by Alexey Shalimov, CEO of Eastern Peak
The recent advancements in VR, AR, blockchain, the Internet of Things, and other technologies opened up the perspectives of creating the metaverse and making it accessible to customers and businesses around the world. The metaverse gives almost infinite opportunities for companies in different niches. Yet, many entrepreneurs don’t know how to get started with the metaverse and create a competitive metaverse app, and they stumble upon technical issues and challenges.
Although many people still consider the metaverse as something out of the far future, this industry is actively evolving and growing, being expected to generate over $678 billion by the end of this decade. Analysts expect that by 2026, a third of the world’s companies will use the metaverse as a platform for their business, and a fourth of all people will use the metaverse daily for their everyday activities.
The fact is, you can build your own metaverse app and enjoy its benefits right now. Read on to learn everything you need to take your first steps in metaverse development.
What is the metaverse?
Cyberspace, a merger of multiple 3D worlds, a parallel digital reality, the next iteration of the Internet – these are common descriptions for the metaverse. The metaverse is a theory of a united virtual space that can be accessed through AR or VR devices. Users can explore the world and meet other visitors via personal avatars. Not only can the metaverse be a fantasy game reality like Fortnite, but it can simulate the real world, where users can trade products and even properties using cryptocurrency.
But if this immersive AR/VR-driven world is rather a theoretical conception, then one may ask how to build a metaverse today with the available tools?
While there’s no integrated metaverse space, this concept offers many opportunities for businesses that want to give a new dimension to their products, services, or advertisement strategies. A common application of the metaverse for businesses is to create a metaverse app that can provide users with an entirely new experience.
Let’s take a look at the features that distinguish metaverse platforms.
Key features of a metaverse app
A metaverse business deals with a concept that is different from other platforms, tools, and content. Let’s break the metaverse down to its basic components.
- Infrastructure
The foundation of the whole metaverse platform is its infrastructure. It defines the capabilities and functioning of the app. The metaverse infrastructure should be built using technologies that provide connectivity (Wi-Fi, 5G, cloud computing, etc.) and can support its scalability.
- Decentralization
The metaverse is known for being free from authorities and centralized control, which makes it a more democratic version of the Internet. Users can interact with each other and the object of the digital space independently, as well as create and trade their assets without constitutional regulations.
- Digital avatars
An avatar is a digital representation of a user in a metaverse app, and thus a central metaverse design feature. It allows customers to explore the digital world, express themselves, and communicate with other avatars. Users can customize their avatars, and it may give even more metaverse opportunities for gamification and additional engagement.
- Experiences
Businesses of all kinds use the metaverse as a platform that can be filled with nearly any experience that can come to mind. On the edge between the physical and digital worlds, the metaverse offers an environment for a fantasy world, an immersive and interactive classroom, a showroom for a fashion brand, or even a trip to another part of the world.
- Security
Metaverse tech companies put a special emphasis on user data protection when it comes to businesses entering the metaverse. Although the decentralized form of this ecosystem may be groundbreaking, it requires even more attention to its high privacy standards.
- Persistence
The metaverse is often compared to video games. For that matter, a metaverse app is similar to a multiplayer online role-playing game, an environment that exists and evolves, whether the user is connected or not – pretty much like the real world. The metaverse operates continuously and uninterrupted, even if you leave it for a while.
Underlying technologies behind metaverse apps
Speaking of the development stage, a metaverse app can be built by combining several core technologies:
- 3D Reconstruction — An essential building block of the metaverse; used to copy or simulate real-life objects. 3D reconstruction technologies may include 3D cameras, 4K photography, as well as 3D modeling tools.
- Blockchain — This metaverse technology is responsible for providing decentralized, yet secure and transparent experiences. It is especially important for protected transactions.
- Virtual Reality (VR) — This technology goes hand in hand with 3D modeling and allows users to see virtual objects and environments. VR makes the metaverse immersive and engaging.
- Augmented Reality (AR) — A true metaverse can’t be achieved without AR technologies. They are used for real and digital experiences to intertwine. While virtual reality provides visual contact, AR complements it with physical senses, such as hearing, feeling, and interaction.
- Internet of Things (IoT) — IoT integrates real objects and phenomena into the digital environment of the metaverse. Thanks to this technology, users can connect their real-life devices to the metaverse and improve how their avatars function.
- Artificial Intelligence (AI) — This technology is used widely in the metaverse, as it can process immense amounts of data, and that’s exactly what metaverse apps are about. Additionally, AI helps to create more realistic avatars, as well as NPCs and bots.
How to start a business in the metaverse?
Since the metaverse industry is pretty new to the modern market, companies often don’t know how to build a metaverse app and start a business in this field.
So, how to get involved in the metaverse in practice? Here are the basic steps you may want to take to create a solid foundation for your business.
Find the right platform.
When it comes to the question of how to create a metaverse app, it turns out that the beginning of this journey is pretty much like traditional app development. First, you need to select the platform where the product will be presented. Depending on the features of your business and target audience, you can choose, for instance, a gaming-inclined platform like Roblox, or a more commerce-focused one with its own currency like Sandbox or Decentraland.
Boost your online presence.
Many may think that excellent products are all it takes to build a reputable and profitable company. In fact, good marketing does half the work for you. If you want to use all the metaverse business opportunities, it’s better to prepare the ground for your company and tell your potential customers about your brand via promotional channels.
Develop AR/VR apps.
Although there are many metaverse options that don’t require using augmented or virtual reality technologies, you can’t provide the full metaverse experience without them. Employing AR and VR in your metaverse app will entertain and engage your users and bring more benefits to your business, which is proven even by world-famous brands.
Focus on your target audience.
Just like in the case of working with any other project, your metaverse app should aim at a certain age and gender group or at people with specific interests and issues. This approach will also help you include appropriate essential features that will clearly solve the problems of a concrete audience.
Focus on the user experience.
The metaverse is all about experience, and moreover, a new and enjoyable one. Thanks to the technologies used for creating a metaverse, your customers will have an opportunity to see usual things from an unusual angle, entertain themselves, or make better decisions for their purchase.
Remain adaptable.
Today, any metaverse company is in some way pioneering in this field. It’s a great chance for your brand to experiment and get creative. With the further advancement of technologies associated with the metaverse, your business should be able to adjust to new challenges and opportunities and embrace emerging trends in metaverse app development.
Recommended metaverse development tools
Although your team should choose a technology stack according to your specific metaverse software, there are some popular tools and platforms for building such an app. They may include:
- metaverse programming languages: Python, Java, Node.js;
- mobile development: Kotlin, Swift;
- cloud computing: Google Cloud, AWS;
- database: MySQL, Oracle Database, MongoDB;
- AR/VR: ARToolKit, GoogleARcore, AppleARkit;
- AI: AWS sage maker, TensorFlow;
- 3D reconstruction: Unreal Engine, Unity, CRYENGINE; and
- IoT: MQTT, Azure IoT hub.
Be miles ahead with the metaverse opportunities
The metaverse is a pretty young approach to communicating your brand’s ideas and products with an audience. By mastering the metaverse trends today, you can leave your competitors far behind. And by the time the metaverse becomes a common space to create and spread products and services, you’ll surely remain in top positions. So, explore new opportunities for your business right now and invite your customers to radically new experiences of the metaverse.
As CEO at Eastern Peak, a professional software consulting and development company, Alexey Shalimov ensures top quality and cost-effective services to clients from all over the world. Alexey is also a founder and technology evangelist at several technology companies. Previously, as a CEO of the Gett (GetTaxi) technology company, Alexey was in charge of developing the revolutionary Gett service from ground up and deploying the operation across the globe from London to Moscow and Tel Aviv.
