The Metaverse is a virtual space which exists on the web. In this virtual world, avatars represent humans. Houses, fields, books, and gadgets can be purchased and owned virtually.
Think of it as a fully immersive internet experience where people have easy access to augmented and virtual existence, helping with communication and experiencing different space using persistent avatars.
Brief History of the Metaverse
In fact, the metaverse is not a new concept because traces of its existence can be traced back to the 18th century when Sir Charles Wheatstone invented the concept of binocular vision. This concept is the basis for inventions like the stereoscope and virtual reality.
Skip to 1935 when Stanley Weinbaum, a science fiction writer published his book, “Pygmalion Spectacles.” A story that talks about how someone explores a completely virtual world with goggles, being able to smell,feel and even taste things.
These events have led to the creation of VR headsets. Only recently, in 2021 did Facebook change its name to Meta as Mark Zuckerberg announced the company’s plan to champion the development of the metaverse.
How the Metaverse has Impacted Online Gaming
Improves User experience
One of the biggest limitations to many strategic based games is the difficulty to read opponents because of the absence of physical players. The impossibility of reading a player’s body language in a game of poker for example makes it difficult to read a “tell” during a game.
The Metaverse fixes that by offering users a more real-life experience. With virtual reality, players can observe other players’ avatars, helping them read the game better which increases their chances of winning.
Players being able to interact with each other will make socialization easier and improve the whole gaming experience.
Increased accessibility to casinos
Many people still prefer going to a physical casino than online casinos because of the traditional experience and interactions.
With augmented and virtual reality in Metaverse gaming, players don’t need to leave their homes to experience that feeling with some providers now offering virtual gaming experiences. Many of the hottest new online casinos are integrating Metaverse gaming to their sites, offering players the opportunity to create avatars and explore a virtual metaverse world of a land based casino with virtual slot machines and gaming tables.
Fixing Posture problems
Gamers spend the majority of their gaming time sitting in one spot which can be bad for their posture and overall health. The advent of ergonomic chairs has helped solve this problem but only on a small scale because of its expensive pricing.
Thanks to the metaverse, this issue can be adequately addressed. When a player logs into their gaming account on the metaverse, the experience is delivered through their virtual reality headset meaning that they don’t have to be fixated to a particular position. Now, players can move around while playing by controlling their avatars with their bodies giving them more flexibility.
Blockchain Payment Integration
Cross-border transactions usually have many limitations and high fees that turn many players off. This is because traditional currency must follow certain channels to get to players.
Fraudulent online payment services, unreliable checkouts, and high fees have been a major problem in online gaming.
With the adoption of the metaverse, online poker players will be able to use cryptocurrency to stake on games and get paid faster and securely.
With crypto payments, online transactions will be easier, faster and secure. Players will not have to deal with challenges such as country location limitations, inability to process direct deposits and withdrawals from your local bank, and paying exorbitant fees when playing internationally.
More Game Selection for players
Traditional casinos are limited by physical space which allows them to host a set number of games. Metaverse Gaming on the other hand isn’t limited to real estate, allowing online casinos to host as many games as they want.
Players on the other hand don’t have to physically change locations to play their favorite games that might not be available in the casinos near them.
The Future of Metaverse Gaming
As exciting as the promise of immersivity sounds, metaverse gaming will take a few years to gain enough traction. There are still a lot of people who prefer traditional casino gaming and limited access to affordable high-end VR headsets. It will also take the collaboration of numerous tech companies like Google, Amazon, and Meta to build a metaverse responsive enough for global use.
However, as more players adopt VR gaming, more online gaming companies will begin to invest in their versions of the Metaverse.
The difficulty in regulating metaverses will also draw more online and traditional players to Metaverse gaming in the long run.
Metaverse gaming offers players numerous benefits, from increased accessibility wherever they may be to solving payment issues and creating a more realistic experience.
In the long run, metaverse gaming might be the answer to a lot of questions regarding online gaming, which is a good thing for players and game platforms.
