It has been almost three years since the Metaverse took the world by storm, capturing the public's imagination and investors' wallets alike. Today, it would seem that the technology has been all but forgotten, thanks to the meteoric rise of artificial intelligence. This, however, has not stopped metaverse visionaries like Tony Parisi from doubling down, a move that the VR pioneer is sure will forever change our concept of distance.
"I'm a big believer in the potential of the metaverse to take the internet to its next stage of development," explains Parisi, who penned the now-iconic Seven Rules of the Metaverse. "That potential lies not so much in flashy graphics and massive multiplayer games—those are definitely going to be a huge part of the emerging metaverse—but more significantly in our ability to connect people across the globe and transcend the limitations of space in a way that the current internet does not."
Since Parisi's work in the mid-1990s co-creating VRML, the original standard for 3D on the web, every aspect of metaverse technology has only gotten better, from graphics to networking. Consumer-grade 3D and virtual reality is no longer a pipe dream, with every mobile phone containing a 3D graphics chip and VR headsets like the Meta Quest offering amazing experiences at affordable prices. Imagine visiting an ancient archaeological site, connecting with remote colleagues to design a new product, or hanging out at a live concert with friends—all without leaving the comfort of your living room or office. It's all possible now, thanks to continued efforts from innovators like Parisi.
But while his technical expertise has been invaluable in advancing the state of the art, Parisi's recent focus has been elsewhere. He founded Metatron Studio in July 2023 to produce new metaverse content and experiences. By making use of technologies like web3, spatial computing, and, yes, artificial intelligence, the company is developing immersive entertainment and online communities with enduring appeal.
Metatron is the culmination of more than 20 years of Parisi's work in technology, as well as his extensive experience as a musician, composer, and producer. To get the studio off the ground, Parisi recently chose to pivot from his storied tech career, including a six-year stint as an executive at game engine giant Unity Software, leading their VR and VR efforts. In the summer of 2023, he stepped down as Chief Product Officer at Lamina1, the blockchain technology company founded by the Metaverse's creator himself, Neal Stephenson. While he remains at the company as an advisor and consultant, Parisi is now spending most of his time honing his skills as a creator, not of software but of music, theater, visual art, and 3D worlds.
The project that would result in the creation of Metatron was an idea that Parisi had been developing for over a decade: 'Judgment Day,' a rock opera about a modern apocalypse. In this production, humanity faces catastrophe on all fronts: geopolitical conflict, natural disasters, pandemics, and a comet barrelling toward a version of Earth not too different from ours, one in which mass media, social tension, and demagogues sow chaos and intrigue. The live show, now in development, will combine elements of traditional theater and immersive theater with VR, AR, and projection maps. Metatron also plans to build an online universe as a companion to the live production, allowing fans to experience the show virtually from any time and place.
"While it's been almost 15 years since I finished writing the original libretto and score for Judgment Day, the technology didn't exist at the time to fully realize my vision for it," says Parisi, who also is a Berklee College of Music alumnus. "I'm now confident that we have the necessary tools to bridge traditional and immersive theater with online worlds, virtual communities, and interactive experiences that can be accessed in VR and augmented reality as well as desktop and mobile flat screens."
The recording of the studio album for 'Judgment Day' started in late 2021 and took a year to complete. With 16 out of the 21 songs from the full musical, the album is available on streaming services now, but only until the NFT collection launched alongside it in 2023 sells out. After that, the album will only be accessible to holders of the Judgment Day collection or other related NFTs that grant access to the songs and/or streaming of the live show.
"NFTs and web3 technology can synergize with the fine arts in unique ways. Looking beyond the simplistic imagery of the notable PFP collections such as Bored Ape Yacht Club, we can see incredible innovation over the past few years—in particular coming from visual artists and independent musicians offering their collectors gamification, valuable utility and thriving online communities." Parisi continued, "But what we haven't seen yet is what happens when you mix these with metaverse technologies like VR, AR, and 3D worlds to create an experience that blurs the lines between the physical and digital. It is no longer about imitating one or the other, but about creating something entirely novel."
The technologies Parisi aims to capitalize on are recognized as some of the most innovative of our times. However, with all of them fighting each other for the spotlight, most remain siloed in their potential despite their rapid growth. Parisi's move to integrate many of them through spatial computing, online worlds, AI for rapid creation, and web3 technology to support digital collectibles and ticketed access is an ambitious approach. But if done right, it could show the way to a new method of developing live shows and building and sustaining a global audience for entertainment properties using the tools of the metaverse.
"Spatial computing will help transcend distance, as people can experience more things virtually with high fidelity," Parisi notes. "And when property combined with the other technologies of the day like digital collectibles, Discord Servers and X Spaces, the results could be revolutionary. We are creating an enduring global community of fans—especially with the engagement we are seeing in the Judgement Day Discord—collectors and supporters that are fully invested in the success of Judgment Day, and in a way that can only happen in the metaverse."
While AI might continue to dominate the conversation in the tech world over the next year, Parisi's work makes it clear that the metaverse isn't going anywhere but will, in fact, become much stronger thanks to it. The much-anticipated release of the Apple Vision Pro should also generate significant buzz around spatial computing again, so expect to see another wave of interest in VR, AR, and related tech. Parisi's version of the metaverse is an open, interoperable world in which technologies come together to create something bigger, akin to an upgraded internet. By continuing to blur the boundaries between technologies and bringing them under one network, the metaverse is sure to fulfill the internet's original promise: to vaporize distance.
