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I’m really mad with the luxury and fashion industry. I waited and I hoped for sustainability to change the way we buy. But these industries use the word sustainability like it’s a thing to hang their entire business model upon: the truth is, they don’t really care because you don’t. Not really. Sustainability doesn’t sell handbags, shoes or jewellery. Luxury does. Sustainability doesn’t stop people buying yachts or taking private jets in the luxury space. Aspiration does: the luxury life. I wanted to get under the skin of luxury to see whether I could help change a few minds. I visited a luxury conference recently as a regular nerd, a game developer who just so happens to run a digital fashion company. I don’t know what luxury thinks they’re doing about sustainability and more frighteningly: neither do they. YSL’s SL A few years ago, just before lockdown kicked in, I was volunteering, as I do every Saturday at my local second-hand market. To give you the full experience, the second-hand place I volunteer is vast, like a hangar, over two floors and the charity it serves supports education in parts of the world that need the most help. The second-hand market takes in pre-loved stuff. I work in the clothing department and as you can imagine, we are flat out most Saturdays with sorting through donated clothing. Unless the clothing is beyond repair, we sell it. Our clothing team washes the clothes (we take items home to wash and iron) and we even sew ripped or split items. We do good business too. From pre-pandemic to post-pandemic we have sold second-hand everything to thousands of people who might not be able to afford new stuff, or have a need for something in particular. Occasionally we receive a big consignment of clothing items from someone who may have passed away from old age or illness. On Saturday I was sifting through such a shipment when I saw it. An original Yves Saint Laurent Swiss silk dress, circa late 70s/early 80s. I fell in love instantly. So I got my purse at the ready and offered to pay. “No, no, you can’t do that,” my boss said. “That’s for recycling.” Recycling? I pondered why she said recycling when she really meant “in the bin”—when she piped up and said “you can’t wear dead people’s clothes.” It’s an interesting conundrum but one that shouldn’t affect whether or not we save a perfectly good, vintage and beautiful heritage item from landfill. So I took it anyway and paid really not so much for it. YVES SAINT LAURENT. I still love it and I wear it regularly, including today at this event. Green silk with magenta cherries, it’s garish and a real talking point. Sure, it isn’t the most sustainable thing in the world, silk tends not to be. But here’s what it isn’t. Landfill. The First Cut is the Deepest Cut to: I’m standing in a packed auditorium about to speak into a mic. This panel is about sustainability, yet I am already prepared to discover that no one actually cares about sustainability. Everyone is talking about themselves: how good their business model is, how everyone loves the quality of the items, of course—it’s luxury—that’s what it’s supposed to be! But then they started talking onstage about how innovative they are. Innovation is a concept that not that many people understand. There’s an ISO for it which explains innovation as “a new or changed entity realising or redistributing value”. Innovation is often the latter part of the sentence and therefore something of an emperor’s new clothes statement. For the luxury industry, it’s the invisibility cloak of traditional methods and practices. For me, it’s the reason why I exist. As a lifetime student of design I am surrounded by bad design, and when bad design happens to great brands shouldn't we innovate out of it? It’s what we did effortlessly during the pandemic—which was a poor design on the human condition—why aren’t we doing it now? If we’re looking at innovation in luxury, where should it be happening? Because “it can’t exist everywhere.” Someone said this actual thing to me at the conference. At the end the panel moderator asked the audience to share examples of how they are being sustainable in innovating luxury. “We have created an exclusive green jewels collection (use case unknown), and we are the most carbon zero supplier of blahblahblah.” And another: “we make handbags by hand” Or something. Why? How is that innovative? It’s barely sustainable. A new sustainable guru was wearing a very fine silk suit from a London tailor. He divulged that to get in front of the bigwigs of luxury he had this specially made and had flown into London from Asia to collect it before coming here. He wanted to make a good impression on the bigwigs. Did he make a good impression on the climate? Not at all. Sure we can all offset, but it’s just to pay for your conscience and for the entire footprint of another organisation’s climate mistakes rather than their own. There has to be a better way. You see, sustainability is not easy. ESG statements are not easy to make when they can be investigated as a matter of public record (when the companies are, of course, public). The panel tried really hard to shoehorn every single ESG statement about their respective businesses into the conversation but they knew that deep down there was no way that they were sustainable. At all. Because, what’s the point in luxury? When you are paying big money, you want a big return on that. I heard some discussion in the breakout room about a shoe company where each pair costs over $15k. It’s a great business model, it’s even strangely innovative. But if you are buying a pair of shoes for $15k you want $15k of service. And I want $15k of after service. How does sustainability fit into that conversation? Surely it cannot. It isn’t. The shoe will go out of fashion but the horse will need to be killed to make the glue. The cow will have to die to make the leather. It’s one less cow which will be replaced by another. How are the shoes presented? What is the sustainable value of these shoes beyond its perceived value? Green jewels? High street crystals? I’m holding the mic and wondering whether I should say what I want to say: luxury you are doing it wrong. “According to Snap Inc.: 85% of all Gen Z have avatars, what is luxury doing to service this market? I am Kelly Vero, CEO of NAK3D and we are a digital-first developer of assets for the entertainment and video games sector to create solid sustainable and tractionable sales data for the luxury and fashion industries. Gen Z needs fashion content for their avatars and together with NAK3D you can make it sustainable by being digital first. Cool eh?” The Chewing Gum Hypothesis The room erupted into muted, shocked sounds and staring eyes. The kind of thousand yard stare that heralds confusion and fear. I am the turd in the wedding punchbowl. The square peg in the round hole. Who is this woman with blue hair? Did she land here from outer space? Is she from the future? She’s wearing a garish green silk and magenta cherries dress. Why is she dressed like that? What the luxury—and let’s face it—the fast fashion industries need right now is someone who has landed from the future via outer space because god knows fashion is getting faster and it needs to get a grip of itself. Even luxury is getting as fast as fast food. Something that we cherish in painted canvas with gold clasps and hand crafted handles from a heritage luxury brand is being replaced by the next shiny thing, or the next collaboration with [insert your licenced IP here] because that’s just the way fashion is moving since the demographics changed. Scary huh? But luxury isn’t ready. So what’s the point in doing a Juicy Fruit X [insert your luxury brand here] collab where the sheer essence of chewing gum as a luxury concept is explored through a variety of wasteful samples, merchandise and then photoshoots when one digital product can carry the entire weight of a campaign? ✏️ Design Phase - create the digital asset containing all properties and metadata (which you’d normally find in a PLM). 🧊 Development - this replaces manufacture. If you want to be sustainable you aren’t ready. Instead, examine and explore the digital asset between design and launch. No physical samples are required AT ALL here, I mean, you have already developed the PLM from the asset itself. The digital asset IS the PLM. 👗 The Master Asset - after user input, projected data from textile or design detail makes the final digital asset. 🪙 The Gold Standard - this one asset is used for EVERYTHING: ecommerce thumbnail, merchandise (including NFT), photoshoots, social media and add games and virtual worlds, AR try-on and VR experiences to that. Your 85% of Gen Z demands it! Do we really need to make so much waste by adding physical logistics? No we don’t. Digital logistics are as simple as uploading to the cloud on one side, and securely allowing downloads on the other side. What I’m saying is, in 2023, the traditions of the fashion industry are making everything a million times harder (and not even sustainable or carbon zero or whatever). Though the conference was small, there was a lot to get excited about. I found this amazing swimwear company for men called Rivea. I could not for the life of me understand why the CEO of the company wasn’t telling his story about how his swim shorts are made from 10 plastic bottles collected from the mediterranean sea and beaches. How one button is made from ocean granules and how the swim short carry pouch was not only waterproof but also biodegradable. That was the story of innovation I wanted to hear. But amongst the digital and sustainable creators, of which there were loads, I saw dreadful specularity of very high luxury items (gunmetal grey is not silver chrome, my friends), photo realistic AR try-ons that didn’t anchor the body very well at all (but somehow still managed to service some of the big players in the luxury industry) and a bizarre interaction with a supposed sustainable startup who pointed to the Airpod (very sustainable—not) in her ear indicating that she can’t talk now because there’s something or someone more important than the person standing right in front of her. Sustain to Survive Things have to change around here. This traditional way of doing things and even handling business doesn’t work. It’s coming apart at the seams. It’s a broken toy method where it’s safer to throw everything away rather than fix the original problem: the design. Don’t talk about sustainability if you don’t mean it. Forget about it. Do something else. Save the whales. Maybe, support girls in education (they need help now more than ever). Talk about that in your ESG, it’s way more demonstrable. If you are the so-called panacea for digital in luxury, at least have the foresight to actually produce a high quality of product. If your client’s consumers are paying a lot of money for a bracelet, don’t create an AR try-on that looks like you don’t care. Listen, your luxury clients don’t know what quality looks like in digital, but you do. If someone asks you how your business is sustainable, you better think about how you are going to get to the event by the most sustainable means possible. Your ESG statement is not an opportunity for you to brag. It’s an opportunity for you to be honest about the areas of your business you have to work on to truly be carbon zero. As for me? Well, I took the train to the event using a train company that offsets its footprint as part of the ticket cost, I wore a 1980s YSL dress salvaged from landfill (I actually told someone at the event about this, she was chewing her leg off to get away from me in case I had fleas), and I walked a million miles to get to the venue because there is only one hotel nearby. I came away feeling like I’d planted a seed in my new luxury industry friends' collective minds, hopeful that we can push towards a sustainable future by going digital first. My piddly little startup NAK3D is exactly that. We don’t need to staff our office with a million people to move a piece of paper around the room, we don’t even have an office. We’re working with clients luxury and otherwise who believe in making changes to their business to evidence their ESG statements, digital is doing that for them. And when the 85% of Gen Z with-their-avatars cease going to physical luxury stores, and stop buying from ecommerce stores (which they will) because they can buy directly from their avatar’s inventory or in-game it will be in view of NAK3D’s digital first approach to luxury and fashion; that will be the most sustainable move in history (and you can take that to the bank). Until then, we wait and we hope for real measurable change.

My Godot what a week! I’m at the World Economic Forum this week talking about metaverses and how we can make them inclusive and accessible for all. That’s what we really, really want isn’t it? Meanwhile, the downturn of metaverse users is real. How do we expunge the demons of our web2 past to make a really solid future? We consolidate. Anyone who thinks they have the best this or the first that is wrong. We need to get together if we’re going to survive. If we stand alone, we’ll fall. 🏝️Lonely Islands💻 The Metaverse, often seen as the crown jewel of the blockchain world, is currently feeling a chill as the crypto winter persists. The big players, like Decentraland and The Sandbox, have seen their user counts and token values plummet. Decentraland's MANA token, which was once flying high, is now trading at a mere $0.28, down 95% from its all-time high. Similarly, The Sandbox's SAND token is down 80% from its peak. What in the hell gives? Well, it seems that when crypto's up, Metaverse is up, and when crypto's down, Metaverse follows. But that’s not all, because this is a story about hubris. Sure we can ask the universe for stuff that may actually manifest but what if the universe isn’t listening? What if users simply don’t care for hanging out in lonely, empty malls? Then what? The best that these dudes can do is work together. That would be one helluva platform. They need a moonshot campaign that’s about more than them. The PR writes itself. 💘 Stupid Cupid ❤️ At RDC 2023, Roblox's CEO dropped a Metaverse-sized bombshell: Roblox aims to become the ultimate dating app for users aged 17 and up. Imagine meeting your special someone in a digital wonderland filled with adventures, games, and avatars. It's not just Gen Z; love knows no bounds in the Metaverse! But hold on to your heart-shaped emojis; this isn't your typical swiping left or right. Roblox envisions immersive environments where people can form real-life connections. From virtual picnics to skydiving dates, the possibilities are as limitless as the Metaverse itself. That’s the PR. Now the reality. I’m concerned. A platform that prides itself on all the 13+ peeps (but yeah, you know), and then says it wants to do dating for 17+ zalfas (that’s Gen Z and Gen Alpha to you and me)—that seems a bit, no, a lot off. My head is currently exploding at how the lovely folks at Roblox will be able to put the lid back on Pandora’s Box when all the innocence is swipeable: data, privacy, security, oh god physical safety. How? How will this work? And who is actually watching the Watchmen right now? 🎮Balls of Steal📈 Remember Unity, that once popular game development engine? I’m being mean, I do love Unity and the people in it. Well. Some people in it. Other people in Unity can go to hell. They know who they are. I’ll give it until the end of this week. You see, our friends in Unity have dropped the biggest bollock of all time. This week they introduced a "Runtime Fee" tied to the number of game installations, sparking outrage among game developers. Concerns arose that even successful games could end up paying Unity more than they actually make. Game studios rallied against these fees, threatening to switch to rival platforms. In response, Unity had to backtrack on some policies and clarify others. But here’s the thing, business is business and as I quoted on someone’s Linkedin page this week “data shows that the majority of new companies coming to market are unprofitable when they IPO.” And by extension “since the 1980s, unprofitable IPOs have risen from around 20% to 80% of the total IPOs each year.” NASDAQ is right, especially in this case, it seems. Unity wants their profits back. They have public shareholders who need answers about why a company that grew so big isn’t doing great. Additionally, Bloomberg now reports that some Unity offices have actually had to close because of death threats from disgruntled, erm, what do I call them? All I can think of as a collective noun is douchebags. This is not the industry I joined 30 years ago and this is not the behaviour of any good developer I know, angry or not. Good people work at Unity and it’s not ok to be a cockwhisk. Get your shit together before you start hurling threats at everyone else. /rant 🚗Automatic Lovers 🌌 Anting Town in Jiading District is gearing up to host the second World Metaverse Conference. Let me stop you right there. Is this a World Metaverse Conference like the World Series of Baseball where only the USA, Korea and Japan participate? This event will not only boost the town's Metaverse ambitions but also empower its thriving auto industry. Anting is home to numerous auto plants and companies, making it a natural fit for Metaverse-auto synergy. The conference will feature forums covering a range of themes, including digital humans, automobiles, games, medical treatment, culture, and education in the Metaverse. But by the looks of it, mostly cars. Just what we need in a platform powered future, eh? 🤗Free Hugs🫂 Go to any comic con or Cosplay event and there are always folks giving away free hugs. Yuk. The idea that someone wants to put their sweaty germ filled hands on me or me on them is the stuff of nightmares. Add to that as a 50 year old woman it comes off as a bit, no, a lot creepy and I do not wish to be embroiled in a female version of Nabakov’s Lolita, equality be damned! So spare a thought for Meta. They’re teaming up with 15 universities in the USA to explore the educational potential of the Metaverse. They aim to leverage VR and AR technologies to create immersive learning experiences. From teaching soft skills with VR to exploring human anatomy, these universities are pioneering the future of education. And these headsets and tech are being given away for free—like hugs—what’s the catch? We know what the catch is, the idea that a world of Universal Scene descriptions might soon trump the legless, sorry, leg filled world of Horizon is a real possibility for Meta. Again, they could do a lot worse than to consolidate, but maaaan, think of the pride that needs to be swallowed there. Pfffft! That’s gonna give anyone a hiatus hernia. 📖Book-ish😍 Yes, all you people who love reading this column every week, you will be ecstatic to learn that I wrote a book: “From Pixels to Portals: Exploring The Future Of The Metaverse Through The Evolution Of Video Games”—I know what you are thinking—why? Well, I want to consolidate everything I learned from the games industry and how I applied it to other things like digital twins or fashion. I also wanted to talk about the future of storytelling, brands and how we might leverage NFTs to better utility. Well guess what? You can order the book by buying an NFT and I will send you the digital copy in all formats and the hard copy (if you want it) when it goes live in November. I will be launching the book at More than Games as part of Scottish Games Week and I will be talking about my book at the event, then at Gstar in South Korea and at the Dubai Future Forum in, er, Dubai. That’s enough metaverse for this week. I will be appearing on this week’s The Pulse, only in X Spaces where I’ll be talking about the Luxury Innovation Summit in Geneva. Looking for cool convos? Check out Metacrun.ch Meets… Our series devoted to figuring out what makes tech people tick. Do Something Less Boring This week’s AI top tips are about being creative quickly and sacking off all that learning nonsense. Sack off Slack and make collaboration beautiful. Sack off art school and draw something cool in seconds. Sack off Spielberg and sit in your own director's chair. Sack off web devs and build something webtastic in minutes. Sack off Ernest Bloody Hemingway and write like Dan Brown.

I’m back from a week in London and I have to say I really enjoyed it. Nathan Barley enthusiasts will particularly enjoy the new 180 Strand Soho House where it’s definitely ok to keep it plastic until the end of time. (If you know, you know). Meanwhile, I was deeply entrenched in all things metaverse. I’ve tried out some platforms and they are all mostly the opposite of “totally f***ing Mexico”. Again, I refer you to the lexicon of brilliance which is Nathan Barley—a timeless classic and suddenly very on point again. Fortunately for Metacrun.ch the idiots are not winning. Elegance vs The Abyss The metaverse has always impacted the world of art. But why? And how? In this article by Deutsche Bank, contemporary artists Cao Fei and LuYang share their perspectives. They explore how the digital realm influences creativity, from virtual worlds to gaming cultures. These artists delve deep into the impact of the digital world on our collective imagination and personal identities. In their own unique ways, they address issues of identity, representation, and diversity within the metaverse. Cao Fei explains that she aims to create space and share experiences, while LuYang believes virtual identities are liberating. They also discuss the fine line between preserving the authenticity of physical art experiences and embracing the endless possibilities of the metaverse. I’ve just done a brilliant NFT project for my new book with YEON, so I’m feeling art quite a bit in my day to day and this is a beautiful insight into the art of the NFT as a whole—enjoy! 2-Unlimited and a Bucket of Hooch Tamagotchi, Global Hypercolour, Voodoo People, POGs and Y2K are just some of the things I think about when I remember my beloved Baby-G. So I naturally jizzed when I saw that Japanese electronics giant Casio is taking a leap into the metaverse by releasing its iconic G-SHOCK watch in NFT format on Polygon's blockchain. They're engaging the community to design these NFTs, making it an interactive experience. It's all happening on Discord, and it's entirely free to join. From September 23, the G-SHOCK CREATOR PASS (GSCP) NFT collection will launch, allowing owners to design and vote on the virtual Casio watch's appearance. It's a fusion of technology and creativity, and the partnership with Polygon ensures a seamless and emission-free experience—noice. Now, shut up and take my money! Planes, Planes and Digital Twins starring John Candy Hadean, a British spatial computing company, is teaming up with Singapore's ST Engineering to create large-scale virtual environments for military training and more. This collaboration harnesses ST Engineering's VR Forces and Hadean's spatial computing platform. It's a groundbreaking move that allows for immersive simulations, incident response planning, and command training. The metaverse's application in military contexts is on the rise, speeding up training and delivery timetables. As technology continues to drive metaverse growth, collaborations like this are becoming more common and I for one love this as a diverse use case than the normal brand initiative. The metaverse was made for us to simulate anything with ease. “According to GlobalData analysis, technology deals in the metaverse have increased significantly, with just five confirmed globally in 2004, compared to 1,536 in 2022. So far in 2023, 734 metaverse-related deals have been signed.” Now is the time to try something new. Making a Stink I’m no Clive James, nor am I Takeshi Kitano, but this story gave me life. transcosmos and TOKYO FM have taken radio to the metaverse, combining sound, sight, and smell. "Can I ask you something a bit weird? by Masataka Matsutoya," is an innovative radio show recording where a music producer, Masataka Matsutoya, invites the audience to experience scents along with the virtual world. It's a pioneering experiment in connecting with listeners through the metaverse, offering a unique blend of senses for a more immersive experience. I lived in Japan in the 00s and there was a great TV show that sampled the sights and smells of molecular gastronomy. The use of radio and avatars in the metaverse could create a whole new medium—what do you reckon? The Reagan Effect Harvard scholar, Christine Kim, argues that governments should impose taxes on income earned in the metaverse to prevent it from becoming a "tax haven." With metaverse spending skyrocketing, taxing this income, often in cryptocurrency, could boost government revenue. Income in the metaverse can provide governments with an opportunity to modernise their tax systems, but challenges like valuation and liquidity must be addressed. As Ronald Reagan once famously said about government economics: “If it moves, regulate it, if it keeps moving, tax it, and if it stops moving subsidise it.” I predict that when the metaverse starts to get taxed, it will 100% stop moving. Welcome to Yesterday UK consumers are diving into the metaverse for shopping, entertainment, gaming, and learning. Roblox remains a popular metaverse platform for the UK consumer but concerns about privacy linger among the curious across the board. NFTs are on the radar, but they've yet to go mainstream. Still, digital goods like clothing for avatars are gaining traction. Ah yes, the power of brand is the strongest—that’s all consumers use the metaverse for, currently. YouTube is the go-to source for NFT information, indicating its increasing influence in the digital realm. The metaverse's evolution is reshaping how users interact with the digital world, offering exciting possibilities for brands to innovate and engage consumers. However, all that said, my take is this: it’s getting late in the day for western hemisphere retail enthusiasts to suddenly look to the metaverse and NFT. As the technology space settles, and you see it in our chart each week, we’re entering a reinvention phase rather than an innovation phase now. That’s enough metaverse for this week. Well that was well-weapon but we’re still gathering intel for our Machine Learning section. Have you submitted your info? Remember that you can listen to past articles on Spotify too! Do Something Less Boring This week I’m hungry and AI might be able to save my bank balance and the planet—you never know. Samsung Food: All-in-one app for recipe saving, meal planning, grocery shopping, and recipe sharing it’s IoT focused and tasty AF. Let’sFoodie is an AI tool designed to build in your particular food requirements from allergies to muscle building. It’s Whey-more than a recipe generator (see what I did there?) ChefGPT. You read that right. No typos here. It does what it says on the tin. Food AI is food but kawaii. Can’t cook, won’t cook? Lionix is your kitchen pal.

The metaverse is becoming a weird and wacky black mirror, but some really cool bits have started cropping up out of the continued research and development inside this space (ignore the idiot tech bros churning out old crap in a new package). Recently I wrote a book about the metaverse and the involvement of game technology in its evolution, so it’s really, really refreshing to see one such story taking centre-stage this week (clue, it’s not Elvis, nor is it the one about The Met). Games are without question one of the most important elements of what is being created right now. If your game or IP is strong enough you can create a strong transmedia platform to develop the metaverse upon. It’s just that no one has the stamina or foresight yet. So until that happens, let’s celebrate the web3 rebels who are leading the way. 🕺 Jailhouse ‘box Get ready to shake, rattle, and strut, as the King of Rock 'n' Roll himself, Elvis Presley, gyrates his snake hips into The Sandbox. I gotta hand it to them, when it comes to grabbing headlines these guys are the caporegime. But hold onto your blue suede shoes, because even if a whopping 3,000 Elvis NFT avatars are hitting the jailhouse floor it might not be enough to light a fire under absent users. But look, ain’t no party like a metaverse party and if Elvis is the guest of honour perhaps Snoop will pop back in again? It’s like a metaverse Where’s Wally. It would be great to find a proper use case for The Sandbox wouldn’t it? Until then, "Thank you, thank you very much". 🏛 Double Take Another day, another brand activation. I’m fairly cynical (no, really) about wasting time trying to put something in a virtual platform and hoping people will engage with it. Zepeto has recently fallen foul of a similar brand activation in recreating some kind of photo shoot at a virtual Louvre. It’s all a bit meh. But at least folk are using the metaverse to try and figure out why no one is attending their museums anymore. I have a huge idea what the answer is: museums are mostly boring and curators are not very innovative either. Tencent’s partnership with the French National Collections (RMN) as well as the Juanqinzhai (or as we know it, the "Studio of Exhaustion From Diligent Service" in the north-west corner of the Forbidden City) has been one of the greatest museum projects I have ever witnessed as a human being on this planet—but you’ve never heard of it. You’ve heard of Roblox though, right? Well, the annually iconic Met Museum is taking a leap into the metaverse with Replica, a breathtaking digital experience in collaboration with Roblox. Imagine strolling through virtual halls adorned with timeless art, all while enjoying the immersive wonders of Roblox. This sounds a lot like Juanqinzhai doesn’t it? But, low-poly. Mehhhhhhhh. Masterpieces are for everyone, you only need to visit the myriad of messy jigsaw projects the Smithsonian has developed over the years to know how important it is to bring history, art and imagination to life for EVERYONE. Can Replica do it? Probably not. 🎮 Games Industry’s Future, by A Non-Gamer Clutch your controllers, huntys, because Forbes is writing about games, and trust me, this is like watching your dad explaining drill music. I’ve read this article so you don’t have to vomit on every comma. There’s the usual Ernst and Young quote (insert your management consultant stats here) however there’s just one morsel of joy in this otherwise dreadful article and it’s about interoperability. Tim Sweeney notwithstanding (I’m literally never gonna get a job at Epic, let’s face it) the discussion about interoperability from the perspective of games is a powerful one. It’s also a necessary conversation to have if we’re going to REALLY build a metaverse (instead of just talking about it which everyone seems insistent on doing this year) I have covered this topic so much in the recent past that it’s become more and more obvious every damn day that the players and indie devs are not the problem. Monopolisation is. From Ready Player me to Meta, everyone wants a piece of the pie…… on their own terms. With their own pre-tax profits. So interoperability is not gonna happen. There will never be a simple equation for interoperability until there is an open platform which I always thought would be a one blockchain solution, and I’m even wrong about that. So, avert thine eyes to the corporate crap and focus on the Mystics, the Fumbs and the Nefta-powered games. It’s much more heartening to see the underdogs win. Help them. 💡People Who Don’t Code “Veteran” “industry” “wizard” Sam Barberie (I know—right?) has spoken, and he's calling out game developers for missing the boat on web3's untapped potential. I’ve written about this for Beyond Games and for Metacrun.ch but it looks like we really need a man around here because no one is listening. It seems like all these testicular marvels are intent on telling us little people in the games industry how monetisation works. Wow, Sam, thanks so much for using this article to state the actual bloody obvious. How about you spend that time focusing on user-acquisition for some of your products instead? As the metaverse unfolds, unique opportunities will continue to knock at every door but if you don’t let us in because you are bamboozling us with your well-crafted PR word salads how on earth will the games industry get an appetite to change? From decentralised ownership to interactive NFTs, the possibilities are endless, but you make them so complicated, Sam. Day one: stop doing that. 🌌USD is a Better Currency than FBX Pfftt! I won’t put the oof into Mark Zuckerberg's Meta this time because I am concerned by the lack of basic sense in everyone from the Guardian to Business Insider. Let me say this one more time: THE METAVERSE IS NOT A DESTINATION, it’s a journey. The Neal Stephensons and the William Gibsons and other entitled soothsayers might proclaim the opposite, but technology is about evolution. Sure Meta faces a mixed bag of results in the metaverse but faint heart never won a fair maiden. Financial challenges and market struggles are testing the tech giant's mettle and you know what? That’s way more healthy than getting a $50-odd million investment that spaffs out of a sewage pipe and into nowhere after a year, don’t you think? Meta, for all its unfortunateness, is an unquestionable advertising platform to serve the metaverse, or layer software (à la X) that the metaverse is built on. You choose. I never thought I would defend Meta’s right to do anything but with their vast technology expertise, they remain the only decision makers in shaping their version of the future—can we just get rid of Nick Clegg? 🚀 A Press Release That VentureBeat Likes VentureBeat has picked up a press release which means nothing much. Gaming meets blockchain in an explosive collision as Gala Games rockets into the metaverse through Elixir Games Launcher. Ok, well, Ultra are doing this. Nefta to a greater extent are doing this. Babe, everyone is doing this. This isn’t a new era of gaming, blockchain gaming is a thing. It’s just that everyone’s CEO dad is getting on the hype train so expect to see a lot of this. What the metaverse needs more than anything is education, solid use cases and PEOPLE. Do Something Less Boring Love AI but need some inspo? I got u. Make videos that you could only dream of when PewDiePie was good. Now, make it 10x faster with AI. Get all them likes on Linkedin by writing well thought through content. Or alternatively, get AI to do it for you in bulletpoints. Analyse this! Put your spreadsheets in and get the questions out. It’s like the hokey cokey but without the fuss. Wow what’s that? That big glowing ball in the sky? It’s so warm! I could really do with a huge strawberry sundae but I’ve got this pitch deck to finish off. If only AI could…. YES. And put a cherry on top! The airport novel, an institution, but now with added Snoop Dogg.* **Gwyneth Paltrow is also available for more than just airport novels THAT'S ENOUGH METAVERSE FOR THIS WEEK. That’s enough metaverse for this week. I've got a visit to G-Star in Koreato prepare for—will I see you there? If you haven’t watched my latest Metacrun.ch meets… with the amazing Thomas Woodhams, tech recruiter extraordinaire you are missing out! We’ve also got a wonderful Machine Learninginterview for you - woohoo! If you want in on any of the stuff we’re doing—get in touch or if you think someone else would benefit from Metacrun.ch—share the love!

Whether you are Del Rey or Jazzy Jeff, Summertime means something. Whether you’re on your private yacht in the med or sweating on the Victoria Line, I’ve got a little something for you. Because I’ve selected some stupidly funny and downright ridick news stories that we’ve enjoyed in A Week in Metacrun.ch across the year so far. Join me in your hopeful disdain for everything metaverse. How It Started I'm not going to sit on the fence. I'm going to tell you that I'm not a massive fan of Meta. Everybody knows I'm not a massive fan of Meta. However, my eyebrows lifted above their digital filter anchors when I read about Horizon Worlds, which is the company's variant of the metaverse. Turns out, those employees are not so enamoured by it either. This is very troubling, isn't it? Horizon Worlds, which is the main Meta, er, verse has got 300,000 monthly users, though not too shabby, it’s a C-minus (try Avakin Life). But a new report suggests that it's not taking off just the way that Meta wanted it to and it's proving to be a bitter pill for its own employees who are being chastised for not spending enough time there. Imagine going to work and getting torn a new one because you’re not spending enough time in a Metaverse that you're creating. Here’s the definition of dogfooding for anyone who wants to know: “Eating your own dog food or "dogfooding" is the practice of using one's own products or services. This can be a way for an organisation to test its products in real-world usage using product management techniques. Hence dogfooding can act as quality control, and eventually a kind of testimonial advertising.” A memo happened on September 30, which required managers to make their teams use Horizon Worlds at least once a week once a week. My take on this is one of pity more than scorn. At the end of the day, I think that your mum's gonna love Meta, but the regular dudes on the street who are serious about spending time inside the metaverse working, living creating, UGC, all of that kind of good stuff? Meta presents nothing more than a fun distraction or a place where you meet your mum. This reminds me a little bit of when I was trying to do my god-daughter’s homework, whilst watching Newgrounds or YouTube. Someone has, however, tried to spend 24 hours inside the metaverse meeting people and her experience mostly revolved around people attending comedy clubs and meeting children who are breaking Meta’s Terms of Service to be inside Horizon Worlds in the first place. And that’s your testimonial. No dogfooding required. Moon Face Hey, remember when that guy was in that judiciary hearing or meeting and he accidentally put a cat filter on his zoom and then couldn't get it off? And he was panicking like crazy on the call? Well guess what? Now this is a thing. It literally comes as a standard on Teams Premium (whatever that is) and I gotta be honest with you - this is why we can’t have nice things like the metaverse. I just don't know how serious you can take people with their stupid cartoony moon faces when you try and have a conversation either with the local judge or discussing, you know, an entire firing process for a startup company where the CEO is only going to cry about the fact that he couldn't do more. Like the crying CEO this is also just a load of crap, from a company who see themselves as being at the forefront of technology. Yeah, technology for my mum. Mr. Crowley What a Halloween treat for my eyes! My old boss and Decentraland have teamed up for a virtual Ozzfest. Wow! You read that right. Ozzy Osbourne is bringing his cryptobatz concept to the depths of the metaverse by curating a mega concert for the world of rock. In case the last 6 months have passed you by, I created, with Dimoso and Lockwood Publishing, a wonderful listening party experience in Avakin Life for supergroup Dead Daisies (who became the Meta Daisies) back in June which saw over a million visitors to the experience. If that’s so, imagine how big Ozzfest is gonna be for rockers worldwide? Not only that, if you’re a cryptobatz owner (9,666 were minted, of course!) you will get VIP viewing access and wearables for your avatar which kind of beats the sunburn souvenir I got when I was at Milton Keynes Bowl watching the last ever Pantera set. In all seriousness, we’re not getting any younger, and rock gods can attest to their own mortal coil. If they’re not already doing the 27 Club then they are definitely growing old disgracefully. Fortunately for us that means a metaverse near you. Crazy Train or not, the Prince of Darkness is quite evidently stepping into the light. Dude, Where’s My NFT? I went out on a huge night out in Cambridge with my game dev team a few years ago and one of my colleagues, whose house I crashed at that night, woke up the next day to realise that he had bought a $4000 Alienware gaming laptop. Beeple, who holds the record for the most amount of money paid for an NFT artwork. Recently, he has decided to break out into the world of sensible people by creating something that, hold your pearls, actually has a modicum of utility. The Render Network has just raised $30 million in a funding round (a familiar figure this week) to develop, with Beeple’s, their/his very own Immersive 3D NFTs. Participants including the Solana Foundation, and Alameda Research want to develop their decentralised peer-to-peer network that allows users to tap into remote rendering power from anywhere for anything web3. Anytime, anyplace, anywhere. To me, that seems a little bit like hype. Can we afford Beeple? Because I know that my colleague could not afford that Alienware laptop and defaulted on his rent for two months straight. The Golden Hind pub quiz was never the same again after that night. Art should be for everybody. That’s the point I’m making and if it's only for rich people, I’m not interested. An NFT pastiche worth millions can only afford to sit on the wall of the rich folks, or dare I say it gathering dust in a museum paid for by the taxpayer (that’s us). Shouldn't we be helping young people to be educated in the ways of art, accessing and developing their minds towards the beauty of a discipline that few of us are able to touch. We should be helping the future, not forcing the future to conform to our ideals. How It’s Going I promise that 2023 is not going to be a year of kicking Meta when it's down. But let’s be really honest: Meta had a terrible 2022, financially and in the press, it has suffered greatly as a brand. I can't pinpoint just one case of suffering. I think it’s fairly obvious to everybody. What I think is important is that Meta still has something that is really important: TECHNOLOGY. I’ve said it before and I will keep saying it. $10bn getting wiped off your valuation doesn’t detract from 20 years of tech from platform, to ads to data, to AI and VR. Don’t be silly billies, think like business people. Meta is a mine of knowledge, not a person, but a hive of thousands. Though I don’t believe Meta can deliver an internet future worthy of our hopes and dreams, I suspect we’ll be building it on some of their technology. I would love to see Mark Zuckerberg taking some responsibility for what happened in 2022 like a good CEO. It's always a big disappointment when you over promise and under deliver. However, wake up sheeple, this is a sign of the times. Too many technology companies are doing this these days, and they're getting away with it too. Especially at VC levels of pitching. I talked about it in my final 2022 article for Metacrun.ch, and I stand by every word, so if you haven't read it, you should probably take a look at it. It's so important these days that we don't find ourselves in a situation where we just bullshit through what it is that we have developed to try and get to the good stuff because we think that's what it is that you want. That isn't how it should be. What we should be doing is focusing on what our strengths are and doing them well. That’s how you stop haemorrhaging employees, profit and product.What Mark Zuckerberg needs right now is probably some very good advice than a good kicking. That’s enough metaverse for this season, where’s my swimwear AR try-on?

Trust me when I tell you that the metaverse is in a bad place. It’s funny because I’ve been trying to bang the drum against some of the critics of the metaverse in that everything will be ok. It doesn’t look like it’s doing too well. Why? Because it’s in a Gartner Hype Cycle all of its very own currently. The hype part is real. It’s managed to hype itself into the trough of disillusionment without passing GO and collecting $200. So I’m sending the metaverse to jail this week. Let’s see what happens. ⛳️ Wake me up before you Oculus Go-Go I miss the Oculus Go, don’t you? Anyway, golf widows, rejoice! There’s a fun way to off your partners for a few days so you can sit in a darkened room with a copy of Amazing Cultivation Simulator on Steam. Royal Liverpool is taking a swing into the metaverse by hosting the first-ever VR Open. Imagine the thrill of walking the prestigious fairways and putting on those challenging greens, all from the comfort of your own home. You might dust off your virtual clubs, practise your swing, and get ready to tee off in this groundbreaking virtual golf tournament. Nope, me either. This might be exciting for the Royal Victoria peeps but really boring for the rest of us. That said, VR golf and golf simulators are the biggest things of all time in Asia so I’m pleased to see that it’s finally caught on. Channel your inner Tiger Woods, or, don’t (is probably the best thing)! 🎮 A Roblox by Any Other Name I thought we were supposed to be building a gigantic layer system of devices and opportunities for technology to thrive, so I’m pretty disappointed that in a bold move, Roblox is shedding its metaverse label and aiming for new (ahem) horizons. This iconic gaming platform is expanding its vision beyond the metaverse, showcasing its versatility and vast potential. But why? Well, mostly because it wants to be Sorare or Zwift which when you think about it are metaverses. If this is a ploy to bring these platforms together in one big metaverse through the medium of sport then it’s still a metaverse. I feel like this is just a diversionary tactic to shed the image of the metaverse which seems to be currently filled with shysters and NFT idiots as far as the eye can see. 🎮 Cold Feet It seems the winter chill of the crypto world has reached the gaming realm, as Sega joins the pullback on blockchain games. But let’s look at this in a bit more depth. The games industry is suffering from an immense amount of M&A which has brought about job losses (not cool) and a huge change in culture (also not cool). This change in culture has been an outpouring of shitty titles that no one cares about and which sit in the middle of charts. It’s a disgusting attack on creativity if you ask me. Using money to fill a market with the same old shit with different names only allows expensive cream to rise to the top. Meanwhile crypto enthusiasts are also feeling the freeze, and none of this is cool for anyone! I tell you, Gamescom is going to be a bloodbath this year. They didn’t want the web3 folks there last year, but we still went, and this year? Ah it’s going to be total shit for actual web3 game developers because it’s naturally going to be overtaken by rich kids and their silly NFT ideas. I hope this Sega story is just a temporary setback because we really need some industry leaders in this space. As the market stabilises and innovation continues, will we see a resurgence of blockchain-powered gaming experiences that will blow our virtual socks off? Maybe. But remember that web3 gaming is here to stay now. Just like Free-to-Play was: you might not like it, but that's just the way it is now. Get over yourselves Sega—start taking some risks on things other than the middle of the charts. 💸 Justin is Bored of his Hoard Even celebrities aren't immune to the rollercoaster ride of the NFT market. Croc-lovin’, pop “sensation” Justin Bieber experienced a dip in value for his Bored Ape NFT, resulting in a $12 million loss. But hey, let's not shed any tears for the Biebs. NFT values can be as unpredictable as his hairstyles, and this serves as a reminder that the NFT market is full of dumb choices, like life I guess. It’s probably a better idea to invest in something that isn’t so poorly executed and short-shelved. 🍷 Wine Not? Finally, I've got a little story to share that will make your summer even more fabulous. Massican, the beloved winery known for its Mediterranean summer vibes, has a special gift for its loyal supporters. The award-winning winery has collaborated with the incredibly talented artist, Amber Vittoria, to create a unique digital collectible that captures the essence of their iconic brand. The collection of 6 individual artworks is a drop in your wallet for free and effectively brings you into a secret world of California wine that you can’t get from your local Threshers. Amber's distinctive style and poignant narratives have already graced Massican's wine labels, and now they're officially releasing these designs as NFTs for each bottle of wine from their Spring collection. As a final flex, the collection has been brought to life by yours truly. That’s right. Me. Go get them NFTs and perhaps we’ll drop a few for our wonderful newsletter readers (yeah that’s you) across the summer? What do you reckon? Free NFTs? Where should you sign up? Our newsletter would be a good start! That’s enough metaverse for this week. We’re filling our inbox with your Machine Learning submissions, so thank you very much! Stay tuned for some absolutely brilliant bits over this summer and if you’re still really bored, why don’t you check out this timely piece I did for The Interline?

If you’re getting your hashtags in a twist over a daily limit of 600 posts, shouldn’t you be doing something more productive with your day? Yeah, you know, like, reading this newsletter and learning all the cool things that are happening in this wonderful metaversal world of tech and web3. 👗The Lux Hole There are two types of fashion in anyone’s wardrobe: the things you wouldn’t be seen dead in at a party and the things that have looked amazing on you since the dawn of time. SKYKY is the former because in its short life, this fabulous fashion-forward startup has accomplished much—of course it has, it’s led by someone who has a great deal of experience at the top of fashion without ever running an empire, until now. Well, SYKY has partnered with the esteemed British Fashion Council Incubator. A dazzling array of cutting-edge designs and virtual fashion shows that will make your pixels sizzle, but your bank balance is relatively untouched—why? Because I can’t see many regular Joe’s like me, or you, getting behind yet another Central Saint Martin’s end of year thing which is now some kind of incubator. Fashion revolution? Why not start with the luxury gap first instead of getting sucked into an elitist black hole? Fashionistas, get ready to do absolutely nothing at all for a little bit whilst luxury tries to make foie gras in its own cliquey circles. 🚀Gartner And The Tech Boi Gartner, the lexicographic peddlers of such classic songs as “The Trough Of Disillusionment” are back! Following up on the classic first album, they’ve returned with a story of failed widespread metaverse adoption and how broken Silicon Valley was over it. Forget Carly Simon or Elton John, this is a new album with tracks such as “Please Don’t Stop (Investing In Gartner)” to the heady heights of “It’s Not Over ‘Til It’s Over” that’s obviously a cover, but nonetheless the hits keep coming. From PwC to McKinsey: they’re all trying for a new angle, but Gartner will always have the edge on this because dropping absolute floor fillers occasionally like “The Metaverse Will Soon Be The New Normal” is enough to soothe the fevered tech boi brow. As you were, everyone—there’s zero to see here. ⚖️Perry Masonverse Ever wondered what the future holds for careers in the metaverse? Well, brace yourselves, because the virtual courtroom is happening— well kind of. Somnium Space doesn’t really count, does it? There’s a reason I don’t feature it in my top ten. It’s because it absolutely sucks. Yes we all scoffed when those folks were doing that weird stuff at the behest of Meta to raise the profile on what Horizon can do but scoff ye not, this is serious. According to “experts”, the metaverse could give rise to a new breed of lawyers specialising in virtual property rights and digital dispute resolution. Imagine standing before a virtual judge, run by AI obviously (because it’s 2023), passionately defending your client's pixelated rights on OnlyFans. Now let’s take an extra step and place every single court ruling and precedent on blockchain. BINGO! Now that’s a metaverse. The Rest is PR (which is an excellent podcast btw). 🍽 What If You Could Taste the Metaverse? I have a very good, no, one of my best friends who has been working in AI for a million years. She and I love nothing more than arguing in cafes loudly about haptics vs phantom touch. But we have never argued about the sense of taste in the metaverse, though I would argue that perhaps most of what I’ve experienced in the metaverse is fairly tasteless. Researchers and developers are exploring ways to incorporate taste sensations into the virtual experience—mechanical jaw patches? Anyone? Bueller? From digital delicacies to futuristic flavour profiles, the metaverse wants to tantalise our senses like never before. Who needs a boring old salad when you can feast on virtual gourmet creations? Get ready to finally get back to the dress size you were when you were 12. 💳 Mastering the Metaverse Hold onto your digital wallets (especially my Solo Wallet), because Mastercard is making waves in the metaverse with its blockchain app store! This exciting venture aims to provide a secure and seamless platform for metaverse enthusiasts to explore and purchase virtual goodies. Say goodbye to those clunky in-game payment systems and hello to a world of frictionless transactions (kind of). With Mastercard leading the charge, the metaverse is set to become a shopper's paradise but I wish, wish, wish for one thing which Mastercard might not er, master: mass adoption. Why? Because they’re looking for customers for their main mastercard, the blockchain app thing isn’t their main focus—and lose all those millions on credit card handcuffs? No way! 💙 WTF News Gird your hoop dreams for a fashion revolution as Puma, in collaboration with Web3 streetwear brand Gutter Cat Gang and NBA sensation LaMelo Ball, unveils an extraordinary collection of NFT sneakers. The highly anticipated "GutterMelo MB.03" collection, designed by Ball himself, combines cutting-edge digital art with tangible footwear, creating a groundbreaking fusion of physical and digital fashion. Anyone and everyone will have the opportunity to own a piece of this innovative collection, which will be minted on the renowned NFT marketplace OpenSea. Puma's visionary approach is a bit enlightening for me and though this partnership not only embraces the metaverse but also redefines the boundaries of self-expression and individual style, I’m kind of wondering whether Diadora and Kappa might follow suit? I hope so because I want those 1987 Pat Cash sneaks. On a pure anecdotal level, I saw these in action last week at Art Basel, and I have to say, they are pretty damn cool. 🖼Breathe Somewhere Else, Please Do you want to buy an NFT from a useless millionaire? Well you’ve come to the right place. In a surprising twist, former First Lady Melania Trump has released her very own NFT titled “Yearning to Breathe Free.” This is a collection about the USA in 1776 (presumably after the declaration of independence). This is the state of the world in 2023. I’ll admit, some people love her, I am not one of these people. But there's no denying the impact this controversial NFT has made. Whether you're a collector, a political aficionado, or simply curious about the intersection of art and politics in the metaverse, this release has definitely sparked some heated discussions. Mostly focused on why we should care about the products from a woman whose “Don’t Care” jacket was worn enroute to a migrant child detention of which “portion of proceeds will go toward Fostering the Future,” a “Be Best Initiative” that supports children in foster care. It does not say what portion, so it could be anywhere from 1 percent to 100 percent of the proceeds.” That’s enough metaverse for this week, I’m off to find some metaverse morsels to munch on in a bid to get into that bikini (please don’t puke on your lunch). Still bored? Check out Machine Learning, a new section on our website where you, yes, you, can tell us what’s going on in your sector of industry and tell us everything about the metaverse through your eyes!

I've seen some damning stuff this week on Linkedin, but if you’ve seen it for yourself, it’s a big wow moment for all of us and a bit of a low moment for the tool who wrote it. Meanwhile on Twitter the shillers be shilling and it really feels like we’re ready for something organised, structured and legitimate (no I’m not talking about Twitter). The Metaverse: Still a ‘thing’ Tech-savvy enthusiasts rejoice! The metaverse is still alive, and it’s worth a few bob, to be fair. From immersive experiences, virtual real estate, and digital assets gaining a degree of value still, the metaverse intends to transform the way we socialise, work, and entertain ourselves. The market is witnessing a sudden flurry of activity, with companies investing heavily in metaverse development, STILL. The surge isn’t exactly unprecedented, but it is expected to to grow from USD 61.8 billion in 2022 to USD 426.9 billion by 2027, at a remarkable Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 47.2%. We hope and let’s keep everything crossed here that the rise will come from the availability of affordable hardware. But also, a few industries are now seeing the increased benefits of metaversing their value offering: from an increased demand for extended reality in healthcare, and virtualisation in fashion, art, and retail spaces. Is the metaverse reshaping industries and offering new avenues for self-expression? I’ve only been banging on about this since I started Metacrun.ch. From Catwalk to Crazy This story is definitely in my toolset. Video games and digital fashion are the two things I can talk about with the most confidence and you know what? I’m not sure about this, at all. As an acolyte of the mighty Amy Jo Kim, she of Covet and The Sims, listen, I completely understand the appeal of Drest on one side of the boardroom table. But this new news about a whopping £15 million in funding? I’m a bit loath to gob off, which is unusual for me. I just don’t believe that a new game is the answer to anything but the video games sector, which let’s face it is going through something of a crisis right now. I’m always ready to be proved wrong but do we really need a game when in my research particularly no one cares about the setting as much as they care about the goods. We live in digital asset class times, do we need another walled garden? We really need a proliferation of products across devices and platforms and I’m not sure Drest can deliver. I’m just sayin’. Fintech needs love too JPMorgan, that financial titan of everything web3 ish, is doubling down on its blockchain efforts by rolling out euro-denominated payments using its native digital currency, JPM Coin. When any journalist describes something as groundbreaking, I am already cold. Listen, I write groundbreaking as much as the next person, but I am very aware of when grounds have been broken and Bitcoin already did it. So did Ethereum. So this “groundbreaking move” aiming to revolutionise cross-border transactions for corporate clients is a bit boring by this newsletter’s standards. Surely we’re living our best lives with Bitstamp or [insert your fave exchange here]. Do we really need JPM Coin, or is this something for our Richie Rich pals who need that extra something that us poor folk are just getting by with existing tech? They say that by leveraging blockchain technology, JPMorgan provides a faster, more secure, and efficient payment solution. The launch of euro payments follows the success of their US dollar-denominated transactions on the JPM Coin platform. As other financial institutions struggle to harness the potential of blockchain, JPMorgan's foray into the world of digital currencies marks a significant milestone, or so they say—homogeneity is definitely one of these big financial institutions' strong skills. Prepare for a new era of fintech flexes from the same old bricks and mortars with perhaps some added flexibility for the neobanking fans. The Goose Got Game I love NFT art when it’s done proper. Picasso and Dali in equal amounts understood the importance of fractional ownership and transmedia to take their art to more places (and put food in their bellies) as you can imagine, I write about and understand this quite a lot. So before you read this, just know that I like this particular piece of artwork, but not as much as say, the wonderful artwork in Massican’s current digital wine collection, wink, wink. 'The Goose', by Dmitri Cherniak is a non-fungible token (NFT) piece which captivated collectors with its unique charm and digital allure and fetched $6.2 million in a New York City auction. As NFTs continue to redefine the concept of ownership and the value of digital art, 'The Goose' serves as a symbol of the rising popularity and intrigue surrounding these intangible treasures. It's a reminder that in the digital age, imagination knows no bounds, and even the most unexpected creations can find a place in the hearts of collectors and enthusiasts. What I’m trying to say is, art is always worth what people are prepared to pay. Holodecks are coming Accor Hotels, a prominent player in the hospitality industry, is taking a bold step into the metaverse, offering customers a tantalising taste of their renowned accommodations through immersive digital experiences. I love it when a plan comes together—this is exactly what the metaverse was made for. Embracing the power of virtual reality, Accor allows users to explore hotel rooms, discover stunning destinations, and interact with virtual staff members. This innovative foray into the metaverse not only showcases Accor's commitment to providing exceptional hospitality but also offers a glimpse into the future of travel and entertainment. This is day one of the heralded Holodeck, and what I particularly love about this story is that the hotel brand is actually listening to visitors when they say things like “where’s my Philippe Starck sink mixer”. This is a world builder style hotel experience where the hotel brand is the moderator. And it’s very cool if you ask me. Slam Dunk the Funk Gird your hoop dreams for a fashion revolution as Puma, in collaboration with Web3 streetwear brand Gutter Cat Gang and NBA sensation LaMelo Ball, unveils an extraordinary collection of NFT sneakers. The highly anticipated "GutterMelo MB.03" collection, designed by Ball himself, combines cutting-edge digital art with tangible footwear, creating a groundbreaking fusion of physical and digital fashion. Anyone and everyone will have the opportunity to own a piece of this innovative collection, which will be minted on the renowned NFT marketplace OpenSea. Puma's visionary approach is a bit enlightening for me and though this partnership not only embraces the metaverse but also redefines the boundaries of self-expression and individual style, I’m kind of wondering whether Diadora and Kappa might follow suit? I hope so because I want those 1987 Pat Cash sneaks. On a pure anecdotal level, I saw these in action last week at Art Basel, and I have to say, they are pretty damn cool. That’s enough metaverse for this week. I’m off to oil down Elon Musk in preparation for his cage fight with Mark Zuckerberg.

I’ve just returned from Viva Tech in Paris and Art Basel where I’ve been looking at the latest and greatest innovations in the world of technology and art. Whilst I prepare a super-mega-awesome overview about what happened who is worth your time, here’s this week’s collection of the beautiful and the downright grotesque. 👟 Unleash the Beast Kicking things off, sportswear giant Puma has just launched its very own metaverse experience! They've taken a leap into the digital world, bringing their signature style to the virtual playground. “The firm says that the experience is for everyone to explore, but only those possessing RB tokens airdropped to Puma Pass holders can purchase a digital "Rulebreaker” sneaker and claim two digital wearables.” Their virtual experience is complete and utter bollocks for anyone who has a modicum of UI sense. Who uses right-click for action? Unless you are in League of Legends or something; and trust me this place is emptier than my bank account. It’s got a flymode, which doesn’t even come close to Breakroom’s flymode so forget about that and the graphics are very lacklustre. This platform is a flex, nothing more. 🤝 Things No One Asked For #2649 In a groundbreaking partnership, Xavatar and Fexco have unleashed their metaverse payment technology, transforming the way we buy and sell in the virtual realm. AI-driven entertainment tech mouthful Xavatar has launched an even bigger mouthful: Xataverse. Seriously, why? Why are techbros doing this? Are they waiting for something good to happen? Newsflash: IT WON’T UNLESS YOU HAVE USERS. Apparently, they have a show called "The Art of Movie Music". Well that changes everything. Seriously guys, congrats with the non-news but I have some paint to watch. Something, something digital wallet, something, something. 💄Lipstick On a Pix Gird your loins it’s Metaverse Beauty Week. Who said the metaverse is all about gaming and tech? The beauty industry is diving headfirst into the digital realm, with brands like Lush and Lottie London sharing their insights on how the metaverse benefits their glamorous businesses. But wait, this sucks. I just saw some equally sucky crap in Paris and I have to report that beauty doesn’t really work in this space. AR, yes! VR, maybe! On a monitor whilst you try and navigate a Caesar Salad—face it, it’s gonna end up all over you. Additionally on mobile it LOOKS LIKE HELL! Please stop. This is killing me. The metaverse is NOT your new beauty playground. Your phone is. 🎭 Don't Dream It, Be It Did you know that famous funk/disco/cool band CHIC was the first to name check Gucci in a song? Now you do. However, I don’t rate Gucci as a credible anything in the world of NFT fashion. Prada on the other hand? Assolutamente! Because Prada is on their 42nd NFT collection. Terminology aside, because I do not believe 1 x drop = 1 x collection, Prada has been working hard (bts) to bring er, Prada exclusives to its diehards. As you know, I believe that any NFT without utility is a massive grift and at the time of writing this I’m not entirely sure what the point of owning a Prada NFT is right now, except for collecting them all (the article says “another exclusive NFT”—but what's the point of that?) FYI disruption only works when it changes the status quo. So the mere mention of NFTs and H&M or Zara in this particular article is pointless if NFTs are not going to be acceptable use cases for sustainability—which they are not. 👟 Three Stripes of Utility Not to be outdone, Adidas is teaming up with NFT artist Fewocious to bring us an exclusive sneaker collab in the metaverse. REJOICE! Sneakerheads, I’m gonna level with ya. The art is not all that, but collectible sneaks? I am drooling for a pair. But there’s a catch. Whilst I’m all for sustainability because the transaction is basically sneakers on demand when you buy your NFT: I’m not entirely ok with NFC. 99% of all NFC tags on the market right now are neither circular, nor good for the planet. Please give some thought to whether you really need a pair of sneakers that cannot be recycled. The problem with a lot of these collabs is that they are not as good for the environment as you might think. Well, it’s your choice I guess—but I will judge the life out of you when we meet. You can be stylish and mindful. 🌎 Data/Lore Alexis Ohanian believes that play-to-earn is the future standard for gaming—a collective yeaaaaaah from people like me who think play-to-earn is still relevant and is still a sensible development in financing the future. If no one's really figured out what the hell are good use cases for NFT, they sure as hell don’t know what play-to-earn will do. At a time when for a number of reasons, the metaverse has its detractors, and it's a very, very dirty word and at a when we’re in the throes of some weird cost of living/global recession/political inflation problem you know people are finding other more beneficial ways for them to earn money. Whenever I see an NFT or a Bitcoin story, it's always “this person” or “this collection has got $8 million worth of blah, blah, blah.” If virtual currencies are to be really believed and accepted, we should not be comparing Bitcoin with the US dollar or any other currency. If we keep doing this there’s no way that virtual currencies will ever become anything. According to Eurochange there are, as of 2023, 180 currencies in this world. Are we arrogant to believe that it will always be this way? If we don't start believing in the fact that there might be virtual or different currencies to the established currencies that we have in the world. There isn't a rule about this, there’s an SEC and an FCA, but there are also countries who are using other currencies and blockchain technologies. I digress. P2E has to be the standard for gaming because we have to do something with all that virtual currency and that our hard work and effort in games has to be comparable to something of value. Why not? The future is what we’ll make it. 📦 Lore/Data How are our friends in Industry 4.0 doing? You know, the tattooed Jensen Huang and the voyage of digital twins? Pretty bloody great thanks for asking “Companies using the industrial metaverse in production have managed to cut capital expenditure by 15%.” The more you design digital first, the less stuff you need to manufacture. I’ve chanted this mantra repeatedly since 2020 and with very little support—yet here we are with actual data to support it. Do you really need to make-that-thing on a lathe? Nope. Do you really need to zip that thing up the internets? Yep. And sustainability levels have improved too—I guess that’s because they aren't using NFC chips like the intellectually challenged in fashion are currently jizzing about. So that’s enough metaverse for this week. I’m going to lay in an ice bath to get away from this heat. Remember that CPUs need a good vacuum cleaner and a decent fan too. This week sees our Machine Learning section open for business, and if you want to share your latest innovations with us—we’d love to tell the world about you, take a look at our Metacrun.ch Linkedin page for how to get started.

May 2023 and after the first one in March, a further open letter went out on safe.ai demanding a moratorium on the use of artificial intelligence, presumably because it has quickly evolved into a vehicle for humans outsourcing their thinking to a machine. I’ve seen Idiocracy. I know how this story ends, however, being cryogenically preserved to emerge into a hilariously apocalyptic future aside, Idiocracy isn't about AI. It’s about the demise of the human race because of us. From Ow! My Balls, to Brawndo we may laugh at the sub-intelligentsia of the future but this isn’t new. In 1915 the term dysgenic came into use as an antonym of eugenic to describe the degeneration of what we might today call emotional intelligence. Therefore Idiocracy is more about what we’re doing to ourselves than anything AI is doing. Dysgenesis is not my favourite band anymore Artificial Intelligence may well have captured the imagination of humanity, provoking a range of emotions from awe and excitement to fear and apprehension. The latter sentiment stems from concerns about AI's potential to replace humans in the workforce, invade privacy, or even turn against its creators. But come on everybody, it is essential to recognise that the unease surrounding AI often arises not from the technology itself, but from our own negligence in how we share information. By promoting diligent information sharing practices, we can foster a healthier relationship with AI, alleviating unnecessary fears and embracing its vast potential. AI has made remarkable strides, enabling machines to perform complex tasks that were once solely within the realm of human capabilities. From language translation to image recognition and even medical diagnoses, AI has proven its efficacy in numerous domains. Nevertheless, the fear of AI stems from its perceived ability to exceed human intelligence and render certain professions obsolete—and that is the big fear—not the human intelligence part, that went in 1915 when someone found a word to describe its demise. No, no, I’m talking about rendering certain professions obsolete. Some professions should be obsolete, I mentioned this already in my article about Industry 4.0. Jobs that involve repetitive and predictable manual tasks, such as assembly line work or basic data entry, may see a higher level of automation with the help of AI-powered robots and machines. This isn’t new, this has been happening since the 1960s or before, but everything from customer service and routine analytical jobs can be done wonderfully with AI. In the UK BT has already started cutting jobs—that isn’t very kind, but who is training the AI? More than likely it’s the customer service folks who are now prompt engineers and goodbye middle management. It is important to emphasise that AI is not designed to replace humans but rather to augment our abilities and enhance productivity. AI systems like ChatGPT learn from vast amounts of data to generate responses and make informed decisions. Data plays a crucial role in training these models, and the quality and diversity of the data profoundly impact their capabilities. When concerns arise about AI behaving inappropriately or generating biased responses, it often reflects biases present in the data it was trained on. Ensuring the ethical use of data and employing robust methodologies for data collection and curation can help mitigate these concerns. Wait, stop. Just because data is used in creating information generatively, does it really follow that somehow we should stop thinking about what we’re sharing? One of my biggest nightmares of this AI age is the relationship between Large Language Models (namely OpenAI’s LLM) and Microsoft (in which it has spent billions of dollahs—say it like RuPaul—-on OpenAI). Why would a genius like me be bothered by the paperclip guy? Well, in May 2023, Microsoft delivered a keynote at Build, which is Microsoft's own developer conference in Seattle, in which they underlined the possibilities of how OpenAI’s LLM would be deployed in every single Microsoft product. They’re not alone: Atlassian, Amazon, Google, all these tech giants and fintech supremos like Morgan Stanley, they're all using some LLM. Halo/Turd polishing One common fear associated with AI, particularly chatbots like ChatGPT, is their potential to spread misinformation. As though somehow we live in an honest and transparent world. Wow. This is a massive Idiocracy moment for me. In a world of war, intolerance, famine or malnutrition and the abject depravity towards children and vulnerable adults, are we really equipped to judge a computer which is really a database of study against our virtues? I lol hard at this, especially when my friends get triggered about AI. Seriously though, if that’s even possible after that last statement, it is crucial to recognise that the source of misinformation lies in the data we feed these models. AI systems do not possess inherent biases; rather, they learn from the information we provide. We possess inherent biases though, don’t we? If you want to explain this to your mum, it’s like this: use your brain when sharing information, do your fact-checking, and verifying the accuracy of the data you receive in your head through your eyes. This is the only way we can prevent the propagation of misinformation through AI systems. Your own / personal / data AI's ability to analyse vast amounts of personal data raises legitimate concerns about privacy and security. While AI models require access to data to learn and improve, it is imperative to establish robust safeguards to protect sensitive information. Make some rules about how you manage data, better yet (if you’re web 2) use GDPR and GDPR-K. If you are web3-focused: self-police or DAO yourself towards comprehensive data protection measures, ensuring data anonymisation where necessary, and fostering transparent practices in data handling can alleviate these concerns and build trust in AI systems. To address the fears surrounding AI, it is essential to prioritise responsible AI development. This includes promoting transparency in AI algorithms—yes, you can control algorithms—actively engaging in ethical AI practices, and involving diverse perspectives in the development process. By involving experts, policymakers, and the general public, we can collectively shape AI systems that align with our values and aspirations. Establishing and adhering to ethical guidelines for AI development and deployment is crucial. Tech companies should have robust review processes in place to ensure that AI systems and algorithms are not used in ways that violate user privacy or perpetuate biases. Ethical considerations should be an integral part of the AI development lifecycle. I love Idiocracy, but if you haven’t seen it, I won’t spoil it for you—because you are already living it. AI is transformative as a technology and has the potential to revolutionise numerous industries and improve our lives in countless ways. However, unfounded fears about AI often stem from our own negligence in how we share information—I’m talking about taking AI across all your applications, I’m talking about trusting your AI because you’ve “put so much of myself into it, ChatGPT just gets me” (if this is you, please, let’s end our connections on any platform). By adopting diligent information sharing practices, and actively engaging with AI technologies to stop dysgenic rule-making, we can foster a more harmonious relationship with AI, mitigating unnecessary fears, and embracing the vast potential it holds for humanity's future. Wait, I’m not sure this is a good enough ending. Let me defer to President Camacho for this one: “Shit. I know shit's bad right now, with all that starving bullshit, and the dust storms, and we are running out of french fries and burrito coverings. But I got a solution.”

As the world loses their shit over the VisionPro, like any good tech developer, I will give it 3 months before tearing it limb from limb (or reluctantly loving it—as is my wont). This week I’m at Viva Tech in Paris as well as checking out the sights, sounds and smells of the wonderful world of NFTs at Art Basel (where you can see the Claudia Gϋdel X Nak3d collab). Speaking of collabs - we’re proud to bring you this week's er, week in Metacrun.ch, in association with the incredible Kawaji, the home of Japanese Snacks delivered straight to your door. This is Hodoi I travelled to Mumbai recently for a talk and I flew with Qatar Airways. First up, I can’t tell you how much I love being in Mumbai. The people, the place, it was a once in a lifetime thing. However, the layover in Doha was not all that, which is a shame because Doha was made for the metaverse and now, Qatar Airways—and I’m not on commission here at all when I say that everyone has to fly Qatar Airways once in their lives to see what I mean; it’s like a nothing you will ever experience in your lives, truly—have launched their QVerse metaverse. Waste of time? Yes. Got legs? No, not really unless you really can’t check–into your flight using all other normalised options. This is never going to make the Metacrun.ch Metaverse Top 10, and that’s a shame because someone has put in the hard work and effort of a decent enough UX and ahem, onboarding solution but the thing is, it’s just a 360, a webGL experience, it’s nothing special and you can do anything inside it except for look at the lounge where you will check-in to your flight. WHY THIS? It’s terrible. Let's Cosplay as Adults The world of banking, the traditions of finance that go back thousands of years (at least 4 thousand years—fact fans) but it hasn’t really changed much. People put their money in a trusted organisation, people withdraw that money with or without interest. People get loans, people struggle to pay loans back. It’s the cirrrrrcle of liiiiifffffe. Well, it is in my life anyway. But banks want to change and so they should. In the last 7-10 years neobanks have brought forth borderless banking as de riguer and with it different ways of borrowing and spending. It’s still very traditional though, right? And even with the metaverse, these pillars of transaction design won’t change because we’re in a webGL or engine driven experience. So what’s the point? I think this story from Yahoo is about marketing: plain and simple. Banks need new customers, and potential customers languish online playing games or accessing news/apps/metaverse beauty week/[insert your favourite waste of time here]. The closing couplet was the most powerful for me anyway, and that’s about assets, not banking, and I’m excited to see how items in gaming and the metaverse will transcend into digital asset classes if they haven’t already and well that needs a bit more cowbell than a man in a suit, don’t you agree? Visual Kei This is a quick one because you know how I feel about Metaverse Beauty Week: WASTE OF TIME. I will say this though, Metaverse Beauty Week will be an absolute tour de force for one element of technology and that’s interoperability. So, tbh there’s nothing to see here, move on and I dunno listen to a cool Visual Kei band like Dir en Grey or something like that. Sai shikō suru There’s a saying that God loves a trier. Well, way to use our imaginary friends in the sky to illustrate what it means to be a loser. That’s not to say that Louis Vuitton are losers either, if you’ve been following this newsletter every week you will know that here’s a special place in my heart for LV. However, the Albert Einstein levels of madness in trying to find a formula that fits for them is obviously predicated on how much money you have. I don’t have €39,000 to spend on what is ostensibly a loot box. Do you? If you do then the Via Treasure Trunk NFT collection is for you. And as per Louis Vuitton, it’s the usual nonsense of difficult onboarding and heavy ass graphics. One to avoid unless you really, really love Louis Vuitton and are rich. Cherry Magic! Utsukushii Kare, Yuri or Another, gosh there are a million BL and GL things to love about Japan. Since it’s pride month it’s time to dust off those rainbow wings (hopefully not the metallic kind) and glide into any parade of your choice! But how is the world of the metaverse, games and interactive media navigating pride? JF Larouche is the lead on an LGBTQIA+ NFT project devoted to finding the fun in queer and beyond! The Galactic Gaylords are a celebration of personal identity. The Melancholy Monsters Club NFT project is brought to us by comic book artist Jessie, and hopes to highlight the mental health aspects of the LGBTQIA+ community through the MMC NFTs! Finally, Not Your Bro is a collection of 10,000 NFTs crushing the male-dominated world of NFT with this stunning homage to LGBTQIA+ peeps worldwide. Check out these and more here. So that's enough metaverse for this week. With my investigative journo hat on, I’ll be coming live and direct from Viva Tech to see what’s hot and what’s definitely Arigatō, demo īe, arigatō in Paris. Why don’t you subscribe to our playlist on Spotify for the latest and greatest? You can also enjoy a deep dive of all things metaverse into your inbox exclusively once a week. Don’t forget that we’re repping Kawaji all week in Metacrun.ch so 今週をお楽しみください!

Last week we guffawed at the idea that the metaverse might be dead and as I scrape the bottom of the virtual platform barrel for new and exciting platforms to add to my weekly top ten I am starting to believe the hype. In what open universe do we force folks to sign up before they can go in? I’m thinking about doing a name and shame chart of the worst platforms based on users, aesthetic and data. What do you think? Face it. This Sucks Your interest in the metaverse is dwindling. That's not even a lie. That is an actual fact. So I think that the way that fashion and beauty is being played in the metaverse right now is L.A.Z.Y. We need better use cases than some weak ass experiences that leave your users with more questions than answers, so step forward Laneige which has amazingly ditched its sensory experience and decided to go directly for virtual shopping in the metaverse. Big mistake: huge. I think one of the big mistakes that beauty is making is assuming that because we can see it, we can be it and that is not exactly how all customer journeys happen. Inside most metaverses or within fashion/beauty metaverses there are only brand activations (because that’s where the money is), which obviously is why Metaverse Fashion Week sucked so badly. It was an obvious grift. What we should be doing is using this beloved metaverse space to create something intimate, sensory and personal rather than bland, shallow and empty. Avoid the Laneige thing if you can, it’s so spartan and boring that if this sets the precedent for Metaverse Beauty Week, the metaverse is in big trouble. Bait Problem I’ve just written an obvious article for Metacrun.ch about AI. In it I explore what the general beef is with AI now that the battlelines have been drawn. But this story about a weight management AI chatbot seems to exemplify what I spent so long writing about. If we use ChatGPT for everything there's always going to be a problem with AI. Right now, there are a million problems with AI, especially ChatGPT-related bits and pieces for a couple of reasons. One: ChatGPT’s information generation only dates back to 2021. Two: we're putting too much of ourselves into it. We're asking for too much from the AI. It's just not ready yet to be able to do all of the things that we want it to do. So let’s use our brains for a bit and think this through. Chatbots have been around for a really long time, however chatbots and AI are absolutely nothing without humans. And that's what this article explained beautifully. It's awesome. But what would be better for health tech, femtech etc as a whole is having somebody to talk to that is human. In my experience of femtech and healthtech, AI is perfect for triage. Imagine what telehealth should be doing with chatbots for organisations such as the NHS? But what AI needs to do after triage is point the patient towards a human. Healthcare advisors in my experience are all human—except for in my novel from 2016, which no one has read anyway, so no one can be scared about. Police Story 3 : Supercop The Hong Kong Police has launched something called “Cyber Defender”. Oh gosh, whatever could this be? It sounds like a Golden Harvest Blu Ray special edition from 2002 narrated by Benny “the Jet” Urquidez. However, this is a metaverse platform to explore web3—with added “enlightenment”. The Cyber Security Bureau of the Hong Kong Police wants the public to know about the threats and opportunities linked with web3 and the metaverse to highlight awareness of new technology crimes. It also wanted to bring the general Hong Kong public a new experience. Well, to me this just basically sounds like a simple we're-going-to-educate-you-in-what-you-can-and-can't-do. Hong Kong has already prohibited banks from denying Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP) and is diving deeper into central bank digital currencies (CBDC). The sensible parts of this are about gating the flood of digital crap which might overwhelm this financial hub—however, what this has to do with the public at large is unknown. As with Interpol’s metaverse, which, oh my god, no one in their right mind would descend upon unless they have a crime to report that they can’t report via the usual channels, this helps no one but the financial organisations. Enlightenment? Not yet. How Did We Miss the Last 41? Did you know that famous funk/disco/cool band CHIC was the first to name check Gucci in a song? Now you do. However, I don’t rate Gucci as a credible anything in the world of NFT fashion. Prada on the other hand? Assolutamente! Because Prada is on their 42nd NFT collection. Terminology aside, because I do not believe 1 x drop = 1 x collection, Prada has been working hard (bts) to bring er, Prada exclusives to its diehards. As you know, I believe that any NFT without utility is a massive grift and at the time of writing this I’m not entirely sure what the point of owning a Prada NFT is right now, except for collecting them all (the article says “another exclusive NFT”—but what's the point of that?) FYI disruption only works when it changes the status quo. So the mere mention of NFTs and H&M or Zara in this particular article is pointless if NFTs are not going to be acceptable use cases for sustainability—which they are not. AIQ Not a day goes by where there isn’t some stupid graphic on AI. This time it’s about some (sounds like) really boring game based on the Turing Test. The Turing Test for anyone who doesnt know is a test for intelligence in a computer, requiring that a human being should be unable to distinguish the machine from another human being by using the replies to questions put to both. Le sigh. This test has somehow been gamified. For reasons unknown. It's pretty obvious to me that in the current state of how AI is being developed and innovated upon that there are two very different camps. There are the people who think that AI is going to steal our jobs and kill us all. And there are people who don't. More than 30% of people who played the boring online Turing Test game failed to tell the difference between a person and AI. So at least 60% of “players” could tell the diff. Which is over half. I'll get my coat. Trash to Treasure Alexis Ohanian believes that play-to-earn is the future standard for gaming—a collective yeaaaaaah from people like me who think play-to-earn is still relevant and is still a sensible development in financing the future. If no one's really figured out what the hell are good use cases for NFT, they sure as hell don’t know what play-to-earn will do. At a time when for a number of reasons, the metaverse has its detractors, and it's a very, very dirty word and at a when we’re in the throes of some weird cost of living/global recession/political inflation problem you know people are finding other more beneficial ways for them to earn money. Whenever I see an NFT or a Bitcoin story, it's always “this person” or “this collection has got $8 million worth of blah, blah, blah.” If virtual currencies are to be really believed and accepted, we should not be comparing Bitcoin with the US dollar or any other currency. If we keep doing this there’s no way that virtual currencies will ever become anything. According to Eurochange there are, as of 2023, 180 currencies in this world. Are we arrogant to believe that it will always be this way? If we don't start believing in the fact that there might be virtual or different currencies to the established currencies that we have in the world. There isn't a rule about this, there’s an SEC and an FCA, but there are also countries who are using other currencies and blockchain technologies. I digress. P2E has to be the standard for gaming because we have to do something with all that virtual currency and that our hard work and effort in games has to be comparable to something of value. Why not? The future is what we’ll make it.