Luc Smits van Oyen
Nissan and Toyota take first steps in the Metaverse
Japanese automakers Nissan and Toyota announced on April 22 that they will expand their horizons with the Metaverse. The companies plan to offer their customers new virtual experiences, host digital events and establish virtual customer service offices.
You can think of the Metaverse as a virtual universe. All kinds of virtual 3D spaces are being developed today by projects like the Sandbox (SAND), Decentraland (MANA) and, of course, Mark Zuckerburg's company Meta. In these spaces, often through avatars, users can look around interactively and gain experiences.
It is therefore very common to use VR glasses when entering such a 3D space, to make it all seem as real as possible. Few portals between the different spaces exist yet, but in the ideal Metaverse, all these spaces are connected to each other. For example, just as you now cross the border from the Netherlands to Germany, you would then cross the border from Decentraland to the Sandbox.
Nissan and Toyota have both partnered with VRChat, a startup for game developers. According to the Japanese newspaper Nikkei Asia, the companies want to leverage this partnership by offering immersive renderings of their vehicles with VR technology. So you would be able to view a realistic 3D rendering of a car online - provided you have VR glasses, of course.
Furthermore, Nissan will focus on offering virtual-reality spaces for its customers. Toyota, however, is focusing more on its own employees and wants to create digital offices and work areas so that non-physical meetings can be held.
According to a representative of the company, this new workplace is being created as a result of the effects of the coronavirus.
For the time being, both companies have not yet indicated where in the Metaverse they will be located. So the previously mentioned Metaverse projects all still have a chance to drag these major automakers in.
By the way, Nissan and Toyota are not the first automakers to experiment with the virtual medium and its possible applications. South Korean automaker Hyundai also announced the launch of 30 limited editions of 'Hyundai x Meta Kongz' NFTs. The delivery will be carried out in collaboration with the 'Meta Kongz' NFT brand.
Even the luxury automotive company Lamborghini plunged into the Metaverse earlier. Lamborghini organized an auction for the last Lamborghini Aventador LP 780-4 Ultimae Coupe ever produced along with an exclusive 1:1 NFT drop. This was the first supercar 1:1 NFT ever dropped.
What is the Metaverse?
You can think of the Metaverse as a virtual universe. All kinds of virtual 3D spaces are being developed today by projects like the Sandbox (SAND), Decentraland (MANA) and, of course, Mark Zuckerburg's company Meta. In these spaces, often through avatars, users can look around interactively and gain experiences.
It is therefore very common to use VR glasses when entering such a 3D space, to make it all seem as real as possible. Few portals between the different spaces exist yet, but in the ideal Metaverse, all these spaces are connected to each other. For example, just as you now cross the border from the Netherlands to Germany, you would then cross the border from Decentraland to the Sandbox.
What are Nissan and Toyota planning in the Metaverse?
Nissan and Toyota have both partnered with VRChat, a startup for game developers. According to the Japanese newspaper Nikkei Asia, the companies want to leverage this partnership by offering immersive renderings of their vehicles with VR technology. So you would be able to view a realistic 3D rendering of a car online - provided you have VR glasses, of course.
Furthermore, Nissan will focus on offering virtual-reality spaces for its customers. Toyota, however, is focusing more on its own employees and wants to create digital offices and work areas so that non-physical meetings can be held.
According to a representative of the company, this new workplace is being created as a result of the effects of the coronavirus.
For the time being, both companies have not yet indicated where in the Metaverse they will be located. So the previously mentioned Metaverse projects all still have a chance to drag these major automakers in.
By the way, Nissan and Toyota are not the first automakers to experiment with the virtual medium and its possible applications. South Korean automaker Hyundai also announced the launch of 30 limited editions of 'Hyundai x Meta Kongz' NFTs. The delivery will be carried out in collaboration with the 'Meta Kongz' NFT brand.
Even the luxury automotive company Lamborghini plunged into the Metaverse earlier. Lamborghini organized an auction for the last Lamborghini Aventador LP 780-4 Ultimae Coupe ever produced along with an exclusive 1:1 NFT drop. This was the first supercar 1:1 NFT ever dropped.