with our users via their interests and desires. The next step in the growth of how people communicate and transmit knowledge is the Metaverse. The online realm demands intellectual curiosity; therefore, businesses should adopt a constant attitude of experimentation and learning.

The Metaverse is an exciting step towards the future of digital interaction. While it’s a long way from being a stand-alone platform, companies like Facebook are already getting ahead of themselves regarding what the Metaverse can achieve. By entering now, companies can better position themselves for future success through these new tools.

What is Microsoft Metaverse?

Microsoft launched its meta platform MESH in early 2022, which will be the future Metaverse. Users can swap and work together on a wide range of items, including papers, videos, and much more. You can use it through any smartphone, laptop, or tablet, but mainly you will use it for your profession or personal life. You may utilize it for practice sessions or corporate events, for instance.

The likely merger of Microsoft and Activision could be supported by the fact that people who spend time in the Metaverse will most likely be entering gaming and media portals. As people spend more time in the digital realm of the Metaverse, Nadella said, they will spend more time in games. “It’s a win-win,” he said.

Microsoft’s latest project further consolidates its commitment to the immersive environment known as the Metaverse. Through Mesh, teams can remotely meet and collaborate through an entire series of enhanced features like together mode and the presenter mode.

Microsoft’s vision for the future is to build a heterogeneous and unified platform that allows developers to bring their ideas to life in a new, more powerful way. The company’s ultimate goal is to create the most open and cooperative platform possible that serves as a foundational fabric for innovation.

Facebook Metaverse: What is it?

Mark Zuckerberg founded the social media platform called Facebook. The name change of the website was to represent better the larger scope of Facebook, which includes social network and messaging services and apps for smartphones and tablets.

The idea of a digital world is essential for improving the user experience, and Facebook’s existing network could be used as the foundation for an unparalleled metaverse. However, apart from users being able to access the Metaverse, it will also include developers who will be able to create applications for this new platform with Meta.

Introduced in October 2021, it has not been developed in full fledge, yet it was introduced to the world already. Since Facebook already took the first step towards meta by officially changing its name to meta. When the news came up one morning, many people got confused.

Facebook has renamed itself with a new logo and brand. The company’s founder Mark Zuckerberg announced the change on his Facebook page, noting that the “meta” represents what the company is aiming toward (it’s unclear if there are multiple products).

Meta will offer services for gamers, entrepreneurs, and others to use popular virtual worlds from many different social networks, including Facebook itself, Messenger, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Oculus. The concept is focused closely on sci-fi future form and understanding the social element of Meta.

Microsoft Vs Facebook Metaverse

Microsoft has been a big player in the tech industry and has built its reputation on the idea of being innovative. However, they have also focused more on their business and education sector than on building a social network like Facebook.

The Metaverse shows that Microsoft is taking a different approach, trying to build an open-source platform that any company or individual can use to create and run their virtual reality network.

Facebook’s vision for the Metaverse (the digital world) aligns more with the future sci-fi perspective. At the same time, Microsoft has a more realistic vision of work. Facebook is currently focused on social networking, whereas Microsoft wants to make a digital world for its business users.

The idea of Metaverse by Microsoft comes under their “Digital Life” initiative. It is a place where you can have access to your data, documents, applications, or any other information you want in digital form.

The way that Microsoft views the Metaverse is very similar to how Facebook does it. However, the only thing that differs from Microsoft’s Metaverse is that they take a hierarchical approach and use the metaverse concept in their project contributions. This means that you can access their different projects, a very useful structure if you want to learn more about an area or your particular interests within it.

The metaverse concept is a lot like Facebook in that it’s hierarchical. The only difference is Microsoft’s approach combines it with their project contributions and allows for more flexibility on how the Metaverse will be done.

Other players in the metaverse space

To eventually allow people to amusement parks to ride around the Metaverse, the media powerhouse Disney is experimenting with headset-free augmented reality. For instance, Disney introduced a virtual-world simulator (a way to let attendees at a theme park experience everything in the Metaverse). Disney was permitted to file for a trademark (virtual-world simulator) in the final week of December 2021 to create engaging, custom experiences for amusement park guests.

Roblox: 

Roblox is one of the largest gaming platforms in user engagement, with over 100 million monthly active users. Roblox offers a range of virtual entertainment experiences, from interactive games and books to photo-sharing applications. The software allows users to build their worlds using pre-made assets or design their creations from scratch. The platform also creates an online community for developers, leading players through various levels of gameplay.

According to Roblox, it is currently developing its version of the Metaverse – its platform will be similar to Second Life by allowing users to create and experience a variety of digital worlds that can be populated with avatars. In addition, the company will work on making virtual items more accessible via commerce on its platform while keeping a focus on plans such as eCommerce opportunities between platforms (i.e., Minecraft vs Roblox).

Epic Games:

The maker of the computer game Fortnite, Epic Games, has extended the shooting-game formula far beyond shooting distances to incorporate social functions like digital dance halls and shows.

Epic allows users to dress up their avatars in different clothes, build enormous stages with up to 4500 different items, import massive sets of props, and create music videos that play during play sessions.

Autodesk:

Autodesk is a leading enterprise-software company, a provider of 3D design, virtual prototyping and simulation, product lifecycle management (PLM), infrastructure design and management software, enterprise content management (ECM), and customer services for the industrial and consumer markets. Autodesk helps customers imagine products, visualize them in their final form and ensure they can manufacture them.

Nike:

Kevin Pan, vice president of business development at Roblox, said, “Nike is the undisputed king of the digital sneaker experience, and they have been a pioneer in the VR gaming space since they launched their first title back in 2015.

This collaboration will not only help create a better virtual reality experience for Nike’s community, but it will also allow us to learn how we can enhance our overall user experience for all of our users.”

Nike is creating a virtual reality experience inspired by Roblox. Visitors can dress up their personas in Nike apparel and shoes, and they can also utilize Nike grounds and venues to play video games in the digital environment.

Google:

As head of product management, Google wants to create a new type of search experience powered by its metadata. They are also exploring ways to make it easier for people to upload, share and discover metadata in the future. On the venture, Google and the US authorities are collaborating.

Amazon and Google

Amazon and Google, who have both pioneered virtual reality projects, are currently looking to partner with industry experts to create the next generation of online infrastructure.

Conclusion

The Metaverse represents a framework of standards that allows users to create 3D interactive worlds. The only problem is some of these standards aren’t well defined. Users find it challenging to develop dynamic, engaging virtual realities as a result. With Microsoft’s approach, users can combine their project contributions with these standards and configure how the Metaverse will be executed.

While introducing Mark Zuckerberg gives a glimpse of the Metaverse to the world and leaves them wanting more. Currently, every business is working nonstop to turn it into an actuality as quickly as feasible. People love the concept being so fascinating and want to get their hands on this technology as soon as possible.

The Metaverse concept is inevitable, and it’s just a question of when. The technological experts are currently putting forth a lot of effort to make it a reality. These companies are all racing to achieve this goal because, shortly, the Metaverse market will become one of the largest markets in the world. The first company to accomplish these goals will profit greatly from their proposal.

You can learn Metaverse and pursue your career as a Metaverse professional. To achieve this you can start by enrolling in metaverse technology courses offered by Blockchain Council. Check out the Blockchain Council’s website for more certification details.