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Parallel Metaverses: How the US, China and the Rest of the World Are Shaping Different Virtual Worlds
Parallel Metaverses: How the US, China and the Rest of the World Are Shaping Different Virtual Worlds examines how the two technology superpowers and other regions globally are building their respective metaverses that will be largely independent and distinctive of each other.
The materialization of the metaverse will take place amid persistent US-China geopolitical and technological rivalry. It means there will be greater divergence in the two countries’ metaverse ecosystems from major players, infrastructure, content, applications, product format and investment opportunities.
But there will be some familiar trends despite the divergence. American companies are again the front-runners exploring the cutting edge of metaverse’s possibilities, with Chinese companies attentively looking westward for affirmative evidence that can be readily adopted for their massive home market.
It looks certain that in the metaverse revolution, the US and China will again play to their respective strength of excelling at the 0-to-1 and 1-to100 process. Nevertheless, the geopolitical tensions will complicate the evolution of “the next chapter of the Internet”, presenting companies with even more complicated business decisions that go far beyond just commercial interests.
The book examines the entire metavese ecosystem to highlight the differences and shared characteristics of the two countries’ development. From major companies and their metaverse strategy, metaverse infrastructure (chips, data centers, cloud services), man-machine interface (XR, AI), applications, and product matrix, a comparative analysis of the two tech superpowers’ next computing transformation will give readers unparalleled understanding of humanity’s technology future.
Other countries including South Korea, Japan, Southeast Asia, and Europe will also be covered to provide readers a comprehensive understanding of how the metaverse will be shaped around the world.
The materialization of the metaverse will take place amid persistent US-China geopolitical and technological rivalry. It means there will be greater divergence in the two countries’ metaverse ecosystems from major players, infrastructure, content, applications, product format and investment opportunities.
But there will be some familiar trends despite the divergence. American companies are again the front-runners exploring the cutting edge of metaverse’s possibilities, with Chinese companies attentively looking westward for affirmative evidence that can be readily adopted for their massive home market.
It looks certain that in the metaverse revolution, the US and China will again play to their respective strength of excelling at the 0-to-1 and 1-to100 process. Nevertheless, the geopolitical tensions will complicate the evolution of “the next chapter of the Internet”, presenting companies with even more complicated business decisions that go far beyond just commercial interests.
The book examines the entire metavese ecosystem to highlight the differences and shared characteristics of the two countries’ development. From major companies and their metaverse strategy, metaverse infrastructure (chips, data centers, cloud services), man-machine interface (XR, AI), applications, and product matrix, a comparative analysis of the two tech superpowers’ next computing transformation will give readers unparalleled understanding of humanity’s technology future.
Other countries including South Korea, Japan, Southeast Asia, and Europe will also be covered to provide readers a comprehensive understanding of how the metaverse will be shaped around the world.
137 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 30, 2022
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About the author
Nina Xiang
3 books2 followersNina Xiang is a renowned author and award-winning journalist, and an expert on the Chinese venture capital and technology sector with nearly twenty years of financial and business media experience. She has held editorial positions at Bloomberg BusinessWeek, Forbes, Euromoney Institutional Investor, China Radio International, and China Business Network in Beijing, New York, Shanghai, and Hong Kong.
In 2011, she founded China Money Network, a platform tracking China's smart investments and technology innovation.
Nina Xiang is part of the team winning an Excellence in Human Rights Reporting honor in SOPA Awards in 2007. She was awarded a Foreign Press Association Annual Scholarship in 2007.
She is an agenda contributor for the World Economic Forum and was named Female Entrepreneur of the Year at the ChinaBang Awards 2019. She appears frequently in a range of international media, including the BBC, CNN, Financial Times, Nikkei, and CGTN.
Her previous books "Red AI: Victories and Warnings From China's Rise In Artificial Intelligence" and "US-China Tech War: What Chinese Tech History Reveals About Future Tech Rivalry" were both the number one new releases in their respective categories.
In 2011, she founded China Money Network, a platform tracking China's smart investments and technology innovation.
Nina Xiang is part of the team winning an Excellence in Human Rights Reporting honor in SOPA Awards in 2007. She was awarded a Foreign Press Association Annual Scholarship in 2007.
She is an agenda contributor for the World Economic Forum and was named Female Entrepreneur of the Year at the ChinaBang Awards 2019. She appears frequently in a range of international media, including the BBC, CNN, Financial Times, Nikkei, and CGTN.
Her previous books "Red AI: Victories and Warnings From China's Rise In Artificial Intelligence" and "US-China Tech War: What Chinese Tech History Reveals About Future Tech Rivalry" were both the number one new releases in their respective categories.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
May 8, 2022
The thought-provoking statistical dissection of the future virtual world.
In 'Parallel Metaverses: How the U.S., China and the Rest of the Word Are Shaping Different Virtual Worlds,' Nina Xiang analyzes the emerging era of the 3D Internet and isolates limitations that haunt the metaverse and its users.
What is a metaverse? This question arises after reading the title. Nina Xiang combines all existing incomplete definitions to present to the reader what she thinks is the most accurate description of the term. The metaverse is the third step in the evolution of IT technologies after the era of the Internet and the era of mobile Internet (where we live now). Ideally, it is characterized by persistency, interoperability, and synchronicity and represents a fully functioning, independent economy. In reality, the perfect virtual world of Hollywood movies is decades away from today - and Nina Xiang proves it with statistical data.
The material, divided into five chapters, introduces the metaverse to the reader in a controversial manner. On the one hand, the simple, understandable language and the mere scratching of the topic's surface point to the popular science nature of the book. On the other hand, the narrative is not an easy read. The colossal amount of numerical data and occasional repetitions of the whole sentences (from one chapter to another) prevent the reader from enjoying the book.
The last chapter about the metaverse's challenges to users has the most significant potential for a philosophical debate. The legal and ethical regulations can't keep up with the speed of the metaverse's expansion, and the virtual world still remains an unguarded, potentially dangerous space.
Summarizing the abovementioned thoughts, I recommend 'Parallel Metaverses' as a reference guide rather than a book to be read in one sitting. The topic needs further development, and Nina Xiang's meticulous research represents the first step in the unknown territory.
I received an advance review copy through BookSirens, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
In 'Parallel Metaverses: How the U.S., China and the Rest of the Word Are Shaping Different Virtual Worlds,' Nina Xiang analyzes the emerging era of the 3D Internet and isolates limitations that haunt the metaverse and its users.
What is a metaverse? This question arises after reading the title. Nina Xiang combines all existing incomplete definitions to present to the reader what she thinks is the most accurate description of the term. The metaverse is the third step in the evolution of IT technologies after the era of the Internet and the era of mobile Internet (where we live now). Ideally, it is characterized by persistency, interoperability, and synchronicity and represents a fully functioning, independent economy. In reality, the perfect virtual world of Hollywood movies is decades away from today - and Nina Xiang proves it with statistical data.
The material, divided into five chapters, introduces the metaverse to the reader in a controversial manner. On the one hand, the simple, understandable language and the mere scratching of the topic's surface point to the popular science nature of the book. On the other hand, the narrative is not an easy read. The colossal amount of numerical data and occasional repetitions of the whole sentences (from one chapter to another) prevent the reader from enjoying the book.
The last chapter about the metaverse's challenges to users has the most significant potential for a philosophical debate. The legal and ethical regulations can't keep up with the speed of the metaverse's expansion, and the virtual world still remains an unguarded, potentially dangerous space.
Summarizing the abovementioned thoughts, I recommend 'Parallel Metaverses' as a reference guide rather than a book to be read in one sitting. The topic needs further development, and Nina Xiang's meticulous research represents the first step in the unknown territory.
I received an advance review copy through BookSirens, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
July 22, 2022
Parallel Metaverses
is the third self-published book from Nina Xiang. Xiang has nearly twenty years of international financial and business media experience, having reported on finance and Chinese industry for several years. She founded a website whose focus is venture capital investing in China. She brings quite a bit of credibility and insight to her work. I’ve previously reviewed her last book, US-China Tech War.
In this book Xiang focuses on the emerging “metaverse” technology and the financial challenges and opportunities around it. As the subtitle implies, she provides a deeper analysis of the state of play in the US and China, while not leaving out activity in the rest of the world.
She reports that Facebook has the largest investment and workforce currently tackling “the” metaverse. Other companies are also active, but each has tended to define and become active in metaverse technology differently - usually in ways that leverage existing strengths. She does a good job of helping nontechnical people understand what the metaverse is. In Xiang’s telling, it represents a likely next evolution of the internet.
The metaverse is envisioned by many as “the” virtual world, which will be accessed through virtual reality technology - the primary existing piece of which is the VR headset. In this virtual world you will be able to interact with other people and conduct business (hold conferences, buy and sell things) just as you can in the real world. Much of the potential of the metaverse is already visible in the gaming world, though the metaverse vision includes the potential for more ability for greater numbers of people to interact than can in any computer game today.
Xiang makes the point early in her book that there won’t be a “the” metaverse, but rather many metaverses. Just as the internet today isn’t made up of one website, or one set of software, and isn’t accessed by a single type of hardware, so there will be many metaverse visions and many metaverses.
Meanwhile, as the technologies underpinning the coming of metaverses evolves, there is money to be made, and Xiang gives a great rundown of the current markets and market players.
It’s important to understand that this book is not a “popular science” take on metaverse technology. Though it’s well written and very accessible, it’s also loaded with stats, numbers and occasional jargon that may challenge the casual reader. This book is meant for those who have some previous background in technology or technology investing. For those folks, it’s a handy reference as well as a step above a financial analyst’s White Paper.
RATING: Four Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐
In this book Xiang focuses on the emerging “metaverse” technology and the financial challenges and opportunities around it. As the subtitle implies, she provides a deeper analysis of the state of play in the US and China, while not leaving out activity in the rest of the world.
She reports that Facebook has the largest investment and workforce currently tackling “the” metaverse. Other companies are also active, but each has tended to define and become active in metaverse technology differently - usually in ways that leverage existing strengths. She does a good job of helping nontechnical people understand what the metaverse is. In Xiang’s telling, it represents a likely next evolution of the internet.
The metaverse is envisioned by many as “the” virtual world, which will be accessed through virtual reality technology - the primary existing piece of which is the VR headset. In this virtual world you will be able to interact with other people and conduct business (hold conferences, buy and sell things) just as you can in the real world. Much of the potential of the metaverse is already visible in the gaming world, though the metaverse vision includes the potential for more ability for greater numbers of people to interact than can in any computer game today.
Xiang makes the point early in her book that there won’t be a “the” metaverse, but rather many metaverses. Just as the internet today isn’t made up of one website, or one set of software, and isn’t accessed by a single type of hardware, so there will be many metaverse visions and many metaverses.
Meanwhile, as the technologies underpinning the coming of metaverses evolves, there is money to be made, and Xiang gives a great rundown of the current markets and market players.
It’s important to understand that this book is not a “popular science” take on metaverse technology. Though it’s well written and very accessible, it’s also loaded with stats, numbers and occasional jargon that may challenge the casual reader. This book is meant for those who have some previous background in technology or technology investing. For those folks, it’s a handy reference as well as a step above a financial analyst’s White Paper.
RATING: Four Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews