Early metaverses offer variety of features, uses

Decentraland, which launched in 2020, is a VR marketplace for online assets based on the Ethereum blockchain. It’s similar to a large-scale public multiplayer game server, where everything, down to the land and avatars, is an NFT. 

Unlike other virtual worlds, Decentraland is meant to be fully decentralized and democratic: prices, content and policy are all driven by user votes. The closest thing Decentraland has to human leadership is the Security Advisory Board, composed of elected officials who mostly handle bugs. Users can purchase materials to build on plots of land using an in-world currency called MANA. The virtual real estate itself is represented by a currency uncreatively named LAND. The whole world is laid out in a chunky, low-polygon (or low-poly) style, which players can explore freely using similarly styled avatars. 

Possibilities for creations range from art galleries displaying NFTs to interactable theme parks and even digital art installments. Players can build and explore however they like, but much of that freedom comes at a cost. Like other virtual worlds, Decentraland isn’t much of a game but an interactive opportunity to make money. However, the possibilities for virtual sales and creation led by the wants of players make it worth keeping an eye on. 

My Neighbor Alice, while also based on the blockchain, looks more like your typical farming simulator. For those familiar with the genre, think of it as if “Stardew Valley” and “Animal Crossing” had a baby, and that game was meant to finally explain to everyone what NFTs are. For those who haven’t poured hundreds of hours into developing cutesy virtual lands, imagine a game in which the player pretends to own a farm and the land around it, but has to fund all that land with real money. But at least the animals are cute! 

The concept is similar to Decentraland’s virtual marketplace but in a package that allows players to enjoy the game without knowing too much about the financial side of it. Users own land, or islands, which they decorate using items bought through My Neighbor Alice. In-game currency is known as ALICE token. Interestingly, in-game items can be purchased on external NFT marketplaces. The game’s FAQ promisees in-game community events and a reputation system that rewards frequent users. 

The game isn’t VR, and is set to be released this year, where it could act as a gateway for those wanting to start their journey of making money through cryptocurrency. 

Meta’s Horizon Worlds is perhaps the best-known corner of the metaverse, but that corner has a high entry fee. Users need to get their hands on Meta’s Oculus Quest 2 VR headset before entering Horizon Worlds, which can cost them anywhere from $300 to $400. Despite this large barrier, Horizon Worlds recently gained its 300,000th user. 

The virtual world differs in that its main purpose is to facilitate social interactions, and as of now there is no way for users to profit from it. Users sign up with their Facebook accounts and appear in a virtual space as a (rather unsettling) legless avatar. There, users can attend various social events and even code items into the game using a custom visual coding language. Relatively low usership has allowed Meta to station real, human employees in entry spaces to Horizon Worlds to orient new users. 

Horizon Worlds is largely focused on communal creation over financial gain. While this allows for more users who aren’t interested in pouring money into digital assets, it still requires them to pay a large sum for a VR headset. 

Roblox, a virtual world popular among younger teens, allows budding game developers to create, publish and profit from their games. The site launched in 2006, and has gained over 43.2 million daily users since, making it easily the oldest and most successful world on this list. Most users spend their time hopping from game to game, interacting with other users and spending a virtual currency called Robux, which can be bought with real money. Roblox is free to download and use, but users need Robux to buy special items, private servers and avatars. Popular Roblox games include the pet-raising simulator “Adopt Me!”, the modern-day cops and robbers game “Jailbreak” and the supernatural high school simulator “Royale High.” While the site might raise concerns among parents over internet safety, Roblox offers various optional security features like chat filters and parental controls. Roblox is accessible for both VR and non-VR users.