As a carrier for virtual reality interaction, the concept of the Metaverse continues to gain traction, with internet giants actively expanding into related fields. According to Tianyancha, recently, NetEase has applied to register trademarks such as “NetEase Metaverse,” “Leihuo Metaverse,” and “Fuxi Metaverse”; Baidu has applied to register the trademark “metaapp,” possibly planning to enter the Metaverse space. What does the Metaverse mean for technology giants?
However, the capital markets do not seem particularly enthusiastic. As of this writing, Baidu’s stock price fell by 4.43%, trading at $162.86 per share; NetEase fell by 1.20%, trading at $101.45 per share.
The first year of the Metaverse
The concept of the “Metaverse” originates from the work of American sci-fi writer Neal Stephenson, titled *Snow Crash*, which describes a virtual digital world parallel to the real world: “Put on headphones and goggles, find a connection terminal, and you can enter a computer-simulated virtual space that parallels the real world through your virtual avatar.”
The Oasis depicted in the movie *Ready Player One* serves as an illustration of the Metaverse—a kind of “utopian” world.
The *2020-2021 Metaverse Development Research Report* published by the New Media Research Center of Tsinghua University pointed out that behind the popularity of the Metaverse concept lies the increasingly competitive platform-based form within the internet industry. At present, internet companies have long lacked breakthroughs in content carriers, transmission methods, interactive approaches, user engagement, and interactivity, resulting in “growth without development,” necessitating the search for new growth points.
In addition to NetEase and Baidu...