Touring the virtual metaverse is a lonely pursuit. Whether you buy into Meta’s Horizon World, The Sandbox, Decentraland, or Apple’s soon-to-come VisionPro, you are very much alone in search of anything that’s not part of the landscape.
That may change someday, but for now, our best training wheels for life in the metaverse take place in the real world. Ephemera is an immersive restaurant experience where you dine surrounded by the sea, jungles or even outer space. Astra Lumina, at the Queens Botanical Gardens in NY, lets you explore celestial pathways of light and cosmic visions using projection, lighting and sound. At Sphere in Las Vegas you are immersed in a story from the moment you set foot in the Atrium (aka lobby). In addition to the featured programs like the U2 concert and the Darren Aaronovsky movie, everything is meant to provide an interactive immersive experience. You are greeted by Aura, which is five humanoid interactive guides with each focusing on one fundamental aspect of human ability:
connection, creativity, innovation, longevity and intelligence. The enduring success of the traveling Van Gogh and Monet experiences has introduced new audiences to masterpiece painters. Singapore’s Future World walks visitors through a shimmering universe of stars, lets them create digital artwork, and even lets them step into a digital waterfall. In Tokyo, teamLab Planets creates a museum that blends art and tech. Similarly, immersive game parks such as Two Bit Circus and Beat the Bomb provide immersive experiences with a focus on collaborative gaming. |