HOUSEKEEPING NOTE: The RyanSchultz.com blog will be on an indefinite hiatus, as I am working on a brand new project: writing up a proposal for a VR lab for my university library system! More details here. I’ll be back as soon as I can, folks!
Yesterday, April 1st, was April Fools Day, when people often pull pranks on each other. I wanted to share with you two such pranks, one by Tom Ffiske, and the other by Tony Vitillo (a.k.a. SkarredGhost). Both are active commentators on the evolving metaverse marketplace and, like me, they sometimes poke fun at some of its absurdities!
Tom posted the following to Twitter:
When you visit the website, you are greeted with:
Welcome to the SUPER MEGA ULTRA METAVERSE SUMMIT
Party like it’s 2099 with the world’s largest metaverse conference, with over twenty people confirmed to attend. Get ready to go through an overly complicated sign-up process with zero guidance, and enter the one and only metaverse (apart from Second Life decades ago). All transactions use MetaCoin, a cryptocurrency running on a decentralised network that can be yours for the low price of $0.99 (then $3,000 after gas fees). Are you ready to join the party?
This parody of the worst of the blockchain metaverse conference events offers the most delicious snark:
Easy to access: Simply buy a VR headset during a semiconductor crisis, and you can party with your friends while jigging in your tiny flat.
Introducing MetaCoin: Escape the banks! All transactions will use MetaCoin, a cryptocurrency that truly democractizes access to finance. Only 70% is owned by the founder.
Enter the metaverse: We have built a metaverse thatrepresenta the future, only there is zero interoperability and we will stop updating it after the weekend.
Among the (fictitious) guest speakers:
Richard Ryder: Sponsoring the event and will send you a follow-up email next week. And the week after.
Sarah Sarahbard: Launched a failed crypto project last month, and is looking to pump up its value before selling her stake.
Derrick Dickard: A futurologist who read about the metaverse on Forbes, and will pretend to be an expert until next year,
Savage, but accurate!
Tony issued a timely commentary on the trend of Horizon Worlds, Rec Room. AltspaceVR, and other metaverse platforms where the avatars lack the lower half of their body, tweeting:
You can read more about Legverse on their official website. Tony is even kind enough to offer a media kit for us bloggers!
Thank you to Tom Ffiske and Tony Vitillo!
P.S. Somebody also messaged me yesterday, saying that Meta had bought Second Life, which of course was an April Fools joke as well!
