Is it game over for reality?

Eighty years ago, a blueprint to develop computers to play was introduced. This was a seminal moment that set the footprint for what is now and the future of the metaverse.

Here is a brief timeline of important milestones which show how video games have advanced from 2D to 3D to VR.

1940s - Scientists evolved a computer's capability to not just think but also play.

1958 - William Higinbotham created what is believed to be the first video game which led to the creation of other single-player games.

1977 - Atari 2600 ushered in the era of the standalone coin-operated arcade.

1980s - Popular games such as Space Invaders, Pacman, Tetris. Nintendo's Gameboy, Zelda, and John Madden Football achieve success with mass adoption.

1982 - Neal Stephenson coined the term "metaverse" in his novel to describe a virtual world in which people can escape a dystopian reality.

1990 - More interactive games hit the mainstream with Sega and Mortal Kombat, Sony releases Playstation in the US while IBM's supercomputer defeats Kasparov in chess.

2000s - Online play comes to the fore, Super Mario and multi-player capabilities, Xbox and Wii.

2008 - World of Warcraft becomes the most popular MMO (Massively Multiplayer Online) to create a whole virtual universe for play and interaction.

2009 - Facebook and iPhone support games like Farmville and Angry Birds.

2010 - Mass adoption of smartphones support games.

2011 - Spyro's Adventure becomes the first AR game.

2012 - Pikachu, Pokemon Go become virtual reality games, Xbox enters the market, Fortnite becomes a phenomenon with the Generation X.

2020 - The Covid pandemic pushes people to stay home and play video games further pushing closer the interaction between machines and humans.

Video games have been existing in a form of metaverse for decades. Asia, especially Japan and South Korea, is ground zero for video games, anime, and Robotics. The Japanese are known to be socially recluse giving importance to personal space. So, video games and anime provide a kind of companionship despite being alone. Korea is almost a vertically integrated technology lab with a government so involved that it is developing its own metaverse platform.

The Chinese government has also committed to building a Metaverse industrial base.

But for now, many forms of metaverse platforms exist in silos. Companies like Meta, Decentraland, and Roblox provide a platform for avatars to interact in the 'phygital world.' This is the immersive coexistence of the physical and digital world.

Everyone will admit that the technology supporting the Metaverse is nascent. It's progression in 5 years is anyone's guess let alone its impact on societal transformation. Companies from finance to eCommerce to retail see the benefit of advertising in the metaverse. They can create virtual stores to showcase their wares without having to invest in a physical location and inventory. This will be the most accessible and cost-effective marketing stratgy with unlimited market reach.

The effects of a virtual world on the human mental state can not be overlooked. But if there is a hint of how much AR/VR/Metaverse will affect us, look to Asia.