Neil Stephenson, the author who coined the term “Metaverse” 30 years ago, is in the process of launching a metaverse-focused blockchain project called LAMINA1.
He also revised his vision for the Metaverse, saying that the experience would likely be more oriented toward the use of flat 2D screens rather than virtual reality or augmented reality technology such as headsets and glasses, as in the model proposed by Meta and Microsoft.
Stevenson is an acclaimed speculative fiction author who explored the concept of a virtual reality world called the Metaverse in his 1992 science fiction novel Snow Crash. In addition to writing, the 62-year-old also held the role between 2014 and 2020 as the future lead for an augmented reality (AR) company called Magic.
He and Stephenson co-founded a new layer one blockchain called LAMINA1, which they hope will serve as a “base layer for the Open Metaverse,” Peter Vesinis, a crypto investor and former head of the Bitcoin Foundation, said Wednesday.
“A place to develop something closer to Neil’s vision: a place that prioritizes creators, technologists, and technicians, a place that provides support, spatial computing technology, and a community that supports those who build the Metaverse.”The Vessenes reported, adding that the grid is “likely” carbon-negative.
Specific details about the project are currently scarce in this first phase. However, Joseph Lubin, the co-founder of Ethereum, is a prominent name among the early investors of the project.
Commenting on the role of the co-founders in LAMINA1, Vessenes said:
Neil brings his insight, wisdom, experience and a few core goals: to help artists and other high-value creators get paid appropriately for their work, to help the environment […] And to see a truly open Metaverse development rather than a vision of the Metaverse co-opted by monopolies.”
Vessenes stressed that he will focus on getting the blockchain started early, and working towards it “Governance, Technology, Contract Operators, Intellectual Property Partners, Artists, Business Partners, and Funds Needed.”
Stevenson’s 1992 novel describes the Metaverse as a virtual urban environment accessed via a global fiber optic network and a VR headset. The book deals with themes of social inequality, centralized control and constant advertising, as well as the concept of virtual real estate.
On Thursday, Stephenson shared some thoughts on the Metaverse on Twitter, speculating that a lot of the Metaverse will be built for screens, not VR headsets.
The assumption that the Metaverse is primarily an AR/VR thing isn’t silly. In my opinion, it’s all about virtual reality. I worked for AR, one of many companies investing billions of dollars in building headsets. But…
The assumption that the Metaverse is primarily an AR/VR thing isn’t crazy. In my whole book virtual reality. And I worked for AR – one of several companies that put billions of dollars into building headsets. But…
– Neal Stephenson (@nealstephenson) June 8, 2022
Stevenson noted that when he first wrote about it three decades ago, he did not expect high-quality video games to be widely distributed to consumers in the future:
Thanks to games, billions of people are now comfortable navigating 3D environments on flat, 2D screens. The user interfaces they learned to use (like WASD + mouse) weren’t what most science fiction writers expected. But that’s how the dependency works. track in technology.
The author then added that modern game development is still screen-oriented, for both developers and consumers, and that eventually a hybrid approach that includes both 2D screens and AR/VR technology will be used for the Metaverse, rather than VR alone.
“We navigate and interact seamlessly in incredibly rich 3D environments with keyboards designed for mechanical typewriters. Steampunk has come true. The Metaverse that leaves behind those users and developers who create these experiences would be in the wrong direction”I announced.