Trying Again in the Metaverse

If has been quite a long time since I heard the term Metaverse.  Yet I attended the building of a huge IBM Second Life complex as a representative of our enterprise.   Shopped in the aisles of a virtual store. Interacted with abstract data as I floated through clusters of learned attraction. (Right)

Virtually walked through the halls of a building we constructed that directly mirrored the physical building I worked in.  Had meetings about doing focus groups with the virtual inhabitants.   Talked to a number of startups there.

It peaked at a million users. But then it seemed every one lost interest in navigable, 3D spaces that mimicked the real world.  Focused artificial worlds, like a 3D CAD system are common.  Yet we don't expect them to allow us to stroll through them with our colleagues, or set up social camp there.

For a business/social example, see Fidelity's Stockcity.

Second Life still exists.  And, they say, is profitable.  An interesting article says they have figured out how to make it and other virtual worlds successful.  New companies involved.  And new technologies to deliver the experience, like Oculus.  And managers of super social networks like Facebook.

Will they achieve really immersive experience that include rich communications with others?  and create profitable businesses.