There’s a lot of debate about what “the metaverse” actually is. Some people say it’s a game, while others claim that specific platforms like Meta (Formerly Facebook) are the total metaverse. But one thing is for sure, whoever utilizes the metaverse will influence people now and into the future. And companies are looking for the right strategic partners to develop their vision.
The metaverse is often described as a persistent, virtual world that people can access via various technologies like virtual reality or augmented reality. However, it doesn’t necessarily have to be accessed exclusively through VR or AR. One of Alt Ethos’ favorite metaverse platforms is accessed through the web browser. The metaverse is open-ended and multifaced in design from simple shapes to photo-realistic worlds.
So what’s the big deal with the metaverse?
Well, for starters, whoever utilizes the metaverse will have a memorable impact. The metaverse is the Experiential version of the Internet. It’s more engaging, exploratory, and social than flat media. It’s in the early stage which means finding the right strategic partner could not only create a media buzz but also you could help develop new systems of engagement in your market.
But it’s not just about money. The metaverse also has the potential to be a powerful tool for social and political change. For example, metaverses could be used to create integrated digital safe spaces for underrepresented communities or to create easier access to education.
Of course, the metaverse is still in its early stages but it is possible to say what it will become when you are helping create it. And one thing is certain: whoever utilizes the metaverse will have a lot of influence over the digital world.
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Alt Ethos specializes in the development and design of bespoke metaverses as assets with high ROI potential. We have the experience and expertise to help you make the most of the metaverse, whether you’re looking to create a memorable experience for your brand’s audience or generate revenue through metaverse consulting. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you utilize the metaverse to its full potential.
The American mall used to be a robust gathering place, hosting mall walkers in the morning, high school kids in the afternoon, and families simply looking for something to do in the evenings. With the rise of home entertainment and online shopping, especially in a post-COVID world, these former hubs of activity have seen a steep decline in attendance, causing many storefronts to sit largely empty.
Now, a new trend in “retailtainment” is picking up the slack as retail malls are being sold to gaming companies. Using technology, visual storytelling, and interactive experiences, this new way to use public space has started to reinvigorate the mall as a social place to hang out, bringing consumers back to in-person shopping.
These strategies don’t only work for malls. City shopping areas and public gathering spaces can be activated similarly, driving the public out of their homes to areas where local dining and shopping is essential to city economic health and tourism. This art of creating immersive and interactive experiences has been dubbed Destination Design.
Alt Ethos is a leader in Destination Design and has participated in several projects in collaboration with downtown development authorities, arts and culture groups, and city tourism agencies to provide designs that help drive foot traffic to strategic locations. These projects encourage interaction, collaboration, and play; creating unexpected joy and bringing together communities.
One strong example is Alt Ethos’ Illuminous Fort Collins. Installed in 2018 as part of a Fort Collins revitalization project, this interactive, projection mapped mural can still be found lighting up the alleyways of Old Town. Thanks to this project, these once barren streets are now lined with bar patios, vibrant performances, and a high-end hotel where you can request a room with a view of the moving mural. Alt Ethos is proud to help cities redefine their tourism and community strategies to launch experiences like the Illuminous project. These Retailtainment designs provide successful, measured, and defined experiences that engage with communities and drive tourism.
While the connection fostered by these interactive experiences fuels our artistic souls, these creations have real-world fiscal benefits to companies. They offer scalable options, deeper engagement and retention, and unique opportunities for viral marketing in ways that are more effective than traditional mediums.
“Art galleries and museums have realised that built-in opportunities for “user-generated content” (UGC) can be profitable; as the artist Dena Yago wrote in a 2018 essay, “a company’s marketing plan may include a UGC campaign that broadcasts a call to action, or CTA … this response is often the creation of more content – the posting of selfies, photos and videos.”
Alt Ethos is excited to be amongst these talented leaders in creating interactive and immersive projects. When you’re considering where your budget goes for the next event or long-term project, look to us to create mind-blowing immersive experiences that will bring you an ROI you can proudly report back to your stakeholders. We love to use technology to explore how we can engage wonder and create unexpected joy and connection. View more of our work on immersive projects and events around the country and world.
During the Gather Verse Summit 2022, our CEO and founder, Ethan Bach, shared his story as a transgender business owner who is developing a Metaverse. In his talk, Ethan explains why transgender representation is so important and how it’s been squashed time and time in history.
The Gather Verse Summit is a global gathering discussing humanity-first standards of education, safety, privacy, wellness, equality, community development and accessibility in the next steps of the metaverse. This year, the Summit is expecting over 5,000 attendees to join more than 70 sessions about the metaverse.
“What if in the virtual world you had a safe space to express yourself and that actually saved your life?”
Ethan Bach, CEO and Founder, Alt Ethos
As we move forward with our own Pathos Metaverse, Alt Ethos is committed to allowing and fostering sustainability, inclusivity and diversity. We strive to make human connections and interactions positive for the next evolution of humanity and endorse socially responsible initiatives such as the Gather Verse Summit.
10 Things You Can Do To Help Transgender People Feel Safe In The Metaverse
1. Respect trans people as equal citizens with equal rights. Craft a transgender-inclusive nondiscrimination policy.
2. Train all of your staff to know how to appropriately handle harassment of a transgender person. Hire a diversity trainer.
3. Personal Boundary, a safe area around your avatar
– February Meta announced Personal Boundary
– 4 foot buffer where no one could come into your personal space
– So many harassments
– Everyone should adopt a similar feature
4. Categorizing your items of clothing by them “masculine” feminine” “gender neutral”.
5. Empower Transgender people to have ownership in the metaverse
– If you are teaching workshop for building consider having trans only or queer only workshops
6. Add Safe Space posters and banners in public spaces reminding people that you have a zero tolerance
7. Create Transgender Avatars – allow for mix match of gendered clothing, objects, etc
8. Allow people to display their preferred pronoun – she/her, they, he,
9. Create Queer and Transgender places to hang out
10. Create a transgender education center where anyone can be informed – maybe partner wish a non profit agency and offer your services.
Alt Ethos is delighted to have recently applied to LG NOVA’s Mission for the Future program. Selected companies will have the opportunity to enter a 6 to 9-month program to build their business with LG. In the program, companies have the opportunity to go through a co-collaboration process with LG for evaluation, testing, piloting, which will lead to 10 companies selected as the finalists.
Alt Ethos is also honored to have attended and participated in their informational summit Q&A, on the Metaverse Panel Discussion alongside remarkable speakers. The event tackled how the convergence of gaming, VR, AR, XR, entertainment, and work from home is creating a catalyzing moment for the creation of the next web – the metaverse.
The question was asked about the Metaverse: “Is it here yet or yet to come?” – While most panelists agreed that the Metaverse is evolving at the moment, Gene Keselman broke from the pack and stated “The Metaverse is not yet here in any form”, our very own XR Producer – Julian Reyes agrees with this premise.
Dan Mapes spoke about his efforts with The Spatial Web Foundation, a hyper-integrated, contextually-aware, and ethically-aligned network of humans, machines, and AI. The mission of the Spatial Web Foundation is to develop and maintain the technical and ethical standards of the Spatial Web.
“(The metaverse) It’s here but it is still very, very early days, and it’s just going to grow into this incredible area that is yet still to be defined.” – Siddarth Shah, Magic Leap
More videos and information will be posted on the LG Meta page.
More info about the panelists:
Samantha Wolfe – Founder: PitchFWD
Samantha G. Wolfe is the Founder of PitchFWD, a strategic consultancy focused on the acceleration of consumer and enterprise adoption of emerging technologies. She works on strategic brand positioning as well as product and developer marketing for innovative products and services. Sam also is an Adjunct Professor at NYU’s Steinhardt School teaching ‘The Business of Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality’ and ‘The Marketing of Innovation’, both courses she created and developed. To learn more about Sam, go to www.samanthagwolfe.com. To find out more about her consultancy, go to www.wearepitchfwd.com
Dan Mapes – Founder: VERSES
Dan Mapes is a Founder of www.Verses.io – Spatial Intelligence Systems integrating Mixed Reality, Artificial Intelligence and Blockchains that together build The Spatial Web. Dan has spent over 20 years at the intersection of internet technology and entertainment as an entrepreneur, inventor and investor. Dan’s technology interests range from Gaming to Virtual Reality and from Blockchain to Artificial Intelligence. He is a consultant to both startups and large corporations and has made investments in multiple companies where he is often an active advisor or board member. He is the Founder and CEO of Cyberlab – a Global Deep Tech Lab with offices in California, China and Holland. Cyberlab currently has a focus on IoT, Blockchain, Virtual Reality and AI.
He has a deep interest in Meditation, Yoga and Peak Performance and is an avid sailor, diver and mountain biker. He also is working on Sustainability and the Environment and owns a 250 acre Permaculture Ranch that is powered entirely by solar.
“There is this new economy that is emerging that is going to be 10 times as large as the industrial age economy.” – Dan Mapes, Verses
Siddharth Shah – Managing Director & Commercial Officer: Magic Leap
Currently, Sid is the Managing Director & Commercial Officer at Magic Leap where he is focusing on building the enterprise AR business. Previously, he was a Managing Director at BCG Digital Ventures which launched over 120 businesses. He also was co-founder of HRX (India’s first fitness brand) which was exited to Walmart in 2015. He is a seasoned executive with 20 years of experience in successfully launching and operationalizing companies from the ground up, advising corporate and celebrity clients, structuring investments, and building partnerships. Successfully launched businesses in the US, India, China, SE Asia, and the Middle East. Demonstrated ability to originate deal flow in new geographies.
Speaking and writing experience includes: Recurring speaker at Rise, Milken, Harvard Business School, Kellogg School of Management, Wharton, London Business School, UCLA, Licensing Expo, Malaysia Social Media Week; and frequent writer at Brandchannel, Adage, Retailer, and other trade publications.
Gene Keselman – Executive Director: MIT
Gene R. Keselman is the Executive Director of the MIT Innovation Initiative. In this role he works to develop overall strategy and to pilot new programs to meet the Initiative’s goal of enhancing innovation and entrepreneurship across the MIT campus and around the world through evidence-based educational programs, infrastructure, and communities.
Gene graduated from the University of Michigan with Bachelor’s of Arts degrees in Economics and Political Science and also earned a Master’s of Science degree in Information Systems from the George Washington University. More recently he earned a Master’s of Business Administration from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). While at MIT, Gene was also an Associate Investigator in MIT Sloan Operations Management performing research for the Study on Wearable Biosensors and Performance in Multiplayer Games.
Jason Kaehler – CEO
Jason Kaehler has a 29-year career that spans across the entertainment, digital technology and computer graphics industries. He has worked extensively in both R&D and commercial product development for games, VR, data visualization, HCI (Human Computer Interaction) and simulations. Jason began his career in R&D for Disney Imagineering being involved in that ‘first wave’ of VR, developing the DisneyQuest Aladdin VR ride, the first of its kind. Since then, he has had a passion for the medium.
Jason is a serial entrepreneur who assembles and leads word-class teams to develop cutting-edge software. His first game studio sold to Activision in 2002. Since then he has led his own companies and worked for corporations (and the U.S.Gov) in the Internet 3.0 – the metaverse – particularly the gaming/interactive media sector developing 3D data visualizations, mobile & PC games, VR training, gambling games, HCI, IoT/security visualization and UIdesign.
Jason enjoys contributing to unique projects and consults to corporations and the U.S. government, sharing his deep knowledge of the metaverse sector. On the HCI research side, Jason works exclusively with Stanford Research Institute (www.sri.com) , DARPA and the USAFin both a sub-contractor and Prime Investigator roles. His most recent obsessions are NFTs, crypto, AR and ‘P2E’ (Play to Earn) games. Learn more: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonkaehler/, and http://kaehlerplanet.com/
Alt Ethos joined key stakeholders as they discussed the trajectory of the metaverse, its arrival and the vast potential opportunity for businesses and startups to set the stage for how we will engage and interact in the coming full digital world.
We are tracking the evolution of the Metaverse closely as we launch Pathos.
Pathos Metaverse: a browser-based virtual world by Alt Ethos. For this panel, all of the speakers and audience members will be avatars in the Pathos Metaverse allowing for individual representation and easy networking with spatial audio. The Pathos Metaverse provides exciting meeting places, dynamic events, and future-thinking hybrid-virtual-world solutions, pushing the boundaries of interactivity. https://altethos.com/pathos-metaverse/
Alt Ethos is a leader in Destination Design and has participated in several projects in collaboration with downtown development authorities, arts and culture groups, and city tourism agencies to provide designs that help drive foot traffic to strategic locations. These projects encourage interaction, collaboration, and play; creating unexpected joy and bringing together communities.
