The idea of a virtual universe has surged into mainstream conversation, yet many still ask what it truly entails. Analysts describe it as a concept in motion—like an airplane on the runway gathering speed before takeoff. People remember the rebrand of a major platform from a social network to Meta, and brands are already dipping their toes in the water. The expectation isn’t a single metaverse but a landscape of multiple, interconnected versions.
In the United States, Valencian entrepreneur Juan Roig, founder of Mercadona, has started acquiring land. Utopia presents itself as the first Spanish metaverse and drew 1,600 prospective buyers in its first month. An expert in cybersecurity and artificial intelligence argues that this is not a bubble that will pop; rather, the space will evolve, even if its exact form remains to be defined. [Cited: industry expert interviews and regional market analyses]
The simplest way to grasp metadata concepts is to distinguish what they are not. It is not merely a game; it is a fully immersive virtual reality designed to support daily activities. It moves beyond gaming into a connected space where communication, work, and services can unfold in the metaverse. One example is shifting from messaging apps to a metadata storage-based workflow, or stepping into a virtual home for work and collaboration. The metaverse aims to bridge everyday life with an immersive, shared digital layer, encompassing advertising, brokerage, and commerce within a seamless online ecosystem.
The metaverse in Alicante: Which domains were bought the most?
The Brands Are Already Participating
Nur ia Lloret, a professor of digital management at Valencia Polytechnic University, describes the metaverse in a single word: interoperability. She notes that many brands already operate in metaverses. For instance, a Malaga-based school group plans to teach within a specific metaverse. [Cited: Lloret’s interview and university publications]
The key distinction between a video game and a metadata store is interoperability. In a video game, purchases stay inside that game and cannot be carried by an avatar into other worlds. In the metaverse, items and identities can move across platforms. An avatar wearing shirts and carrying items could enter a different metaverse or even visit a virtual doctor or attend a concert. The idea of remote health and telemedicine is already being discussed as a natural evolution from pandemic-era practices. [Cited: industry white papers and expert commentary]
Augmented reality glasses—advanced devices that overlay virtual elements onto real-world views—are central to metaverse development. Many people already use them in specific contexts, and today’s smartphones include AR-capable cameras. [Cited: AR adoption statistics]
When a university creates its own metaverse, students might attend classes with their avatars. With augmented reality, the classroom becomes immersive, and AR glasses could make it feel like peers are sitting beside them in a shared space. [Cited: educational technology case studies]
An Indian couple will portray the deceased father of a bride in the metaverse to preside over a wedding reception
Experts agree there will be numerous interconnected metaverses. People can watch a football match or a theater performance, then wander into a virtual mall to shop real products. In one scenario, a Premier League game could be viewed from an ultra-close vantage, and afterward friends could reconvene in another metaverse to discuss the event. The emphasis shifts toward global, experience-driven access rather than local, physical presence. Instead of traveling to Las Vegas for a concert or casino visit, a person might enter a metaverse and receive a bonus or enhanced experience. [Cited: entertainment industry analyses]
In short, a virtual, immersive ecosystem is evolving where people can connect with family or friends, exercise, work, play games, or attend concerts—activities already being piloted in experimental metaverses. Space and time limits fade away, allowing participation from anywhere with a screen. [Cited: technology previews and pilot programs]
We need job profiles for new fields
Industry observers note that 80% of future jobs have yet to be invented. Nuria Lloret explains that metaverses will create many new professional roles. She suggests that new entrants will secure opportunities for decades, especially in digital administration and cross-platform interoperability. [Cited: Lloret’s forecasts and industry reports]
HR consultants have forecast this landscape for some time: the majority of tomorrow’s jobs will be in areas not yet imagined, including metaverse-related roles. Meta, the parent company of Facebook, has announced plans to hire thousands of people in Europe to build out metaverse capabilities, aiming to reach a global audience and enable seamless interactions among products, users, and creators. [Cited: corporate announcements and industry summaries]
The term metaverse originates from Snow Crash, a 1992 novel in which multiple virtual spaces coalesced into three-dimensional, alternative realities. This conception frames the metaverse as a digital realm designed to mirror aspects of external reality, blending virtual and real-world experiences. [Cited: historical references and scholarly summaries]