The 4 Main Virtual Worlds

Why should you care about a virtual world? How will buying land help you? Which virtual world should you buy land in?

For everyone that’s been following me on Twitter recently, you know how much I advocate for the adoption of the metaverse and how invested I am in these virtual worlds.

Whether it be in land, NFTs, attention, you name it.

I believe in the full adoption of the metaverse.

I believe in the positive outcome it will have on society.

And I believe that it is important to understand what these platforms can do for your business or brand.

But before we get any further, what does the term “metaverse” even mean?

What Does “Metaverse” Mean?

“Metaverse” is a term that refers to the culmination of all virtual worlds. “Meta” means beyond, while “verse” refers to the universe. The metaverse is the idea of a virtual reality that every single person on this planet has thought of before. Is there a world beyond our world? Is there a place where we can escape the problems that plague our everyday life? Is there a place that is beyond our universe?

Whether that’s pertaining to religion, technology, space, etc., the concept of a metaverse has always represented the peak of human imagination to me.

What Is The Metaverse Today?

The metaverse today would be the digital setting comprised of all the virtual worlds.

Yes, there are virtual worlds today.

And yes, there are monetization opportunities in these virtual worlds.

There’s going to be a day when your grandkids say,

“Grandpa and Grandpa, you guys really needed screens to live (insert a large amount of laughing emojis)…”

So how many of these virtual worlds are there and why is each one worth a look at?

The 4 Kings

There are numerous virtual worlds, but for today’s purpose, we’re going to talk about the top 4 ones: Decentraland, Cryptovoxels, The Sandbox, and Somnium Space VR.

These have been the four most important blockchain-based virtual worlds in the crypto industry and are the ones with first-mover advantage going forward.

Let’s get into it.

Decentraland

Decentraland has been the most popular virtual world since the concept of the virtual worlds was introduced. In fact, it was the first of the four main blockchain-based virtual worlds to debut. Decentraland also has the lead over the other virtual worlds, in terms of total volume sold. They have currently sold just over 87,000 ETH worth of assets. Decentraland also uses the cryptocurrency, $MANA, to allow consumers to maneuver throughout the platform. $MANA is currently listed on Coinbase and Gemini.

In terms of trading virtual real estate and creating virtual business experiences, Decentraland is probably the most efficient. It has first-mover advantage over the other virtual worlds and is extremely popular. From a marketing-your-brand perspective, I believe Decentraland has established itself as a frontrunner. It has brand recognition due to its first-mover advantage. You can link your social media accounts, YouTube, podcast, etc. to your land and create an experience for users who visit your land. You can also monetize these experiences.

Cryptovoxels

In terms of onboarding new users, Cryptovoxels has been the best virtual world so far. This virtual world is more tailored to creators so they have a really strong, welcoming community. They use voxel graphics, similar to Minecraft, and let you build experiences on your land. Their community is very strong and interactive, more than Decentraland from my experience.

The land is not scarce, as the creators have the ability to add land parcels to the map. This devalues the resell incentive, but bolsters the creator incentive. The engagement you receive in this virtual world is authentic engagement. If you’re an artist looking to showcase your art gallery, Cryptovoxels might be your favorite virtual world.

Somnium Space VR

Of all the virtual worlds, Somnium Space VR is the one that is the most “futuristic.” And what do I mean by that, since we’re talking about virtual worlds here and they’re all futuristic. Somnium Space (a virtual world built on Ethereum) integrated and based its entire foundation on VR. The world is accessible on your computer, mobile phone, AND virtual reality. To fully experience what this world has to offer, VR is recommended.

Somnium is second in total volume sold measured in ETH. They have sold much less assets than the other virtual worlds, because the price points for the land are the most expensive. This world appeals to a consumer base a little further down the line, but it is one of the two virtual worlds I’m most bullish on.

If you’re into 3D modeling off Blender or Cinema 4D, Somnium’s SDK allows you to upload whatever Blender designs you have into the virtual world. Of all the virtual worlds, you could say this one has the potential to be the most “realistic.”

I believe in their CEO, Artur Sychov. He is a hardworking, genuine person, but he also has high standards for his project. I fully believe that he will execute his vision for Somnium Space. VR is coming and when it does, Somnium will be waiting.

The Talk2Much Podcast Ep. #32: Somnium Space VR: NFTs In The Virtual World

(featuring the CEO and founder of Somnium Space, Artur Sychov)

The Sandbox

The Sandbox is set to premier their alpha version soon and slowly open up their world to consumers officially. This virtual world has caught my eye recently and is one that I have very high hopes for. And this is for many reasons.

1. The gameplay is the smoothest and crispest. They use voxel-style game graphics, just like Cryptovoxels, except theirs looks more defined.

2. More suited for creating game-like experiences to capture the consumer’s attention.

3. Not a game though; think of this is a platform created and monetized by users.

Of all the virtual worlds, I see The Sandbox being the social hub for marketers and crypto influencers because of its rapid progression and appealing design. Not to mention, The Sandbox has already partnered with big players within the cryptoverse to kick off its alpha release.

As the platform evolves, it will be more and more suited for creators. The land prices are much cheaper than the other virtual worlds at the moment and this is all before their alpha release. I do see The Sandbox as the virtual world with the most potential to excel in all areas.

The Talk2Much Podcast Ep. #40: NFTs In The Sandbox Virtual World

(featuring the director of marketing from The Sandbox, Marcus Blasche)

Podcast Episode For the Week:

This week, I am joined by Crypto broker, Mr. Varun Bajaj. Mr. Varun is a real estate broker and is part of the Crypto Real Estate Alliance. He works alongside Propy and speaks on their behalf in many occasions. Propy is a real estate transaction platform that empowers buyers and sellers to close deals on the platform in its entirety. Because of this, they have experimented with blockchain-based transactions.

Last week, Propy handled the first ever real estate NFT sale for an apartment in Kiev, Ukraine. Mr. Varun joined me to discuss this deal and what it means for the crypto real estate community, as well as the future of NFTs in this realm. This is an episode I HIGHLY recommend you all watch. If you’re in real estate, this could prove very beneficial to you.