So I chose to do an art exhibition from the Department of Digital Arts/Ruth Schnell at the University of Applie Arts Vienna. I just stumbled across that event posting looking online for metaverse events. The metaverse I was in was Voxels so the same one that Michael was showcasing on Friday. I hung out for awhile, walked around to see different student submissions. There were DJs and some interesting blocky moving sculptures. I think it was probably just interesting to me but not something I’d ever do of my own volition in my free time.
I think there is a real appeal to the metaverse for people. I think Michaels enthusiasm for the space and it’s potential is probably appropriate, this seems like something if you got on early could be hugely beneficial in the long run, but at this point in my life and the metaverses life, I’m just not interested. My experience was fine but as someone with older devices it just didn’t run smoothly at all. I understand rendering anything other than blocks would be way too hard on most peoples machines but for all the metaverses potential benefits, I just find it very ugly to be in. It’s just unappealing, I don’t like feeling like I’m getting advertised to in what appears to be minecraft with artists marionettes as my avatar.
I think the concept itself at this point seems kind of muddy to me as well. The accessibility of it as a browser and not an app is a boon to it, but it’s combination of social media, extension of the internet and video game feel make it fairly unappealing to me. I’d rather do any one of those things individually, because the individual experiences are more enjoyable at this point. The metaverse feels like when you go to a restaurant that’s doing too many different things on the menu, and you’re like, they can’t have good pizza and sushi. This just feels like it’s doing too much, so I don’t even think I could use this as entertainment at this point. I’d rather just browse the internet, go on social media or play a game. Maybe when this hits like ‘Ready Player One’ fidelity I’d be into it but just not there yet.