The metaverse imposes itself on Vivatech

Trying on clothes or role-playing for recruitment: in the spans of VivaTech, the virtual universes of the metaverse concern increasingly diverse sectors, driven by very significant investments made so as not to miss this technological shift. ” Companies are arming themselves: the big players in the video gamethe greats of technology but also big brands who don’t want to miss that train “, told AFP Eric Hazan, partner at McKinsey, on the occasion of this exhibition dedicated to the digital which opened Wednesday in Paris.

According to a study by this firm, investments in technology paving the way for the metaverse have already reached more than $50 billion in 2021 and could more than double this year. ” We are on quite colossal amounts, it is three times more than the investments in theArtificial intelligence in 2017 “, according to Mr. Hazan.

The giants of the economy are rushing there

The luxury giant LVMH, for example, offers several immersive experiences on its stand, including “live streaming », a way to show real or virtual events to wealthy customers remotely. ” It’s a “microverse” which makes it possible to overcome the constraints of time and space “, explains to AFP Stephan Emanuely, in charge of the direction of IT services at Louis Vuitton.

LVMH also welcomes DressX, a start-up which offers to buy and try on virtual clothes, and which can therefore only be worn on a photo or a avatarfor example for the very popular gaming platform Roblox.

Others see the virtual world as an opportunity for a communication operation, such as BNP Paribas which is extending its stand thanks to the Spatial metaverse or the French restaurant voucher specialist Edenred which is presenting in virtual reality (VR) its ” 10 year vision of an employee using the company’s full range of services. ” Without VR, we would have shown a phone screen “, explains the group to AFP.

Adecco, one of the world’s leading temporary workers, is instead trying to find solutions to innovate in its core business. Thus, an experiment allows the group to place future recruits in a real working environment in 3D pre-recorded by its customers with 360° cameras. ” This can allow for example to assess their ability to work in a platform at height “Explains to AFP Camille Mulquin, marketing manager of the start-up Uptale.

Virtual collaborative space

But, in the end, everyone has developed their own universe, without for the moment capitalizing much on shared immersive platforms such as The Sandbox or Decentralandwhere however the sale of virtual courtssubject of considerable speculation, has already exceeded 500 million dollars.

With its lead in the field, the Meta group (ex-Facebook) presents on a giant screen its maximalist vision of the metaverse which encompasses social, professional and entertainment activities. Visitors try in particular Horizon Workrooms, a virtual collaborative space, in open space or at the edge of a beach. ” You completely lose touch with reality. I can’t see myself working 2 hours with it but it’s hard to fight against the trend commented a user, removing her headset.

If the metaverse reaches the general public, the revenues generated could reach between 4,000 and 5,000 billion dollars by 2030, the equivalent of the Japanese economy, according to the McKinsey study. ” This means almost 40 to 50% of video games and a quarter of online commerce that pass through the metaverse. “, deciphers Éric Hazan.

But this forecast remains subject to many unknowns, in particular the simplification of access to cryptocurrencies and virtual wallets, or platform interoperability. ” If companies have an interest in putting a toe in the water to take its temperature “, it is appropriate to remain ” extremely cautious », Estimates for his part Alexandre Aractingi, partner at the firm Boston Consulting Group. In effect, ” as it is a buzz, many directions want to go there passing by the industrial “, he regrets.