We can define the Metaverse, which appears wherever we look nowadays, in the simplest way, as virtual environments where people who are not in the same physical space come together and interact. When we look at the word meaning of Metaverse, which is the next evolution of the internet according to the leading names of the technology world; The phrase “beyond the universes” comes up with the combination of the words “meta” meaning beyond and “universe” meaning universe.
Although there is a perception about the Metaverse as if it was discovered only yesterday, we are talking about a technology term older than the Z generation. However, it is possible to say that the world met the Metaverse with the science fiction novels of the early 1990s. American author Neal Stephenson used Metaverse in his science fiction novel Snow Crash, a medium in which people exist and communicate with each other as unique avatars in a three-dimensional virtual environment.
Metaverse isn’t far off for some industries like gaming
Over time, the intriguing universe of the Metaverse became a material for the big screen and appeared in many science fiction films. Gone are the days when the stories built on this new type of reality, where the virtual and the real are experienced simultaneously, seem to us to belong to a very distant world. We live in an era these days when we talk about buying land on the Metaverse.
New developments show that; The days when this new formation will become widespread, where users will not be passive but will be in constant interaction and experience in the newly created virtual universe, are very close. You have followed the statements of Mark Zuckerberg about changing the name of his company to Meta. Not only that. Big players like Microsoft, Epic Games have been investing in the Metaverse world for a long time. Moreover, Metaverse has started to take its place on the agenda of the business world. Soul Machines, a New Zealand-based technology company, recently announced that they are designing artificial intelligence-supported digital humans for use in the Metaverse universe. Metaverse is not far away for some industries such as gaming. Being aware of this, brands have started to seriously deal with game companies to enter this world. For example, famous clothing brand Nike has announced a partnership with Roblox to join the world of Metaverse by offering a free virtual playground called Nikeland.
Actually, don’t worry, we users are also mentally ready for Metaverse. Dozens of movies and TV series about Metaverse that we have watched in the last 15-20 years, without mentioning their names, have prepared us for today. In fact, I’m sure many of you even have favorite productions on this subject. Now, let’s remember these movies and TV series that went through the Metaverse together.
Minority Report, 2002 (IMDb: 7.6)
Adapted from the short story of Philip K. Dick with the same name, the US production Minority Report is one of the top movies of science fiction lovers. When we try to remember the movie set in 2054, futuristic eye scanning technologies and flying cars come to our minds. The Minority Report is about the Pre-cog (pre-cognitive) oracles working under the Ministry of Justice, knowing in advance the forensic events that will happen and catching the criminals based on these dream segments before the crimes are committed. In the movie, the chief John Anderton character played by Tom Cruise controls his computer with a special luminous glove while examining reports in front of a holographic screen. This glove is actually an augmented reality interface that helps the user dominate the third dimension. All these elements of this fictional world, from artificial intelligence to augmented reality, where crime is punished before it is committed, really point to the Metaverse.
Avatar, 2009 (IMDb: 7.8)
In the 22nd century, humanity, which started to search to solve the energy crisis that emerged with the depletion of energy resources in the world, started to search for unobtanium, a precious mineral on the Pandora satellite, where a people named Na’vi, whose lineages are gradually extinct, 3-4 meters tall, blue-skinned, intelligent humanoid live. finds the mine. To explore Pandora’s biosphere, scientists use Na’vi-Human hybrid biological bodies called “avatars” that can be controlled via neural connectivity by genetically matched humans. In the movie Avatar, which is remembered with its story and holds the title of all-time record holder, the details of the technology of transporting human consciousness to another species are presented in an extremely interesting way. Avatar is a good example of the Metaverse concept, as well as displaying elements of AR and VR technology.
Her, 2013 (IMDb: 8.0)
Theodore, who falls into a big void after breaking up with his wife, meets Samantha, a virtual entity that is just a voice, through a new operating system that offers a unique artificial intelligence program. Friendship progresses quickly and turns into love. Theodore’s relationship with a computer simulation shows how our interactions with technology, like relationships in a metadata, have implications for our real lives, and how powerful artificial intelligence can be.
Matrix, 1999 (IMDb: 8.7)
Matrix, one of the most successful films on simulation theory, is another of the productions that best describes the Metaverse universe in this context. The film, which takes place in a fiction where all people are in a virtual reality from the moment they are born until their death, tells the struggle of the hero of the story, Neo, against the leaders of this created universe. Alongside Metaverse, Matrix makes its audience question the future by asking philosophical questions about an order in which artificial intelligence and virtual reality technology come to the fore.
Lucy, 2014 (IMDb: 6.4)
“What happens if you use 100% of your brain?” The film tells the story of Lucy, who is kidnapped and a kind of synthetic drug is inserted into her body to be a courier. Having developed her ability to control her entire brain and use her telekinetic powers, Lucy’s ability to upload all the information in her head to a computer, asks the audience, “Can we store the data in our minds in the metadatabase?” It winks at the Metaverse universe, making you ask the question.
Person of Interest, 2011 – 2016 (IMDb: 8.4)
The series focuses on an artificial intelligence that can detect planned terrorist attacks by monitoring every person in the world via cell phone, e-mail and security cameras, and the character of Harold Finch, who built this system. This system, called the “Machine”, which aims to prevent potential crimes at the thought stage, takes its place in the memories as a very good example of the potential power of artificial intelligence.
