{"product_id":"making-a-metaverse-that-matters-isbn-9781394155811","title":"Making a Metaverse That Matters","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAn up-close account from the world’s first metaverse-embedded reporter\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn \u003ci\u003eMaking a Metaverse That Matters: From Snow Crash \u0026amp; Second Life to A Virtual World Worth Fighting For\u003c\/i\u003e, the celebrated author of \u003ci\u003eThe Making of Second Life\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eGame Design Secrets\u003c\/i\u003e, Wagner James Au, delivers an engrossing exploration of how nascent metaverse platforms have already captured the imagination of millions. Featuring powerful stories and dozens of incisive interviews with insiders including Metaverse creator Neal Stephenson himself, the author uses his unique, grassroots-level perspective as the first reporter embedded in a metaverse platform. Readers will learn about:\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cul\u003e \u003cli\u003eHow to understand and define the Metaverse and cut through the many myths and misconceptions around it.\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003eA behind-the-scenes account of launching Second Life, the first metaverse platform to achieve mainstream awareness, and what its many controversies teach us.\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003eWhere current platforms Meta, Roblox, Fortnite, VRChat, and Lamina1, Neal Stephenson’s own metaverse startup, fit in the ecosystem.\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003eHow to address the many dangers inherent in the Metaverse before it becomes central to the Internet.\u003c\/li\u003e \u003c\/ul\u003e \u003cp\u003ePerfect for XR industry members and indie creatives, \u003ci\u003eMaking a Metaverse That Matters\u003c\/i\u003e is also for tech professionals, virtual world communities, and anyone interested in the future of culture and commerce.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003ePreface xiii\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIntroduction: Five Stories about Five Core Metaverse Concepts xix\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ePart I Conception 1\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eChapter 1 Crash Course—A Simple History of a Complex Idea 3 Creating the Metaverse Immediately after Snow Crash 7 Reclaiming the Metaverse’s Definition Taken from Its Source 11\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eChapter 2 Second Life and the Mystery of the First Metaverse Platform 23\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eChapter 3 How Facebook Became Meta (But Lost the Metaverse on the Way) 77\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ePart II Realization 101\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eChapter 4 Kid Stuff: Minecraft, and the Rise of Roblox 103\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eChapter 5 Battle Royale for the Fortnite Metaverse 127\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eChapter 6 Neal Stephenson Enters the Metaverse— Lamina1, Blockchain, and the Utopia of Ownership 141\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eChapter 7 VRChat and Finding Furry Anime Utopia 161\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ePart III Promises and Perils 185\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eChapter 8 VR, Interoperability, Web3, and Other Metaverse Myths 187\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eChapter 9 Sex, Abuse, and the Eternal Content Moderation Challenge 205\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eChapter 10 Metaverse Real-World Use Cases—Separating Substance from Hype 225\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eChapter 11 Overcoming the Metaverse Age Cliff and the Immersion Funnel 249\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ePart IV A Metaverse Worth Fighting For 263\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eChapter 12 Future Paths 265\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eChapter 13 Future Pitfalls—Manipulation, Takedowns, and the Experience Machine 279\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eChapter 14 Metaverse Lessons for the Next 30 Years 295\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eGlossary 319\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAppendix A: Rules for Avatar Radicals and Reformers 323\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAppendix B: Advice for Metaverse Reporters 329\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAcknowledgments 331\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAbout the Author 333\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIndex 335 \u003c\/p\u003e  \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eWAGNER JAMES AU\u003c\/b\u003e is the author of \u003ci\u003eThe Making of Second Life\u003c\/i\u003e (HarperCollins, 2008), based on his experiences as the first journalist officially embedded in a metaverse platform, and \u003ci\u003eGame Design Secrets\u003c\/i\u003e (Wiley, 2012). His writing about virtual worlds has been featured in the \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e, the \u003ci\u003eWall Street Journal\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eWired\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003ePolygon\u003c\/i\u003e, among many other publications. His blog New World Notes (nwn.blogs.com) is the longest-running news site devoted to the Metaverse.   \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn \u003ci\u003eMaking a Metaverse That Matters: From\u003c\/i\u003e Snow Crash \u0026amp; Second Life \u003ci\u003eto a Virtual World Worth Fighting For\u003c\/i\u003e, author Wagner James Au, delivers a fascinating discussion of how growing Metaverse platforms have captured the imaginations of millions of people around the world. The book features powerful stories and dozens of insightful interviews with tech insiders—including the man who coined the phrase “Metaverse,” Neal Stephenson—and explores the author’s unique, grassroots-level perspective as the first reporter embedded directly in a Metaverse platform. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eYou’ll learn how to understand and define the Metaverse, cutting through the myths, hype, and  misconceptions to uncover the truth about this group of powerful new technologies. You’ll also discover a behind-the-scenes account of the launching of \u003ci\u003eSecond Life\u003c\/i\u003e, the world’s first Metaverse platform to achieve mainstream success, and what its controversies, successes, and failures can teach us as we move forward with new experiments. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eMaking a Metaverse That Matters\u003c\/i\u003e examines the current state of contemporary Metaverse platforms, including Meta\u003csup\u003e™\u003c\/sup\u003e, Roblox\u003csup\u003e®\u003c\/sup\u003e, Fortnite\u003csup\u003e®\u003c\/sup\u003e, VRChat\u003csup\u003e®\u003c\/sup\u003e, and Lamina1\u003csup\u003e™\u003c\/sup\u003e, and  where they each fit into the overall technological ecosystem. It  anticipates and addresses the dangers inherent in this fusion of software, hardware, culture, and technology, proposing solutions that can be implemented before the tech becomes a central part of the Internet. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAn essential book for XR industry members and indie creatives, \u003ci\u003eMaking a Metaverse That Matters\u003c\/i\u003e will also fascinate tech professionals, virtual world community members, and anyone interested in the future of culture and commerce.     \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ePraise for MAKING A METAVERSE THAT MATTERS\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“After two decades of writing about virtual worlds, James knows how to scythe through hype and misconceptions about the Metaverse, why it truly matters. I only wish Mark Zuckerberg could have read it before changing the name of his company.”\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003e—Om Malik,\u003c\/b\u003e veteran Silicon Valley writer \u0026amp; partner emeritus, True Ventures \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“At the center of this book is an overlooked truth: We’re already living in the Metaverse. It also happens that Au is the perfect guide to help us  understand the promise, peril, and genuine humanity of virtual worlds.  Au’s lived experience, historical expertise, and deep reporting dispels myths, cuts through the hype and brings a hopeful digital future to life. If every tech executive read this book, I’d be much more optimistic about our online future.”\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003e—Charlie Warzel,\u003c\/b\u003e staff writer, \u003ci\u003eThe Atlantic\u003c\/i\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“A deeply-reported approach to an often-misunderstood subject, James tells the story of the Metaverse’s evolution from the perspective of someone involved in its development since 2003 — while also connecting it to the broader creator economy that’s currently transforming all media. Woven with fascinating and surprisingly moving stories of the people who make metaverse platforms thrive, from a Jamaican woman in her 20s to a blues guitarist in his 80s, \u003ci\u003eMaking a Metaverse That Matters\u003c\/i\u003e makes the case that it’s the community, not the technology, that ultimately matters most.”\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003e—Taylor Lorenz,\u003c\/b\u003e author of \u003ci\u003eExtremely Online\u003c\/i\u003e  \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“\u003ci\u003eMaking a Metaverse That Matters\u003c\/i\u003e is an authoritative and thoughtful look at the Metaverse from an expert who’s been a daily reporter from the Metaverse for years. Going far past the hype, this book probes decades of history, documents both the corporate and cultural machinations that have shaped our view of the Metaverse, and gives us a credible view of where it’s all headed when the hype fades into substance.”\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cb\u003e—Anil Dash,\u003c\/b\u003e CEO of Glitch, EFF board member, advisor to the Obama White House’s Office of Digital Strategy\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Wiley","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47989554774245,"sku":"NP9781394155811","price":32.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9781394155811.jpg?v=1761784577","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/es\/products\/making-a-metaverse-that-matters-isbn-9781394155811","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}