Wagner James Au / New World Notes

The new edition of Matthew Ball's landmark book, The Metaverse, is out today, and boasts a new subtitle: Where the original 2022 version was And How It Will Revolutionize Everything, this greatly expanded edition arrives with the more modest and targeted subtitle, Building the Spatial Internet.

"I never liked the [original] subtitle," Matt tells me. "It’s too generic, reinforces the hype cycle, and isn’t a fit for my style overall (or how people think of my work, I think)." With the new subtitle, "I can better explain the topic from the get go, while also better explaining what my book will reveal."

That includes adding "spatial", a term popularized with the launch of the Vision Pro, to the subtitle.

"[It] was important to capture those who believe in Apple’s marketed vision of the future, but don’t subscribe to Meta’s."

Since the first edition, of course, "Metaverse" itself has lost its luster as a buzzword in Silicon Valley, especially with Meta's efforts in that category floundering, and "cryptoverse" platforms since imploding. The book's new edition addresses that backlash — and the reasons behind it — head-on.

But can "The Metaverse" be recovered as a term, and restored to prominence? I'm obviously biased on the topic, not just due to my own book, but having worked in metaverse platforms since 2003, and seeing their socially transformational power first-hand for so long.

Matthew Ball was one of the key individuals to make the Metaverse mainstream, so is among the best people in the world to answer that question.

Here's part 1 of our very deep dive on that topic and his newly revised book. And if you enjoy the read, please consider subscribing to my Patreon to support content like this, along with exclusive benefits.

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