Open Daily: 10am - 10pm | Alley door pickup 10am - 7pm 3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
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  • Open Daily: 10am - 10pm
    Alley-side Pickup: 10am - 7pm

    3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
    612-822-4611

Open Daily: 10am - 10pm | Alley-side Pickup: 10am - 7pm
3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
612-822-4611
The Virtual Universe: Unlocking the Possibilities of the Metaverse

The Virtual Universe: Unlocking the Possibilities of the Metaverse

Kaplan, Andreas

Hardcover

Business GeneralGeneral ComputersComputer Security

ISBN10: 0231217684
ISBN13: 9780231217682
Publisher: Columbia Business School Publishing
Published: May 12 2026
Pages: 248
Weight: 0.90
Height: 0.90 Width: 5.20 Depth: 8.60
Language: English

Will we one day inhabit virtual worlds? From the buzz around Second Life in the early 2000s to Mark Zuckerberg's much-hyped quest for the Metaverse, there seems to be a clear pattern. After being touted as revolutionary, virtual worlds fail to meet expectations and fade into obscurity. Yet the dream of an immersive, independent, and interconnected virtual social universe still has the potential to transform the economy, reshape society, and profoundly affect the future of humanity.

This book contends that despite shifting trends, the virtual universe remains crucial to the technology of tomorrow--and might arrive sooner than we think. Through vivid examples and detailed case studies, Andreas Kaplan, a pioneering researcher of virtual worlds since the early 2000s, provides a comprehensive examination of the Metaverse and its far-reaching implications. He delves into key technologies such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, and extended reality and discusses ethical issues around privacy, identity, and governance. Kaplan examines business models, digital ownership, and corporate strategies alongside applications spanning marketing, research and development, human resources, and supply chain management. The book concludes by contrasting potential futures, from utopian promise (the Petaverse) to dystopian peril (the Metaworse) and everything in between. Written in an engaging, reader-friendly style, The Virtual Universe goes beyond the hype--and the doubting--to uncover the true potential of the Metaverse.

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