Into the Metaverse

Reflecting on a Year of Innovation in the Metaverse – Part 2

As we wrap up 2024, we’re closing out an incredible year for Into the Metaverse with the second installment of our "Best Of" series. This year has been filled with groundbreaking conversations, a major milestone of 100 episodes, and a community of listeners who’ve made it all possible. To everyone who has tuned in, shared an episode, or helped spread the word—thank you for being part of this journey!

In this final episode of the year, we’re bringing you highlights from another four exceptional guests whose insights have truly shaped our understanding of the metaverse. These clips capture the essence of what Into the Metaverse is all about—pushing boundaries, exploring transformative ideas, and imagining what’s possible in this evolving space.

From conversations about interoperability and AI to the challenges and opportunities of virtual worlds, this episode revisits the moments that sparked the most engagement and left a lasting impact. Whether you’re reflecting on the year with us or tuning in for the first time, we hope these insights inspire you as much as they’ve inspired us.

Thank you for being a part of this journey. Here’s to an exciting 2025 filled with more innovation, curiosity, and progress in the metaverse. Let’s keep building the future together!

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Segment Details:

From E91 with Krystal Hauserman

How Interoperability Unlocks Marketing in the Metaverse

What a year it has been for Into the Metaverse!

As 2024 comes to a close, we’re taking a moment to celebrate what has been an incredible year of conversations, milestones, and, most importantly, growth in understanding the ever-evolving metaverse. This year, we crossed the 100-episode milestone—a huge achievement that wouldn’t have been possible without your support. To everyone who’s tuned in, shared our content, or simply joined the conversation, thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

We’ve had the privilege of hosting some of the most innovative minds in the metaverse space. To reflect on this extraordinary year, we’re bringing you not one but two special "Best Of" episodes featuring clips from the conversations that sparked the most engagement, generated the most insight, and helped us all better understand where the metaverse is headed.

In this first of two episodes, you’ll hear from four amazing guests whose perspectives and expertise have helped shape our understanding of this transformative moment in tech and culture. Each clip highlights ideas and predictions that are driving the metaverse forward, and we hope they inspire you as much as they’ve inspired us.

Segment Details:

From E84 with Alvaro Velilla, SVP New Business at Universal Music Group

Building a Sustainable Relationship Between Roblox & Music

Unlock the potential of 3D data and discover why it’s the next frontier of innovation with Paul Powers, Founder & CEO of Physna. In this thought-provoking episode of Into the Metaverse, Paul explains how his pioneering work in "Physical DNA" is transforming industries by bridging the gap between the physical and digital worlds. From optimizing supply chains to revolutionizing engineering processes, Paul highlights how 3D data holds the key to accelerating AI development, enhancing design, and creating a more seamless and efficient metaverse. Whether you’re curious about the intricacies of 3D AI or seeking practical applications for emerging technologies, this conversation sheds light on how Physna is leading the charge.

Chapters:

Paul’s Education (00:00)

What Living Abroad Taught (10:39)

Physna and Three Key Use Cases (12:55)

Current Users and Impact (21:22)

Technology At Play (24:34)

From First Pitch to Now (31:43)

Excited Next 12 Months (34:08)

Paul Powers is the Founder & CEO of Physna, the industry leader in geometric search, 3D AI, and owner of Thangs. Paul was listed in Forbes 30 Under 30 in 2019, and is regularly featured in national and international media highlighting his perspective on the next generation of software, AI and the growing role of 3D.

Welcome to Into the Metaverse. In this week’s episode, Yon sits down with Jacob Loewenstein, Senior Vice President of Business Development and Strategy at Spatial, to explore how Spatial is reshaping the 3D internet and user-generated content landscape.

Jacob takes us through his journey from early investments in AR/VR to leading Spatial’s evolution from an enterprise-focused tool to a user-driven platform for immersive 3D creation. Highlighting Spatial’s mission to bridge generational divides in the virtual world, Jacob discusses how Spatial enables creators and companies alike to design interactive spaces accessible across all devices—from VR headsets to web browsers.

Join the conversation as they delve into the unique challenges of building a cross-platform metaverse, the importance of democratizing virtual creation, and why a 3D internet accessible to all may be the key to future digital engagement.

Welcome to Into the Metaverse. In this week’s episode, Yon sits down with Stephanie Hirschmiller, a consultant, creative strategist, and content specialist in luxury and tech, to explore how the worlds of beauty, fashion, and virtual identity are converging in the metaverse.

Stephanie shares insights from her work with major brands and platforms, diving into why beauty and fashion brands are moving into virtual spaces like Roblox and Fortnite and how digital identities are reshaping self-expression for younger generations. They discuss the rise of 3D avatars, hyper-personalization in the virtual realm, and what it means for traditional beauty and fashion industries as more people invest in their digital appearances.

Tune in as Yon and Stephanie examine the future of identity, self-expression, and brand engagement in an increasingly digital world.

Chapters:

(00:00) Stephanie’s Background

(04:53) When Will Virtual Be Bigger Than Physical

(09:57) Digital to Physical Feedback Loop

(16:41) Innovation in How Brands Interact Virtually

(22:38) Brands Doing It Best So Far

(27:03) Interoperability

(31:15) Blurring the Lines

Stephanie is a brand consultant and editor working at the intersection of luxury beauty, fashion and innovation. She is also co-founder of The Future Face which hosts experiential workshopping events matchmaking beauty industry decision makers with tech providers.

Welcome to Into the Metaverse. In this week’s episode, Yon sits down with Yemel Jardi, Co-founder of Decentraland and Executive Director of the Decentraland Foundation, for an in-depth conversation about how Decentraland is shaping the future of virtual worlds.

Yemel shares his journey from developing open-source Bitcoin tools to building one of the most influential decentralized virtual worlds, highlighting the core principles of self-custody, user-generated content, and open-source collaboration. The two discuss the challenges and opportunities of building an open metaverse, the role of major brands like Dolce & Gabbana and Netflix, and why interoperability is crucial for the future of digital ownership.

Tune in as they explore the next phase of Decentraland’s evolution and what it means for users, creators, and brands in the open metaverse.

Yemel Jardi is a co-founder of Decentraland, and the Executive Director of the Decentraland Foundation. With a passion for blockchain technology, Yemel began building open source tools for Bitcoin development in 2014, and later co-founded Casa Voltaire, which has incubated significant blockchain projects such as Decentraland, OpenZeppelin, HardHat, and Muun. He is currently the Executive Director of the Decentraland Foundation, leading the organization's efforts to build a decentralized virtual world in the open metaverse.

In today’s episode, Yon welcomes Liam Broza, Chief Technology Officer at Infinite Reality, to dive into the impressive work Infinite Reality is doing in pushing the boundaries of the web and creating immersive and social 3D experiences.

During their conversation, Liam fills Yon in on how he came to be at Infinite Reality and what the companies main set of goals are, before discussing why web based will win, the current set of obstacles facing Infinite Reality, how to scale the audience, the role of AI and blockchain, and much more.

Liam Broza is the Chief Innovation Officer for Infinite Reality (iR), an innovation company powering the next generation of digital media and ecommerce through AI and immersive technologies. Liam leads the company’s platform team building iR Engine, a no-code cutting-edge spatial web platform that empowers creators and brands, regardless of technical ability, to build immersive web experiences with ease.

Liam has spent the last 15 years working at the intersection of spatial computing, computer vision, and data sovereignty. A lifelong engineer and entrepreneur with a deep bench of data learning and immersive computing skills, Liam co-founded, expanded, and ultimately led Ethereal Engine, a creator of end-to-end frameworks for web-first, social immersive experiences, to its successful $75 million acquisition by Infinite Reality.

Welcome to the 100th episode of Into the Metaverse! In today’s episode, Yon welcomes Matthew Ball back to the podcast to continue their discussion on the future of the metaverse and the convergence of so many new technologies.

During their conversation Yon and Matthew dive into four of the major themes and categories that Matthew wanted to update with the second edition of his book which includes crypto currency, head mounted displays, artificial intelligence and the two frames of convergence. Then they spend the second half of the conversation diving into the potential of Roblox and why it is still so underestimated.

Welcome to Into the Metaverse, in this week’s episode, Yon welcomes back the Godmother of the Metaverse, Cathy Hackl, to continue their conversation of the metaverse, this time with a focus on the race to capture the AI and VR hardware markets, touching on recent events and announcements from Apple, Meta, Snap, and Roblox.

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 get into the underwhelming Apple announcements, Meta’s opportunity for a hardware breakthrough, Snap’s new developer only Spectacles, Roblox’s new goal, and more.

Chapters:

Intro & Agenda (00:00)

Apple Underwhelms (00:39)

Meta’s Hardware Opportunity (04:24)

Snap’s Developer First Approach (08:25)

Roblox’s Ambitious New Goal (14:14)

Roblox Remains Underestimated (22:49)

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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.

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.

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)

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: 

Welcome back to another episode of Into the Metaverse. In this episode, Matthew breaks down four news items from the past week or so that we believe are important to the development of the metaverse including:

Roblox is the closest platform to the true vision of the metaverse; a persistent, immersive, shared, 3D space that re-imagines how users can connect, communicate, play, shop, and express themselves. In a sense, Roblox can be viewed as the public beta of the metaverse. And Roblox is already emerging as the primary social platform for Gen Alpha and younger Gen Z.

With 72 million daily active users and approximately 350 million monthly active users, all of whom spend about 2.4 hours per day on the platform, Roblox is truly the most engaging platform on the Internet. And with a user base that is increasingly getting older, with 40% of DAU now over the age of 16, Roblox is no longer just a platform for young kids.

But how did the Roblox of today come to be? From its founding as Dynablox 20 years ago, to launching the first experience, to opening up the avatar economy and more, Yon and Matthew dive deep into the company and platform’s history, its founders and its future in our latest episode of Into the Metaverse.

Roblox has a large, vibrant community of Gen Z users that spend on average about 2.5 hours per day on the platform. And to discuss how best to market to this audience, Yon welcomes Krystal Hauserman, a dedicated marketing executive to the podcast.

Krystal was previously the CMO of 11:11 media, the company founded by Paris Hilton to transform the celebrity’s consumer products, entertainment and media empire for a youth audience. Notably, they launched a persistent Roblox experience themed around Paris.

Krystal and Yon had a great conversation covering a broad range of topics, including bringing celebrity experiences to the Roblox platform, learnings from interacting with Gen Z and Gen Alpha users on Roblox and more broadly in marketing and much more.

How are enterprises viewing investing in the metaverse today? Yon was delighted to welcome Edwina Fitzmaurice, the Chief Customer Success Officer at EY to the podcast. Edwina is also a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council, an adjunct associate professor at Trinity College Dublin and a board member and chair of the governance committee of WIN: Women in Innovation.

Edwina and Yon had a wonderful conversation covering a broad range of topics, including which technologies are driving the conversation in the boardroom today, why companies are expanding into immersive metaverse platforms and why inclusivity is a core tenet of building disruptive technologies.

Roblox just reported a very strong set of results for 2023 and Yon and Matthew are back to break it down. We also had to dive into Epic and Disney’s new partnership.

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.

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.

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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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)

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.

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)

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!

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)