26 Nov 2021 | AWE Team

AWE Talks: Jumpstarting the 'Real-World Metaverse'

Augmented Reality

See the full video below along with TLDR (or TLDW) quick-hit takeaways.

– Niantic's mission has always been to get people out of the house and engaged in real-world interactive behavior.
– So naturally, its "version" of the metaverse is aligned with that outdoor use case and vision. 
– This translates to a "real-world metaverse" that brings the physical world to life with digital experiences.
– It's already accomplished that to some degree, considering Pokémon Go's geospatial AR gameplay.
– But Niantic's larger play could be its Lightship platform, which democratizes geospatial AR for developers.
– It lets developers lean on the architecture and mechanics of Pokémon Go while focusing on their own front-end UX.
– In this way, Lightship could accelerate AR innovation just as a range of SDKs have historically done for startups and developers.
– The net effect will be to help the AR industry as a whole, not to mention boost Niantic's business with a platform play.
– This real-world version of the Metaverse contrasts the fully immersive online metaverse that is often discussed in a VR context.
– Hanke is opposed to such immersive and isolating metaverse experiences: We should aim instead to enhance the physical world. 
– The real-world metaverse will accomplish this by utilizing AR, and could represent AR's killer app we've all been waiting for.
– Though that potential exists, it will take years to materialize, and Niantic wants to get the ball rolling now.

See the full discussion in the video below... 



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