Welcome to Into the Metaverse, in this week’s episode, Yon welcomes the Godmother of the Metaverse, Cathy Hackl, to the podcast to discuss the convergence point of many new technologies and how they are shaping the metaverse in the near term future.

Cathy Hackl is a globally recognized tech & gaming executive, futurist, and speaker focused on spatial computing, virtual worlds, augmented reality, AI, strategic foresight, and gaming platforms strategy. She’s one of the top tech voices on LinkedIn and is the CEO of Spatial Dynamics, a spatial computing and AI solutions company, including gaming. Hackl has worked at Amazon Web Services (AWS), Magic Leap, and HTC VIVE and has advised companies like Nike, Ralph Lauren, Walmart, Louis Vuitton, and Clinique on their emerging tech and gaming journeys. 

During their conversation, Yon and Cathy discuss her time at Magic Leap and how she originally got hooked on the metaverse, before going into who and what are leading the way in spatial computing, some innovative work being done by major brands, the types of investments and timeframes CMOs should be pushing for when coming into the metaverse, and much more.

Follow Cathy: LinkedIn | Instagram 

Read Cathy’s Free EBook, A Wearable World

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Chapters:

Introduction (00:00)

How Cathy Got Hooked on the Metaverse (02:15)

What Her Time at Magic Leap Taught Cathy (04:51)

Our Current Technological Convergence Point (07:35)

Who’s Leading in the AI and Spatial Computing World (14:35)

Brands and Consumer Companies Doing Innovative Work (18:49)

The Need to Invest and Learn Now (22:38)

Future of Marketing & Engagement (27:39)

Most Excited for Next 12 Months (33:20)

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Follow Yon: LinkedIn | X

Learn more about Into the Metaverse by visiting the website.

Learn more about Supersocial by visiting the website.

Welcome to Into the Metaverse, in this week’s episode, Yon welcomes Marcus Holmström, Founder and CEO of The Gang, for a conversation centered around their experiences building a game studio for Roblox and the wider metaverse.

Marcus discusses the inception and growth of The Gang, the success of their branded experiences like Vans and Shrek on Roblox, and the future of integrating real-world commerce into virtual worlds. The two then discuss the importance of being an early adopter and continuously learning from the community, before touching upon the challenges of adapting to Roblox's unique audience and social components, the strategic growth of the company, and the role of new technologies and brand partnerships in shaping the future of the platform.

Learn more about The Gang and all their current and upcoming games

Follow Marcus: LinkedIn 

Chapters:

• Introduction (00:00)
• How The Gang Got Its Start (01:07)
• Learning How to Build on Roblox (04:40)
• Lessons Learned From First Game Failure (07:52)
• Pros and Cons of Hiring On or Off Platform Teams (10:12)
• Where Brand Adoption and Brand Goals Are on Roblox (14:13)
• Real World Commercialization of Roblox (25:12)
• Entertainment IP Coming Out Of And Into Roblox (28:44)
• Moving to Platforms Beyond Roblox (36:47)

Most Excited About in Year Ahead (39:58)

Follow Yon: LinkedIn | X

Learn more about Into the Metaverse by visiting the website.

Learn more about Supersocial by visiting the website.

Welcome back to Into the Metaverse. In this week’s episode, Yon and Matthew dive into four of the most important and interesting news stories related to the metaverse.

The topics we discuss today include the smash hit new video game Palworld, the latest salvo in the Apple vs. Epic saga, the launch apps for the Apple Vision Pro and Netflix’s gaming strategy.

Check out friend of the pod Joost Van Dreunen’s take on the Palworld controversy.

Read the interview Netflix Co-CEO Greg Peters did with Stratechery.

Chapters:

• Introduction (00:00)
• Palworld Dominance & Controversy (01:13)
• Apple Announces Third Party Payments in EU (07:25)
• Apple Vision Pro Launch Apps Announced (15:30)
• Netflix’s Gaming Strategy (20:15)

Learn more about Into the Metaverse by visiting the website.

Follow Yon: LinkedIn | Twitter

Follow Matthew: LinkedIn | Twitter

Learn more about Supersocial by visiting the website.

As large technology companies invest heavily to emerge as leaders in the metaverse, the risk remains that walled gardens extend from the social-mobile era of the Internet into the metaverse era. On this episode, we chat with Professor Udi Shapiro, an interdisciplinary scientist, Internet pioneer, artist, and proponent of e-democracy. He has been with the Weizmann Institute of Science since completing his PhD at Yale University in 1982. Udi provides great insight into his work on e-democracy and building an egalitarian, democratic metaverse and empowering communities with grass-roots cryptocurrencies.

Check out all of Udi's research here: https://arxiv.org/search/?query=Shapiro%2C+Ehud&searchtype=author&order=&size=50

On the fifth episode of This Week in the Metaverse, Matthew and Yon break down three news items that are influential to the development of the metaverse and on which we can provide unique perspective and expertise. First, we discuss the departure of COO Sheryl Sandberg from her role at Meta Platforms (nee Facebook) and what it means for the company’s growth in the metaverse. Next, we dive into the announcement that Neal Stephenson, the father of the metaverse and author of Snow Crash in which he coined the term, is launching LAMINA1. And lastly, we discuss Playful Studios’ $43 Million funding round and their ambitious plans for the Wildcard Alliance.

Creators are flourishing with the proliferation of non-fungible tokens and web3 technologies, empowering them with new tools to better connect with fans and collectors. We were happy to be joined by Sutu who uses art and technology in new ways to tell stories including his latest project, Neonz, which explores the full potential of an AR Metaverse. We had a wide-ranging conversation with Sutu about many topics including the empowerment of creators in the metaverse era, how intellectual property takes shape in the web3 era and at the end of the conversation, an exclusive about an upcoming project from Sutu.

On the fourth episode of This Week in the Metaverse, Matthew and Yon break down three news items that are influential to the development of the metaverse and on which we can provide unique perspective and expertise. First, we look at the announcement of new UGC games from Sky Mavis from its Builders Program. Then, we dive into the financial results of Animoca Brands, the parent company of the Sandbox. And lastly, we discuss the announcement that Gala Games’ Grit will be available on the Epic Games Store.

Venture investing in the metaverse is continuing at a rapid pace as investors seek to spot the next generation of multi-billion dollar tech leaders. Angela Dalton, the CEO at Signum Growth Capital and a venture partner at Griffin Gaming Partners, breaks down the outlook for VC investing in companies at the forefront of technologies and digital economies in the metaverse, what parts of the market are most exciting, the impact of recent financial market turbulence on investments and how gaming companies can evolve to become metaverse leaders.

On the third episode of This Week in the Metaverse, Yon is back and he and Matthew break down three news items from the last week that are influential to the development of the metaverse. First, we look at Roblox’s hire of former Zynga CTO Nick Tornow as VP of Engineering for its Developer Team. Then, we dive into the rumors swirling about Apple’s upcoming RealityOS for a potential mixed reality headset and what this means for its metaverse aspirations. And lastly, we discuss the seed funding environment for metaverse startups after Crunchbase reported that metaverse was one of five strong themes in seed venture funding so far in 2022 despite broader market turbulence.

Unity is one of the few companies with advanced real-time 3d capabilities that is positioned to help usher in the metaverse era. Marc Whitten, the Senior Vice President of Create at Unity, joins the podcast to breakdown Unity’s growth in the metaverse, how Unity plans to unleash the creator economy by democratizing real-time 3d development tools, platform interoperability and the potential of web3 technologies as we build towards a collective vision of the metaverse.

On the second episode of This Week in the Metaverse, Matthew is joined by Brian Peganoff, an advisor to several games companies and previously the Senior Director of Corporate Development & Strategy at Glu Mobile, to break down three news items and how they impacting the development of the metaverse. They look at a16z’s new $600 million Games Fund One and $4.5 billion Crypto Fund Four, the M&A rumors swirling around Electronic Arts and the games industry as a whole and earnings takeaways from Roblox, Unity and Nvidia.

On this new sub-series of Into the Metaverse called This Week In the Metaverse, Matthew and Yon give a brief rundown of some of the biggest news and events in the broader metaverse space. This week, we discuss the turbulence in financial and crypto markets and their impact on the metaverse; Epic Games announcing their competitor to Roblox and how that fits into their strategy to conquer the metaverse; and Roblox’s first quarter 2022 financial results.

Decentralization is a key trend in the metaverse, empowering users and creators and seeking to break down the walled gardens of current Internet platforms. Saro McKenna, the CEO of Dacoco, the creator of the largest NFT metaverse Alien Worlds, joins us to discuss the power of decentralized organizations, making web3 technologies more accessible to more users, building through the crypto market turmoil and building a diverse metaverse for people of all walks of life.

To kick off our slate of fantastic guests for 2024, Matthew was delighted to chat with Steven Gay, the CEO of Mode Maison. Mode Maison is the first and only multi-brand retail platform for luxury home goods and the first and only multi-brand retail platform built entirely with digital twins.

Steven and Matthew had an excellent conversation about the importance of digital twins in the luxury goods market, what differentiates Mode Maison’s technology from peers and why their company decided to focus first on the luxury home goods market for digital twins applications. Steven also discussed the company’s work with the DigitalCore Consortium and why we need organizations like DigitalCore to help spearhead the digitization of industries like luxury retail.

And to wrap it all up, Steven left us with a fun prediction for the metaverse in 2024, which you’ll have to listen through to catch at the end of the conversation.

Follow Steven: LinkedIn 

Follow Mode Maison: Website | Instagram

Chapters:

Introduction (00:00)

Steven’s Background (01:05)

What is the Metaverse (02:25)

Defining DigitalCore (04:55)

Efficiencies that Come From Digitization (07:05)

Using Digital Twins to Solve Retails Biggest Tech Problem (09:25)

Need for Sense Data from the Real World (15:50)

Standards Based Technologies and the DigitalCore Consortium (24:35)

One Big Prediction for 2024 (30:55)

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Learn more about Into the Metaverse by visiting the website.

Learn more about Supersocial by visiting the website.

Follow Matthew: LinkedIn | Twitter

What’s it like starting a gaming company in the metaverse and web3 era? We chat with Joseph Kim, the CEO of LILA Games, about his outlook on the metaverse and web3 in gaming and how these megatrends influence product and team decisions in starting a new mobile game company. We also discuss why now may be the right time to start a gaming company based in India amid a flurry of tech growth and venture investment in the country.

The metaverse and web3 technologies are setting the creator economy into hyperdrive, creating myriad new investment opportunities, particularly in venture-stage companies. In this great episode of Into the Metaverse, Yon and Matthew speak with Jarrod Dicker, a Partner at TCG, about venture investing in the metaverse and web3, empowering creators and building communities.

As the metaverse emerges, it’s becoming increasingly evident that many are seeking to tackle some of the key technical challenges of the new platform with cryptocurrencies, blockchain and associated web3 technologies. Ryan Wyatt, the CEO of Polygon Studios, joins Mathew and Yon to discuss the future of web3 in the metaverse and gaming, how Polygon plans to invest more deeply in partnerships with creators and developers and easing the onramp to crypto games and worlds for a more casual audience.

Welcome to season 2 of Into the Metaverse. Yon and Matthew are back after a short hiatus and taking the temperature of the metaverse and discussing some interesting new developments from the last few weeks. We discuss the intersection of web 3 technologies and the metaverse, the case for interoperability and just where we are in the metaverse development cycle. We also break down Nvidia’s Omniverse announcements from its GTC conference and dive into the metaverse implications of Bored Ape Yacht Club parent Yuga Labs’ big funding round.

Yon and Matthew are back to kick off 2024 discussing the most important and interesting news stories related to the Metaverse in this week’s edition of Yon & Matthew Talk All Things Metaverse.

Topics covered include the recent UGC Gaming Report from Naavik, the latest news around Apple Vision Pro, continued layoffs across the industry, and Yon and Matthew’s favorite debuts from CES.

Chapters:

Introduction (00:00)

Reactions to the UGC Gaming Industry Report (01:55)

Apple Vision Pro Announces Ship Date (10:15)

Layoffs Continue Across Industry (17:45)

Favorite Products from CES (23:20)

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Read the UGC Gaming report from Naavik here.

Learn more about Into the Metaverse by visiting the website.

Follow Yon: LinkedIn | Twitter

Follow Matthew: LinkedIn | Twitter

Learn more about Supersocial by visiting the website.

To close out the year, Yon welcomes back to the show former co-host Matthew Kanterman to recap everything that happened in the metaverse in 2023 and to look ahead at what intrigues and excites them the most about 2024 and beyond! 

Long-time listeners will quickly recognize Matthew as he was here at the inception of the Into the Metaverse podcast back in 2021 as co-host for the first iteration of the show. Matthew is a former Bloomberg analyst who has spent the last few years in high level research roles for metaverse related companies, where he has continued to expand his knowledge and thoughts around the metaverse, AI, and all emerging technologies. Stick around to the end of today’s show to hear some exciting news about Matthew’s future work plans!

During their conversation Yon and Matthew first build a consensus on what the metaverse has come to mean in 2023, then discuss the year that was and the year ahead for both Epic Games and Roblox, before finishing up with topics of AI, the market size of the metaverse, and what they are most excited for in the coming year.

Chapters:

• Introduction (00:25)
• Defining the Metaverse and Its Core Building Blocks (02:15)
• Why Unification and Interoperability Matter (09:45)
• UEFN, LEGO on Fortnite, and How Epic Games Handled 2023 (12:55)
• UEFN Thoughts and Predictions for 2024 (21:50)
• Adding an Advertising Layer to the Roblox Economies (30:55)
• Real World Commerce Integration on Roblox in 2024 and Beyond (39:40)
• How AI Pushed the Metaverse Forward in 2023 (47:52)
• The Market Size Opportunity of a Real Time 3D Internet (53:45)
• What Matthew and Yon are Most Excited for in 2024 (56:57)
• Announcement About Matthew’s New Role (01:07:45)

Follow Matthew: LinkedIn | Twitter

Learn more about Into the Metaverse and Yon by visiting the website.

Follow Yon: LinkedIn | Twitter

Learn more about Supersocial by visiting the website.

This week Yon welcomes Alvaro Velilla into the metaverse to discuss the future of music in the metaverse as well as an exciting new partnership between Supersocial and Universal Music Group in bringing the game, Beat Galaxy, to life!

Alvaro’s career spans over twenty years of experience driving business transformation at the intersection of Entertainment, Technology, and Creative Industries. This includes his founding of Pulselocker, the first music streaming service built to be integrated with music performance applications, as well as a stint at Soundcloud leading their business development team, before reaching his current role as Senior Vice President of New Business at Universal Music Group where he is in charge of devising and implementing UMG’s New Business strategy with a particular focus on new business models, immersive experiences, gaming, and Web3.

We're all incredibly curious to know how UMG, who is one of the largest and most influential companies in the music world, thinks about virtual worlds, gaming, and what the next iteration of the internet means for record labels, artists, and fans

During their conversation Yon and Alvaro dive into those above questions, Alvaro’s journey and lessons he’s learned, what Roblox needs to get right to integrate best with the music industry, the exciting new partnership between their two companies, and much more.

To learn more about the launch of Beat Galaxy, visit here.

To play Beat Galaxy on Roblox, visit here.

Learn more about Universal Music Group by visiting their website.

Follow Alvaro: LinkedIn

Learn more about Into the Metaverse and Yon by visiting the website.

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Learn more about Supersocial by visiting the website.

Yon is once again joined by Lisa Bernard to discuss the most important and interesting news stories related to the Metaverse in this week’s edition of Yon & Lisa Talk All Things Metaverse.

During their conversation they discuss the early success of LEGO on Fortnite, why Yon’s new rallying cry is, “2D is dead, long live the 3D internet,” subcategories of the metaverse that are ripe for expansion, and more!

Chapters:

• LEGO on Fortnite’s Early Success (00:25)
• 2D is Dead, Long Live the 3D Internet (06:00)
• The Metaverse is Not a Toy (08:30)
• Musicians Launching New Experiences on Roblox (10:35)
• Gaming as the Subcategory that Resonates Best (12:10)
• Education as a Fertile Ground for Metaverse Implementation (13:25)

Learn more about Into the Metaverse and Yon by visiting the website.

Follow Yon: LinkedIn | Twitter

Learn more about Supersocial by visiting the website.

Lisa is the creator/host of “Demystify AI”, presenting all the buzz about AI, VR, and the Metaverse. She is a longtime tv reporter whose work has been recognized with 3 Emmy awards.

Follow Lisa: Instagram | LinkedIn

This week Yon welcomes Morgan Tucker into the metaverse to talk about the role of 3D avatars to build online connections and how Rec Room is going about doing this.

Morgan is the Head of Creator at Rec Room, where he works to empower creators to make incredible interactive experiences, develop community, and achieve long-term success. Prior to Rec Room, Morgan led Product for Music, Brands and Education at Roblox, developing groundbreaking projects like Spatial Voice Chat, immersive virtual concerts, the Gucci Garden virtual exhibition, and more. An inventor by trade, musician and creator at heart, Morgan has had a fascinating and impactful career that gives him a well rounded vantage point on the future of the metaverse. 

During their conversation, Yon and Morgan discuss Morgan’s career journey through many notable metaverse platforms, how brands can be authentic with their activations, what metaverse platforms can learn from the dominant social media platforms, growth and key challenges for Rec Room, and much more!

Follow Morgan: LinkedIn 

Follow Rec Room: YouTube | TikTok | Discord | Twitter

Chapters:

• Episode and Guest Introduction (00:00)
• What is the Metaverse (03:00)
• Morgan’s Career Journey (05:10)
• The Moment Morgan Knew Adoption at Scale Was Coming (09:30)
• Authentic Brand Activations in the Metaverse (12:30)
• What Metaverse Platforms Can Learn From Social Media Platforms (18:50)
• What Morgan Saw in Rec Room that Made Him Join (21:50)
• Key Challenge for Rec Room Balancing 3D and 2D Engagement (26:53)
• Building and Nurturing the Creator Community on Rec Room (29:55)
• Role 3D Avatars Play in Reimagining Connection Online (34:40)
• How Brands and Marketers Should Approach These Platforms (40:55)

Morgan’s Most Exciting Thing in Next Twelve Months (44:55)

Learn more about Into the Metaverse and Yon by visiting the website.

Follow Yon: LinkedIn | Twitter

Learn more about Supersocial by visiting the website.

Yon is once again joined by Lisa Bernard to discuss the most important and interesting news stories related to the Metaverse in this week’s edition of Yon & Lisa Talk All Things Metaverse.

During their conversation they discuss where brand advertising is at in it’s adoption of the metaverse, how generative AI is enabling the next frontier of personal creativity, Lego coming to Fortnite, and more.

Chapters:

• Brands Building Persistent Presence on Roblox (00:25)

• Generative AI Enabling the Next Level of Creative Expression (05:25)

• Lego Coming to Fortnite (11:12)

• Web3 Monopolization and the Start-Up Ecosystem (15:33)

Learn more about Into the Metaverse and Yon by visiting the website.

Follow Yon: LinkedIn | Twitter

Learn more about Supersocial by visiting the website.

Lisa is the creator/host of “Demystify AI”, presenting all the buzz about AI, VR, and the Metaverse. She is a longtime tv reporter whose work has been recognized with 3 Emmy awards.

Follow Lisa: Instagram | LinkedIn

Yon is once again joined by Lisa Bernard to discuss the most important and interesting news stories related to the Metaverse in this week’s edition of Yon & Lisa Talk All Things Metaverse.

During their conversation they discuss the chaos at OpenAI, the state of the gaming industry heading into a new year, Epic Games’ current lawsuit, Nvidia’s trillion dollar valuation, and more!

Chapters:

• Introduction (00:25)
• Chaos at OpenAI (01:10)
• Where Gaming Stands Heading Into New Year (05:45)
• Bottom Up Innovation of Marketplaces on Platforms (09:20)
• Epic Games’ Lawsuit Against Android (12:20)
• Nvidia’s Trillion Dollar Valuation (14:00)
• Gucci Pushing Boundaries In Art and Commerce (15:55)

Learn more about Into the Metaverse and Yon by visiting the website.

Follow Yon: LinkedIn | Twitter

Learn more about Supersocial by visiting the website.

Lisa is the creator/host of “Demystify AI”, presenting all the buzz about AI, VR, and the Metaverse. She is a longtime tv reporter whose work has been recognized with 3 Emmy awards.

Follow Lisa: Instagram | LinkedIn

This week Yon welcomes Raffaella Camera into the metaverse to discuss how the power of platforms like UEFN and Roblox can be leveraged by brands to improve and grow their businesses.

Raffaella was most recently the Head of Brands at Epic Games’ Unreal Engine where she was responsible for the overall industry setup and strategic growth of the Epic ecosystem - from tools to Fortnite - for the Lifestyle Brands industry. Prior to Epic, Raffaella spent time as a Partner at Accenture, where she co-created the global Accenture XR practice and served as Global Head of Innovation & Strategy. Between these roles and others she has held in her career, she has built a deep knowledge of how brands can interact with and derive value from metaverse platforms, making her a fantastic guest to dive into today’s topics with. 

During their conversation, Yon and Raffaella discuss the power of Unreal Engine for verticals outside of gaming, the UEFN & LVMH partnership that Raffaella helped secure and what it means for the industry, how Fortnite could transition from a game to a platform, and much more. 

Chapters:

• Episode and Guest Introduction (00:00)
• How Does Raffaella Define the Metaverse (02:48)
• Raffaella’s Journey that Led Her to Epic Games (07:50)
• Why Epic Games and Their Platform was so Attractive (13:05)
• Proving the Unreal Engine’s Power to Other Verticals (17:10)
• LVMH Partnership and What it Means for the Industry (19:25)
• Non-Gaming Solutions Offered by the Metaverse (24:55)
• Fortnite Creative’s Role in the Future of the Game Industry (31:55)
• Dealing with Perception that Fortnite is a Game, Not a Platform (36:45)
• Role of Platforms like Roblox and Fortnite Creative for Brands in Short Term (40:45)
• Most Excited About in Next Twelve Months (47:25)

Follow Raffaella: LinkedIn | Twitter

Learn more about Into the Metaverse and Yon by visiting the website.

Follow Yon: LinkedIn | Twitter

Learn more about Supersocial by visiting the website.

Welcome to Into the Metaverse, in this week’s episode, Yon welcomes Charlie Fink to the podcast. Charlie writes the weekly Forbes column "This Week in XR" and co-hosts its companion podcast. He is the author of the critically acclaimed AR-enabled books Charlie Fink’s Metaverse (2017), and Convergence, How The World Will Be Painted With Data (2019). His career spans impactful stops at Disney, AOL, American Greetings, and more.

During their conversation, Charlie gives Yon the overview of his career and how it led to his interest and writing on the metaverse, before the two dive into how to define the metaverse today, the different generations of tech each generation of humans have had to work with and its implications on them, the future of devices and hardware, and much more.

Yon will be appearing on Charlie’s podcast in the near future, so be on the lookout for that to get more of this riveting conversation!

Chapters

• Charlie’s Career and Discovery of the Metaverse (00:25)
• Defining the Metaverse for the Next Decade (15:03)
• The Generations of Tech and its Users (24:31)
• Future of Devices and Hardware (37:25)
• Most Exciting Thing in Year Ahead (41:45)

Follow Charlie: Website | X | LinkedIn

Read Charlie on Forbes

Listen to This Week in XR: Apple | Spotify 

Follow Yon: LinkedIn | X

Learn more about Into the Metaverse by visiting the website.

Learn more about Supersocial by visiting the website.

This week Yon welcomes Chris Heatherly into the metaverse to chat about all things brands, creators, and IP in the next generation of gaming.

Chris is a veteran executive in the games industry and has been an innovator and leader at the intersection of entertainment and technology for over 20 years. He ran the games business for both Disney and NBCUniversal as a general manager. His experience working with brands and IP such as Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, Jurassic World, and more make him an ideal guest to break down the modern state of brands and IP in gaming and the metaverse.

During their conversation, Yon and Chris discuss the backlash towards Web3 and NFTs in recent years, why switching costs matter so much in the modern economics of gaming, IP management in a digital first world, and much more.

Chapters:

• Introduction (00:25)
• Defining the Metaverse (01:10)
• Connection and Interoperability (04:50)
• Deciphering the Backlash Towards Web3 and NFTs (09:37)
• Switching Costs and the Modern Economics of Gaming (22:09)
• Growth Challenges for Platforms like Roblox and UEFN (31:32)
• Brand and IP Management in a Digital World (40:17)
• Generative AI’s Impact on the Metaverse (51:52)
• What the Next Year Has in Store (58:35)

Check out Chris’ studio’s newest game launch, The Mystery Society, by visiting here.

Follow Chris: Twitter | LinkedIn

Learn more about Into the Metaverse and Yon by visiting the website.

Follow Yon: LinkedIn | Twitter

Learn more about Supersocial by visiting the website.

Yon is once again joined by Lisa Bernard to discuss the most important and interesting news stories related to the Metaverse in this week’s edition of Yon & Lisa Talk All Things Metaverse.

During their conversation they discuss Open AI’s release of GPTs and the eventual marketplace that will house them, the new AI Pin from Humane and if it could potentially replace our smartphones, and the launch of the e.l.f. UP! Experience on Roblox.

Chapters:

• Open AI Unveils GPTs and a Marketplace (00:25)
• Security and Downsides to GPTs (05:15)
• Could Humane’s AI Pin Replace our Smartphones (07:50)
• Launching the e.l.f. UP! Experience on Roblox (13:00)

Check out e.l.f. UP! on Roblox by visiting here.

Learn more about Into the Metaverse and Yon by visiting the website.

Follow Yon: LinkedIn | Twitter

Learn more about Supersocial by visiting the website.

Lisa is the creator/host of “Demystify AI”, presenting all the buzz about AI, VR, and the Metaverse. She is a longtime tv reporter whose work has been recognized with 3 Emmy awards.

Follow Lisa: Instagram | LinkedIn

This week Yon welcomes Dylan Collins into the metaverse. Dylan is the Founder and former CEO of SuperAwesome, and has spent his career building and operating in the digital media space, generally with an eye towards youth audiences. His experience building for youth audiences and watching the market adapt and evolve with them over the years has given him great insight into the topics of today’s episode.

During their conversation, Yon and Dylan discuss the genesis of SuperAwesome, the changes in audience composition the metaverse has seen in the last decade, how the aging up of an audience will impact the industry, what brands should be focused on when entering these next gen platforms, and much more.

Chapters:

Genesis of SuperAwesome and the Changes in Audience Composition (01:15)

State of the Internet for Kids and Youth Today (05:30)

The Audience Exists, It Just Needs to Age Up (10:23)

Has Scalability Actually Gotten Much More Difficult (20:23)

Trends Brands Should Consider When Moving Into Next Gen Platforms (23:07)

Most Excited For in Next 12 Months (37:57)

Read Dylan’s blog here, and subscribe to his LinkedIn newsletter here.

Follow Dylan: LinkedIn | Twitter 

Learn more about Into the Metaverse and Yon by visiting the website.

Follow Yon: LinkedIn | Twitter

Learn more about Supersocial by visiting the website.

Yon is once again joined by Lisa Bernard to discuss the most important and interesting news stories related to the Metaverse in this week’s edition of Yon & Lisa Talk All Things Metaverse.

During their conversation they touch on President Biden’s new Executive Order on AI, news coming from the UK AI Safety Summit, Humane launching their new AI pin, and more.

Chapters:

• President Biden’s Executive Order on AI (00:50)
• UK’s AI Safety Summit (05:05)
• Humane Launching Their AI Pin (09:35)
• Artists vs AI and the Economics of LLMs (15:00)

Learn more about Into the Metaverse and Yon by visiting the website.

Follow Yon: LinkedIn | Twitter

Learn more about Supersocial by visiting the website.

Lisa Bernard is the creator/host of “Demystify AI”, presenting all the buzz about AI, VR, and the Metaverse. She is a longtime tv reporter whose work has been recognized with 3 Emmy awards.

Follow Lisa: Instagram | LinkedIn

Known by many as the man who popularized the term Web 2.0 in the aftermath of the dotcom crash, Tim O’Reilly is back on the podcast this week to discuss the best case business models behind the next iteration of generative AI and the metaverse.

Aside from being notorious for coining the term Web 2.0, Tim is the CEO and Chairman of O’Reilly Media and a partner at early stage venture firm O’Reilly AlphaTech Ventures. His book, WTF: What’s the Future and Why It’s Up to Us, explores what technology advances teach us about the future economy and government as its “platform.” Tim is also a Visiting Professor of Practice at University College London’s Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose, where he is researching a new approach to regulating big technology platforms by limiting their ability to extract economic rents.

During their conversation Yon and Tim discuss the possibility of users aging up with avatar enabled platforms, what the next generation of generative AI will look like, how to apply the knowledge of economic rents to new technology platforms, government regulation for AI, and much more.

Chapters:

• Introduction (00:25)
• Will the Avatar Enabled Internet Age Up with Current Users (04:15)
• Powerful New Interfaces to Knowledge (12:50)
• The Next Iteration of Generative AI and AI Bots (18:45)
• Business Model Choices Hampering Innovation (30:35)
• Approaching Government Regulation for Technologies like AI (42:05)
• Bridging the Gap Between Noise and Real Investment Opportunity (45:30)
• Most Excited For in the Next Twelve Months (50:40)

To find all of Tim’s writings, visit here.

Specifically mentioned during the conversation:

You Can’t Regulate What You Don’t Understand

Stakeholder Capitalism Deserves Clearer Metrics

Listen to Tim’s first appearance on Into the Metaverse here.

To purchase the book Recoding America, by Jennifer Pahlka, visit here.

Follow Tim: Twitter | LinkedIn | Facebook

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With the rollout of Unreal Editor for Fortnite (UEFN) earlier this year, Epic Games made it clear that their long term ambitions for Fortnite are to make the transition from game to platform.

In today’s episode of Into the Metaverse, Yon is joined by game industry analyst David Taylor to discuss how things have gone for UEFN thus far and the overall challenge that comes with making that big jump from game to platform.

During their conversation they dive into the numbers on how UEFN has performed thus far, dissect the tools available in Fortnite’s creative toolset, discuss the ways to build a dedicated developer community, look at Fortnite and Roblox from the perspective of brands looking to enter this industry, and much more.

Chapters:

• Introduction (00:25)

• Background on Fortnite UEFN (02:13)

• Engagement Based Payout Numbers (04:13)

• The Challenge of Turning Fortnite From a Game to a Platform (07:58)

• Roblox’s One Billion User Dream (13:55)

• How Epic Can Build a Dedicated Developer Community (20:05)

• Key Considerations for Brands Picking Platforms to Explore (27:35)

• Where is the Next Big Platform (32:25)

• Most Excited About in Next Twelve Months (34:05)

To read the letter Yon and David published last year, Fortnite Creative, Meet Unreal Engine 5, visit here.

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This week Yon welcomes back Unanimous AI CEO & Chief Scientist, Louis Rosenberg, for part 2 of their conversation on AI and its influence on the metaverse.

Having earned his PhD from Stanford, Louis has been a pioneer in the fields of augmented reality, virtual reality, and artificial intelligence, with over 300 patents in these fields to his name. Louis’ background as both a scientist and business leader make him the perfect guest to talk to about the possibilities of AI and how it will integrate with and influence what ultimately becomes of the metaverse.

During their conversation Yon and Louis discuss identity in the metaverse and AI’s impact on how it will be formed, the ability to extend yourself via AI avatars, workplace productivity in this new era, and much more.

Chapters:

• AI’s Impact on Identity in the Metaverse (00:42)

• Extending Your Human Capabilities via AI Avatars (04:05)

• AI and Digital Twins’ Impact on Workplace Productivity (12:40)

• Swarm Intelligence and Group Decision Making Dynamics (19:35)

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Learn more about Unanimous AI by visiting their website.

Follow Unanimous AI: Discord | LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube

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Yon is back to discuss the latest news items surrounding the metaverse. He is joined this week by 3-time Emmy award winning reporter and Web3 journalist, Lisa Bernard. 

In this week’s edition of Yon & Lisa Talk All Things Metaverse, the two cover Nvidia’s recent ChatGPT experiments, how Disney can bring their IP into the metaverse, Apple’s place in the AI race, and much more.

Chapters:

• Introducing Lisa (00:25)

• Autonomous AI and Nvidia’s ChatGPT Experiments  (00:50)

• How Disney Will Bring Its IP Into the Metaverse (03:17)

• Apple Caught Flat Footed in the AI Race (08:25)

• Apple Under Promising and Over Delivering with the Vision Pro (11:40)

Learn more about Into the Metaverse and Yon by visiting the website.

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Lisa is the creator/host of “Demystify AI”, presenting all the buzz about AI, VR, and the Metaverse. She is a longtime tv reporter whose work has been recognized with 3 Emmy awards.

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This week Yon welcomes Unanimous AI CEO & Chief Scientist, Louis Rosenberg, into the metaverse. Having earned his PhD from Stanford, Louis has been a pioneer in the fields of augmented reality, virtual reality, and artificial intelligence, with over 300 patents in these fields to his name. Louis’ background as both a scientist and business leader make him the perfect guest to talk to about the possibilities of AI and how it will integrate with and influence what ultimately becomes of the metaverse.

During their conversation Yon and Louis discuss the path to meaningful use for the metaverse, how generative AI is being used now and how it will be used in the near future, the power, potential, and possible negative influence offered by conversational computing, and much more.

Chapters:

• What is the Metaverse (01:25)

• Finding the Most Meaningful Use for the Metaverse (02:50)

• How Generative AI Accelerates the Metaverse (12:17)

• Conversational Computing and the Influence It Could Hold (16:55)

• Personal Identity in a World of AI Avatars (25:10)

Follow Louis: LinkedIn | Twitter 

Learn more about Unanimous AI by visiting their website.

Follow Unanimous AI: Discord | LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube

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Yon is once again joined by Priya David Clemens to discuss the most important and interesting news stories related to the Metaverse in this week’s edition of Yon & Priya Talk All Things Metaverse.

During their conversation they touch on Microsoft completing its acquisition of Activision Blizzard, answer the question if Silicon Valley can create fun, discuss Roblox launching on Playstation, and much more.

Chapters:

• Microsoft Completes Activision Acquisition (01:12)

• Microsoft’s Strategies Pertaining to the Metaverse (03:14)

• Can Silicon Valley Create Fun (05:08)

• Another Metaverse Winter Come and Gone (08:30)

• Roblox Launches on Playstation (10:36)

• Yuga Labs Building a Metaverse for Adults (13:00)

Learn more about Into the Metaverse and Yon by visiting the website.

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Priya is the host of the Emmy-award winning news discussion program, KQED Newsroom, and a longtime network news anchor and reporter who has most recently begun to focus her journalistic eye on emerging technology.

Learn more about Priya David Clemens by visiting her website.

Follow Priya: LinkedIn | TikTok | | Twitter

Welcome to Into the Metaverse. In today’s episode, Yon welcomes Matthew Ball to the podcast. Ball is eponymous for his writings on the evolution of the media landscape and the metaverse and his book, The Metaverse: Building the Spatial Internet. A second edition of the book will be released later this year.

Yon and Matthew had an excellent, wide-ranging conversation about the metaverse's past, present, and future. They discuss where we are in realizing 100% of the metaverse vision, the major ways AI will impact the metaverse’s evolution, how and why the youngest generations have always driven adoption, and much more.

With a lot of ground still to cover, Yon and Matthew will be doing a follow up part two to this conversation in the near future, so be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss when that releases!

Preorder the updated and revised version of Matthew’s award-winning best-seller, The Metaverse: Building the Spatial Internet, on Amazon, or visit here for more info and purchase options.

Follow Matthew: Website | LinkedIn | Twitter

Chapters:

00:00 Intro

00:24 Welcoming Matthew

02:04 The Four Bounces of the Metaverse Theme

07:19 Where Are We in Realizing 100% of the Metaverse

13:07 The Youngest Generation Has Always Driven Adoption

17:35 Roblox and the Current Size of MAU in Metaverse Applications

22:25 Four Major Ways AI Impacts the Evolution of the Metaverse

32:05 Enabling Interoperability Across the Metaverse

39:24 Shifting Anchors within Entertainment Industry

43:37 Wrap Up

-- -- -- -- --

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Yon is once again joined by Priya David Clemens to discuss the most important and interesting news stories related to the Metaverse in this week’s edition of Yon & Priya Talk All Things Metaverse.

Yon opens by sharing his thoughts on the terrorist attacks against Israel before he and Priya dive into their conversation covering safety for children in the metaverse, managing access to experiences, and reactions to recent announcements from Microsoft, Meta, and Apple.

Chapters:

• Thoughts on the Terrorist Attacks in Israel (00:25)

• Safety for Children in the Metaverse (03:40)

• Managing Access to Experiences for Children (07:05)

• Reactions to Microsoft’s Mesh Announcement (10:05)

• Meta Connect Reactions (12:20)

Learn more about Into the Metaverse and Yon by visiting the website.

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Priya is the host of the Emmy-award winning news discussion program, KQED Newsroom, and a longtime network news anchor and reporter who has most recently begun to focus her journalistic eye on emerging technology.

Learn more about Priya David Clemens by visiting her website.

Follow Priya: LinkedIn | TikTok | | Twitter

It’s been a busy week in the world of the metaverse, capped off by a fascinating display of the next generation of 3D avatars as Mark Zuckerberg and Lex Fridman recorded a podcast fully in their Codec Avatar form via a Meta Quest headset. 

To break this and all the latest news down, Yon is once again joined by Priya David Clemens in this edition of Yon & Priya Talk All Things Metaverse.

During their conversation, Yon & Priya cover what we saw and learned from Zuck’s podcast appearance, the recent layoffs at Epic Games, where Roblox is headed coming out of their developer conference, and much more.

Chapters:

• Zuckerberg Brings Podcasting into the Metaverse (00:35)

• Human Expression Brought to Life (04:40)

• Layoffs at Epic Games (07:35)

• Roblox Thoughts Coming Out of RDC23 (10:48)

• Expectations and Excitement for Meta Quest 3 Release (13:50)

Learn more about Into the Metaverse and Yon by visiting the website.

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Priya is the host of the Emmy-award winning news discussion program, KQED Newsroom, and a longtime network news anchor and reporter who has most recently begun to focus her journalistic eye on emerging technology.

Learn more about Priya David Clemens by visiting her website.

Follow Priya: LinkedIn | TikTok | | Twitter

This week Yon welcomes Dan Sturman into the metaverse. Dan is a world class technologist, having spent time leading software and engineering teams and departments at IBM, Google, and Cloudera, before taking on his current role as CTO of Roblox nearly four years ago. 

Coming off of all of the news and announcements made at last weekend’s Roblox Developers Conference 2023 (RDC23) it’s an incredible time to get to chat with Dan about all things Roblox and metaverse.

During their conversation Yon and Dan discuss the importance of Roblox remaining a turnkey platform, how to enable efficiency in the creator marketplace, the new Roblox Connect feature and what that experience will be like, evolving a platform to match a maturing audience, getting to one billion daily active users, and much more.

Chapters:

• Defining the Metaverse (01:15)

• What Attracted Dan to the Challenge of Building Roblox (04:32)

• Differentiating Roblox as a Turnkey Platform (08:15)

• Creation and the Building of Business On Top of Roblox (13:12)

• Enabling Efficiency in the Creator Marketplace (19:10)

• The Importance of Communication and Roblox Connect (22:28)

• Expansion onto MetaQuest and Playstation (30:10)

• Evolving the Games and Experiences for a Maturing Audience (33:28)

• What Needs to be True for Roblox to Get to a Billion DAU (37:35)

• Supporting Different Needs for Different Creator Types to Monetize (42:08)

• Blockchain and the Future of Interoperability (45:54)

• What is Dan Most Excited About for Next Twelve Months (48:22)

To learn more about the Roblox platform, visit their website.

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This week Yon welcomes Sam Peurifoy into the metaverse. Sam brings a wealth of knowledge and an investment lens to the podcast, as he is a partner and the head of interactive at Hivemind Capital, a Web3 and blockchain technology focused investment firm.

During their conversation Yon and Sam discuss if the fictionalized nightmare of corporate overlords running the metaverse is realistic, talk about what actually took place during the first wave of Web3, break down how open source software can work inside of a corporate model, and much more.

Chapters:

• Defining the Metaverse (01:00)

• Avoiding the Corporate Overlord Scenarios of Fiction (03:10)

• Relationship Between Simplified Use and Platform Control (07:55)

• What Really Happened in the First Wave of Web3 (10:50)

• How Open Source Software Inside of a Corporate Model Can Work (16:25)

• How Does Hivemind Approach the Web3 Investment Landscape (19:15)

• Sector Sam is Most Excited About in the Next Year (23:00)

Learn more about Hivemind by visiting their website.

Get in touch with Sam via his website.

Follow Sam: LinkedIn | Twitter | Medium

Watch Sam’s podcast, Web3 Wednesdays, on YouTube.

You can also check out Yon’s interview on Web3 Wednesday’s with Sam by visiting here.

Learn more about Into the Metaverse and Yon by visiting the website.

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This week Yon welcomes Tian Lim into the metaverse. Tian currently serves as the VP of Product at Roblox, with a specific focus on creators. Prior to Roblox, Tian’s career path featured high level roles at companies like Google, Hulu, Sony, Microsoft, and more, giving him a deep knowledge of where the world of gaming and virtual communities has been, where it stands today, and where it may be headed in the future.

During their conversation Yon and Tian discuss the democratization of creation tools, why creators will drive the future of Roblox, how to remain an egalitarian platform at scale, opportunities for brands within the Roblox ecosystem, and much more.

Chapters:

• Defining the Metaverse (01:10)

• The Potential in Roblox that Attracted Tian to Work There (02:50)

• Democratizing the Tools of Creation (07:30)

• Evolution of Creator Enablement (11:55)

• Power of Creation and the Ability to Earn on Roblox (15:20)

• Remaining an Egalitarian Platform at Scale (20:50)

• Visibility and Transparency Into Roblox’s Tech Roadmap (23:26)

• Opportunities for Brands and Their Place in the Roblox Ecosystem (25:47)

• Role of AI, Interoperability, and Blockchain (31:25)

• Ecosystem vs Platform and Building for the Future (37:53)

To learn more about the Roblox platform, visit their website.

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This week Yon welcomes John Linden into the metaverse. Currently the CEO of Mythical Games, John has formerly been President at Seismic Games overseeing such games as Marvel’s Strike Force, and Studio Head at Activision overseeing multiple iterations of the Call of Duty franchise. With this extensive background in the gaming world, John is one of the best people to speak with about what has and has not worked in this industry and where things may be headed.

During their conversation Yon and John discuss the role of blockchain in enabling a true user owned internet, how to bring interoperability into gaming and the metaverse, empowering players to create their own content, the financial aspects of the industry past and present, the futures of Mythical Games’ different gaming properties, and much more.

Chapters:

• How Does John Define the Metaverse (01:15)

• Role of Blockchain Enabling a True User Owned Internet (04:25)

• How Interoperability Can Work (06:45)

• Building the Next Generation of Gaming (12:50)

• Empowering the Player to Create Content (19:25)

• Monetization and Building a Digital Supply Chain (22:45)

• Mythos Foundation and Building a Marketplace Currency (29:50)

• The Financialization of Web3 (35:40)

• What’s Next for Blankos, NFL Rivals, and Nitro Nation (42:45)

• Potential Order of Magnitude Progress in the Next Year (47:54)

To view all Mythical Games has to offer, visit their website.

Learn more about the Mythos Foundation and token by visiting their website.

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In this episode Yon welcomes Aiden Slavin into the metaverse. Aiden leads the Metaverse Governance team at the World Economic Forum, where he and all of the metaverse related teams at WEF have been hard at work researching and writing a five part series of reports on building a responsible metaverse that have just begun to be released.   

During their conversation Yon and Aiden delve into data privacy in the metaverse, the need for metaverse literacy, how different generations will adopt and interact with the metaverse, the role AI will play in the expansion of the metaverse, and much more.

Chapters:

• What is the Metaverse to Aiden (01:10)
• Data Privacy in the Metaverse (03:05)
• Privacy and Safety by Design (07:25)
• The Need for Metaverse Literacy (08:50)
• Adoption and Use by Different Generations of Users (13:08)
• Role AI Will Play in Expansion and Popularization of the Metaverse (16:50)
• Relationship Between Thought Leaders, Regulators, Business Leaders (21:30)
• Translating “Don’t Be Evil” Into Software Development Principle (23:25)
• One Thing Aiden is Most Excited for in Next 12 Months (25:40)

To learn more about the World Economic Forum’s Defining and Building the Metaverse Initiative, visit here.

To read the Social Implications of the Metaverse report from the Value Creation track, visit here.

To read the Metaverse Privacy and Safety report from the Governance track, visit here.

Follow Aiden: LinkedIn 

Learn more about Into the Metaverse and Yon by visiting the website.

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In this episode Yon welcomes Connie Kuang into the metaverse. Connie leads the Metaverse & Generative AI Value Creation team at the World Economic Forum, where she and her team have been hard at work researching and writing a five part series of reports on building a responsible metaverse that have just begun to be released.   

During their conversation Yon and Connie discuss what value creation in the metaverse looks like, key challenges in bridging technological gaps, why access to new technologies is paramount, aspects of the World Economic Forum’s upcoming metaverse reports, and much more.

Chapters:

• Introducing Connie (00:20)
• What is the Metaverse (01:15)
• Value Creation in the Metaverse (04:00)
• Key Challenges in Bridging the Technological Gap (06:30)
• Moderating Involvement in the Evolution of the Metaverse (11:40)
• Need for Access and Its Relation to Adoption (17:15)
• Five Dimensions Outlined in Upcoming WEF Metaverse Report (21:20)
• One Key Insight from the Report that has Connie Excited (24:40)
• Being an Extension of the Human Experience Not a Replacement (28:15)

To learn more about the World Economic Forum’s Defining and Building the Metaverse Initiative, visit here.

To read the Social Implications of the Metaverse report from the Value Creation track, visit here.

To read the Metaverse Privacy and Safety report from the Governance track, visit here.

Follow Connie: LinkedIn 

Learn more about Into the Metaverse and Yon by visiting the website.

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Learn more about Supersocial by visiting the website.

The last few weeks have been incredibly exciting as Yon and the Supersocial team saw the launch of Piñata Smashlings, their collaboration effort with toy company Toikido to build a new brand that combines a gaming experience and community with the physical world of toys, trading cards, and more. 

With this launch happening, it felt like the perfect time for Yon to welcome Darran Garnham, Founder and CEO of Toikido, into the metaverse.

During their conversation Yon and Darran first discuss the overall power of the metaverse in helping you find your people, how industries that serve kids need to adapt to new technologies, and the fundamentals that make Roblox so unique and relevant, before diving into what Piñata Smashlings and the Piñataverse are, how it came about, the depth of story they hope to provide, and much more about this exciting new world. 

Chapters:

• The Power of the Metaverse to Help You Find Your People (01:10)
• Bringing Toys and Characters to the Intersection of Digital and Physical (04:40)
• How Industries that Serve Kids Need to Adapt (08:00)
• Fundamentals that Make Roblox so Relevant and Unique (12:55)
• The Piñata Smashlings Universe and the Depth of Story It Provides (21:30)
• The Launch of Piñata Smashlings and Attempting to Build Generational Relevance (29:15)

Learn more about Piñata Smashlings by visiting here.

Learn more about Toikido by visiting their website.

Follow Toikido: LinkedIn | Instagram 

Follow Darran: LinkedIn

Learn more about Into the Metaverse and Yon by visiting the website.

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This week Yon welcomes Itamar Benedy into the metaverse. Itamar is the co-founder and CEO of Anzu, the world’s most advanced intrinsic in-game ad solution for mobile, PC, console, and the metaverse. 

Anzu’s goal is to put players first and help advertisers reach audiences in a non-disruptive and highly engaging way. As Itamar states, “the metaverse is the digital twin of the physical world,” and he and his company are on the forefront of bringing an ad and marketing experience to the metaverse that matches its physical world counterparts.

During their conversation, Yon and Itamar discuss how to build a positive ad experience within the metaverse, the opportunities the new scale of gaming brings, how advertising can operate and scale differently in an open platform vs a closed platform, and much more.

Chapters:

• Defining the Metaverse and How New Technologies Will Shape It (01:32)

• Building a Positive Ad Experience Within the Metaverse (04:05)

• New Scale Post-Pandemic Brings New Opportunities in Gaming (10:15)

• What Marketers and Brands Think About the Metaverse and Gaming (14:45)

• The Line Between an Ad and a Branded Video Game (19:15)

• How Advertising Can Scale in Open vs Closed Platform Virtual Environments (23:00)

• Why the Next Twelve Months May Be the Tipping Point (28:20)

Learn more about Anzu by visiting their website.

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Follow Itamar: LinkedIn | Twitter 

Learn more about Into the Metaverse and Yon by visiting the website.

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Welcome back to Into the Metaverse. In this week’s episode, Yon and Matthew dive into four topics from the last week or so that we see as influential to the development of the metaverse. This weeks topics are: 

• Nvidia’s earnings report and how the company is helping fuel the future infrastructure of the metaverse. (More on this in our recent blog post)

• The recent leadership changes at Unity.

• Some thoughts from Yon on Roblox’s earnings.

• Brand activations on the Roblox platform.

If there’s any topics you’d like us to cover in future episodes, please get in touch with us. And if you haven’t already, please complete our short survey to help us understand how we can best fine-tune our content.

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction

01:29 Nvidia Earnings 

08:15 Unity Leadership Changes

12:33 Roblox Earnings

19:16 Brand Activations on Roblox

25:16 Wrap Up

Learn more about Into the Metaverse by visiting the website.

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Yon is once again joined by Priya David Clemens to discuss the most important and interesting news stories related to the Metaverse in this week’s edition of Yon & Priya Talk All Things Metaverse.

In this episode, Yon & Priya react to the latest hyperbolic article claiming the metaverse is dead, discuss the opportunity Roblox affords its young developers, reflect on the Niantic layoffs, and much more.

Chapters:

• Reacting to The Nation article, Lessons from the Catastrophic Failure of the Metaverse (01:20)

• The First Generation Leaving a 3D Record of Themselves (05:35)

• Opportunity Roblox Affords to Young Developers (08:00)

• Niantic Layoffs and Why They Can’t Repeat the Pokemon Go Success (11:25)

• Apple Scales Back Units and Ship Date for Vision Pro (14:45)

Learn more about Into the Metaverse and Yon by visiting the website.

Follow Yon: LinkedIn | Twitter

Learn more about Supersocial by visiting the website.

Priya is the host of the Emmy-award winning news discussion program, KQED Newsroom, and a longtime network news anchor and reporter who has most recently begun to focus her journalistic eye on emerging technology.

Learn more about Priya David Clemens by visiting her website.

Follow Priya: LinkedIn | TikTok | | Twitter