Since Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg Spent billions into virtual worlds and promised everyone would soon live in the Metaverse, high expectations are placed on digital worlds. Users should be able to meet there, exchange ideas, watch films together, but also shop and dance. Also the software company Microsoft wants to grow strongly in this area, but above all emphasizes the use in the professional environment. Users should work together in virtual rooms or discuss projects and business ideas.
Both companies are very strong in their vision of the metaverse VR and MR glasses as terminals for the virtual experience. A wrong approach, like Arnold Putz means. You can’t limit access to virtual worlds to just one device, says the head of technology and co-founder of the Viennese start-up Captic.
Just like its co-founder Ricard Gras Putz has been working on virtual worlds for years. Unlike the Facebook parent Meta, the Vienna-based company wants virtual worlds beyond that World Wide Web and thus not only via VR glasses but via all possible end devices, from Handy about the Tablet up to TV devices and game consoles, make available and really grant access to everyone.
“Advancement of a website”
This is made possible by a system developed by the start-up 3D-Enginebased on the future web standard WebGPU based, which is currently being developed by the World Wide Web Consortium. Just as you surf the web from website to website via links, you should be able to move from virtual world to virtual world with your avatar. Putz: “We see the Metaverse as a further development of a website.”
On an in-house demo platform users can try out the technology. So far there have been more than 1,000 virtual worlds created. They can choose from various templates, create their own rooms and upload their own avatars or virtual objects. So far, the virtual rooms have been used, for example, to meet friends, to play games or to watch videos together, says Putz.
Captic co-founder Arnold Putz
© Captic
“Very hot topic” for business
Companies also use the technology of the start-up and bring the virtual rooms as Showroom for their products, for conferences or to create a shopping experience. This is a “very hot topic” for e-commerce companies, telecommunications providers and game developers in particular, says Putz. To do this, they can buy licenses from Captic to use the technology. Private users can access it for free.
Putz und Gras present their technology at international trade fairs such as the Mobile World Congress (MWC), and in numerous discussions with potential customers. The start-up works with the team from Google’s Chrome Browser to further develop web technology. One cooperates with Meta in the representation of the virtual worlds on the VR glasses Quest.
Captic co-founder Ricard Gras
© Captic
euphoria cooled
Putz is relaxed about the fact that the euphoria for the Metaversum at the Zuckerberg group Meta has cooled off noticeably recently and that numerous employees have been laid off. Meta may have gone astray with its VR Goggles-only access to the Metaverse. Many users would enter virtual worlds via smartphones. “We see that this is well received.”
Market observers are therefore assuming that Meta will soon make its metaverse called Horizon World accessible to other devices. Adoption is currently sluggish at best. The company also has to listen to a lot of ridicule because of the somewhat brittle technical implementation.
“Market will develop very quickly”
Putz is convinced that a metaverse open to all users and devices will prevail sooner or later. It will soon become commonplace to look at 3D worlds on websites, says Putz. “The market will develop very quickly and very strongly.”
The Viennese start-up, which recently received funding from the Austria Wirtschaftsservice (aws) development bank and already has investors on board, definitely wants to get involved. The first sales are already being generated with corporate customers. Putz: “We hire people, expand our equipment and work on further developing the technology.”
