What’s the better term – metaverse or virtual worlds?

It was a simple question for the “Virtual Worlds Meet the Web: The Present & Future” panel at the Virtual Worlds conference in LA – What do you think of the term metaverse? Other than a groan the panel was speechless for a few moments. Then they unanimously bemoaned it. I however have always kind of liked the term. I thought of virtual worlds as a subset of the metaverse just as MMOs were. Anything that involved an avatar and was graphically rich fell under the metaverse.

Granted the term “metaverse” comes with some baggage, namely strong overtones to science fiction. Even though I felt it was a good term as it was encompassing, where as “virtual world” denotes a single entity. Add an ‘s’ and you’ve got the plurl form but I doubt people will say, “The virtual worlds” as they say, “The web”. But in that, the term metaverse implies something separate to the web and that’s what irritated the panel the most. Second Life may require its own client though that isn’t true for all virtual worlds – Habbo, Vivaty, Lively. The virtual worlds the panel are building simply augment the web, they don’t replace it. And that is really the crux of the problem with the term “metaverse”. It’s probably more accurate to use the term “virtual worlds”.

So what makes a virtual world

There is a multitude of fetaures people throw out as defining features of virtual worlds, like a virtual economy and 3D. I keep it more narrowly focused.

1. Avatars
2. Simulation of the physical and physical space
3. Persistence

2D, 2.5D, 3D?

If we’re differentiating virtual worlds by the simulation of physical space, what dimension they’re in is irrelevant.  Many early computer adventure games used text to simulate physical space, the same methods used to create ASCII art. So saying the 3D web is irrelevant.

Is an MMO a virtual world?

The easy answer – yes. I know this might rub some people the wrong way as some define virtual worlds by their lack of game dynamics and being more of a free form. However the industry is quickly bringing game dynamics to virtual worlds. Where as the distinction between virtual worlds and MMOs might have been useful before it will become increasingly unnecessary.

Eventually “virtual worlds” will simply fall under the “web”

Just as the terms “web 2.0″ and “social media” will eventually fade away and simply be called the web, so will “virtual worlds”. Email was created prior to the web and is technically very different, however ask any 10 year old if email is part of the web.

In conclusion I’ll use “virtual worlds”

The panel’s aggravation with the term “metaverse” has convinced me to switch to just using the term “virtual worlds”. So yes I learned something at the Virtual Worlds conference.

Related posts:

1. Virtual worlds between a rock and a hard spot
2. How do virtual worlds build community?
3. The end of Virtual Worlds 1.0, now onto 2.0