Book Series Launch Events - Physical and Virtual

 

We are having 2 launch events for The Metaverse Series and the first two books in the series, A Critical Introduction, and The Metaverse for Learning and Education.

Virtual Event - 24 Sep 24

The virtual event will be held in a microverse that we have specifically built to support the series and which will be permanently available to support the book Series and to encourage an exploration of the metaverse topic in novel ways.

The microverse is hosted on the Frame platform (https://framevr.io/) which is accessible from any PC/Mac or mobile or VR headset through the browser – there is no need to download any software.

The launch is a drop-in event, and nearer the date we’ll announce specific times for a Q&A with the series co-editors – and possibly other series authors. 

Please register your interest in attending on Eventbrite at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-metaverse-series-virtual-launch-tickets-950726096347.

Physical Event - 24 Oct 24

The physical event will take place on October 24th, 5pm - 7pm at Blackfriars Hall, University of Oxford, St. Giles, Oxford OX1 3LY.

The launch will be an ‘in conversation’ event with Professor Nigel Crook, Oxford Brookes University, Professor Sarah Hayes, University of Bath Spa and Dave White, University of the Arts and the authors at Metaverse Book Launch

You can book your tickets at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/metaverse-book-and-series-launch-tickets-904860852167?aff=oddtdtcreator

We look forward to meeting you at one or other of the events!

VISPA Virtual World Closing

Seems the VISPA virtual world is closing on 31/8 according to a service email I've received. Had some novel ideas, particularly in the way that spaces were laid/created & hopefully we'll see some of them replicated elsewhere - directly or through in-world scripting.

New CITI Report - Mapping the Innovation Landscape

Interesting new report by CITI Global Insights on Mapping the Innovation Landscape - Comparing 100 Emerging & Disruptive Technologies, Business Models, and Ideas.

It shows the metaverse with a current market size of $90bn, but with a forecast growth to 2030 of over $1tn (which puts it about 6th, alongside AI). Note that there is also a separate entry for Virtual Reality. The report also suggests that investment in the metaverse is on the low side (given the log scale).

The metaverse is defined as "a proposed version of the Internet where you feel you are "inside" it, as opposed to merely looking at it" and virtual reality as a system which "covers  the field of view to give an immersive experience. Augmented reality uses computer-generated images superimposed over a view of the real world, allowing for mobility" (so seems to include AR, and MR - and is perhaps more focused on the hardware than the experience but this isn't clear).

VRChat Lays off 30% of Company, Citing Growing Pains Following COVID Platform Boom (RoadToVR)

We're aiming to post news stories about the Metaverse on this site to help keep the books up to date, as well as letting you know what is happening to the Series itself, and providing additional content that wouldn't fit in the books - like colour photos and videos!

So here's our first news story. It must be said that whilst VRChat has some nice features and has encouraged the creation of a lot of UGC it is very much an acquired taste!

https://www.roadtovr.com/vrchat-lays-off-30-of-company/

2nd Book is also almost ready - The Metaverse for Learning & Education

 

Copy edits have been done and cover approved for the second book in The Metaverse Series on The Metaverse for Learning & Education. It's due to be published in September alongside the Critical Introduction and already available on pre-order:

• https://www.routledge.com/The-Metaverse-for-Learning-and-Education/Savin-Baden-Burden/p/book/9781032538334
• https://amzn.eu/d/eV4HSPv

Critical Introduction - cover, editing and pre-order!

 

We've settled on the cover for the Critical Introduction book. Copy-edits have been done and responded too. Final step is to check the proofs and then it's off to the printers. The book is due out 11 Sept 24 and is already up for pre-order at Amazon and Taylor & Francis in hardback, paperback and eBook formats:

• https://amzn.eu/d/3E3jGKA
• https://www.routledge.com/The-Metaverse-A-Critical-Introduction/Burden-Savin-Baden/p/book/9781032497884

The Learning & Education volume is making similar progress, and the draft of The Military Metaverse has also been submitted for internal review.

Time to also start getting the microverse ready to support the series....

First manuscripts off to production

 

The final manuscripts for both The Metaverse: A Critical Introduction, and The Metaverse for Learning and Education have now been handed over to the production team, and we're hoping they'll both be out in September. David is now in the home straight on the manuscript for The Military Metaverse which will go off for peer review in May. Once that is gone we can start to focus on this web site and get that ready for the launch, and also start work on the microverse to support the series. With the sad demise of Mozilla's Hubs the microverse will almost certainly be on VirBela's Frame virtual world as its the best of the current crop of WebXR platforms which means that you won't need ot download any software to enter it - you can just use your web or HMD-VR browser.

The picture above is from the GoXR virtual world - a 3D model of Taiwan.