编者按：30年前，当斯蒂芬森在《雪崩》里面首次提到“元宇宙”这个想法时，他一定想不到这概念现在是这么火。但到底什么是元宇宙？元宇宙可以实现什么？就像“一千个人眼中有一千个哈姆雷特”一样，大家的说法都不一样。这篇文章可以帮助我们厘清各种“元宇宙”的概念。文章来自编译，篇幅关系，我们分两部分刊出，此为第一部分。
According to the editor: 30 years ago, when Stephenson first mentioned the idea of a meta-cosmos in Avalanche, he had no idea that it was so hot. But what exactly is a meta-cosm? What is a meta-cosm? What is a meta-cosm?
*图片来源：Aurich Lawson | Getty Images
现如今，似乎人人以及他们的母公司都在讨论“元宇宙”，把它看作是将彻底改变我们的在线生活的下一个大事物。但是对于“元宇宙”的含义每个人似乎都有自己的想法——如果他们的确知道它的含义的话。
Now, it seems that everyone, and their parent companies, are talking about the “mass universe” as the next big thing that will completely change our online lives. But everyone seems to have their own ideas about what the “mass universe” means – if they do know what it means.
*“元宇宙”来自斯蒂芬森的《雪崩》
“元宇宙”这个词一开始是尼尔·斯蒂芬森发明的。1992 年他在开创性的赛博朋克小说《雪崩》里面发明了这个词。在书中，元宇宙（Metaverse，斯蒂芬森的小说里面总是大写开头的）是一个共享的“假想之地”，它“通过全球光纤网络向公众开放”，并被投射到虚拟现实的头显上。在元宇宙里面，开发者可以“建造建筑物、公园、标志，以及在现实中不存在的东西，比方说悬在头顶的巨大灯光秀，无视三维时空规则的特殊街区，以及大家可以去相互猎杀的自由搏击区。”
In 1992, he invented the word “concord” in the groundbreaking Saberpunk novel Avalanche. In the book, the Woncos (Metaverse, always in Stephenson's novel) is a shared “supposing place” that is “open to the public through a global fibre-optic network” and is projected to the head of a virtual reality. In the universe, developers can “build buildings, parks, signs, and things that do not exist in reality, such as a big light show hanging over their heads, a special block that ignores the three-dimensional space rule, and a free fight zone where you can hunt each other.”
在最近宣布公司更名的 Facebook Connect 主题演讲中，Meta（原来的Facebook）首席执行官马克·扎克伯格与他的同事在 90 分钟之内提到“元宇宙”这个词的次数有 80 多次。但斯蒂芬森已经非常明确地表示，“我跟 FB 之间的交流为零，也没有任何商业关系。” 这意味着 Facebook 对“元宇宙”的解释可能跟斯蒂芬森最初的描述完全不同。
In a recent announcement about the company’s name, Facebook Connect, Maca (formerly Facebook) CEO Mark Zuckerberg and his colleagues mentioned the word “megacosm” more than 80 times in 90 minutes. But Stephenson has made it very clear that “the exchange between me and FB is zero, and there is no commercial connection.” This means that Facebook’s interpretation of the metacosm may be completely different from Stephenson’s original description.
虽然 Meta 的品牌重塑推动了这段时间大部分有关元宇宙的对话，但自从《雪崩》问世以来的近 30 年的时间里，体现了斯蒂芬森书中所述的部分或大部分内容的在线网络已经大量出现。这些创造“元宇宙”的努力包括众多的在线游戏与聚会场所，尽管它们没有用元宇宙修饰自己，但也已经捕捉到元宇宙其中一些最重要的概念。
Although the rebranding of Meta contributed to much of the dialogue on the meta-cosm, online networks embodying some or most of the elements described in Stephenson’s book have emerged in nearly 30 years since the Avalanche began. These efforts to create the meta-cosmos include numerous online games and gatherings, and although they do not use meta-cosmos to decorate themselves, they have captured some of the most important concepts of the meta-cosmos.
就像 Oculus 的首席技术官John Carmack最近所说的那样：“但现在我们来了。马克·扎克伯格已经做出决定，现在是建设元宇宙的时候了，巨大的轮子开始转动，资源正在流动，肯定也会做出相应努力。”
As Oculus' chief technical officer John Carmack recently said, "But here we are. Mark Zuckerberg has decided that it is time to build the meta-cosm, that the giant wheels are turning, that resources are flowing, and that they will certainly do the same."
那么，元宇宙到底是不是下一个会彻底改变我们彼此联系方式的重大进步？还是说只是把现有技术重新包装成一个新的，包罗万象的概念？或者只是最新的营销热词？
So, is it the next major advance that will completely change the way we communicate with each other, or is it just repackaging the existing technology into a new, all-encompassing concept? Or is it just the latest marketing word?
答案要取决于你所谓的“元宇宙”到底是什么意思。
The answer depends on what you mean by what you call "the meta-cosmos."
在最近的 Facebook Connect 主题演讲里，扎克伯格说“了解元宇宙的最好办法是亲自体验一番，但做到这一点还有点困难，因为元宇宙还没有完全成型。” 就我们所处的位置来看，要求大家去尝试一些不存在的东西，这似乎不是让大家充分了解公司大胆的新方向的最佳方式。
In a recent speech on Facebook Connect, Zuckerberg said, "The best way to know the meta-cosmos is to experience it in person, but it's a bit difficult to do it, because the meta-cosmos is not yet fully in shape." As far as we're concerned, asking you to try something that doesn't exist, which does not seem to be the best way to make you fully aware of the bold new direction of the company.
在主题演讲里，扎克伯格把元宇宙的宏伟愿景描述为“更加身临其境的，具身化的互联网”，在那个地方“你几乎可以做任何你能想到的事情——跟朋友和家人聚在一起，工作，学习，玩、购物、创造——以及完全不符合我们今天对电脑或手机的看法的全新类型的活动。” 这对我们的理解有点帮助，但任何含有“几乎任何你能想象到的东西”这种描述的东西都属于太过宽泛，几乎毫无意义。
In the keynote address, Zuckerberg described the grand vision of the meta-cosmos as “a more accessible, incarcerated Internet”, where “you can do almost anything you can think of — to spend time with friends and families, to work, to learn, to play, to shop, to create — and a completely new type of activity that is not in keeping with what we see today as computers or mobile phones.” This is helpful to our understanding, but anything that contains a description of “nearly anything you can imagine” is too broad and meaningless.
在对Meta 的愿景进行分解——并把元宇宙的历史看作是概念及多个不同在线空间的体现之后——我们确定出以下一些元素，这些元素加在一起似乎就可以定义元宇宙。使用了元宇宙这个词的任何业务都会包括以下一项或全部：
After decomposing the Meta vision -- and considering the history of the meta-cosmos as a reflection of concepts and multiple different online spaces -- we have identified the following elements, which together seem to define the meta-cosmos. Any operation using the term meta-cosmos would include one or all of the following:
共享的社交空间，有代表用户的化身
这种元宇宙概念的基本构建块，就是扎克伯格所呼吁要建立的一个更加“具身化”的互联网时所讲到的东西。在网站或社交媒体网络上，你可能会用用户名或缩略图来代表自己。在 元宇宙里，你的形象可能就变成了会动、会说话及/或执行动画动作的化身，而且是可以定制的。
The basic building block of this meta-cosm concept is what Zuckerberg called for in a more “virtual” Internet. On websites or social media networks, you may represent yourself by user names or thumbnails. In the meta-cosm, your image may become an incarnation of moving, speaking and/or executing animations, and it can be custom-made.
自 20 世纪 90 年代以来，这类头像在各种在线游戏和社交空间中都已经变得很常见（还有人记得哈宝酒店吗？）。但是虚拟形象的保真度与能力可能会因不同的服务而异。虚拟现实的最新进展可以让用户真正体现到自己奇幻的化身上，通过它们的虚拟眼睛去观察，并用手部跟踪控制器与虚拟物品打手势，进行交互。看看类似VRChat 这样的空间就会知道这些 VR 化身现在已经变得多么的精致。
Since the 1990s, these images have become common in all kinds of online games and social spaces (do you remember the Harbo Hotel?), but the authenticity and ability of virtual images may vary from service to service. The latest advances in virtual reality allow users to truly reflect their phantomization, observe through their virtual eyes, and interact with virtual objects with hand-tracking controllers. Look at spaces like VRChat and so on and see how sophisticated VRs are now.
*《哈宝酒店》是元宇宙吗？嗯……有点像？
一个可供化身居住与互动的，持久的“世界”
在某些情况下，这意味着虚拟世界模仿了现实世界的空间限制与土地的稀缺性，就像《第二人生》里面一块块不连续的地块一样。在其他一些情况下，这只是意味着用户共享了一块专门为特定游戏或特殊时间敏感事件开辟的空间，比方说最近在《堡垒之夜》举行的多媒体音乐会。
In some cases, this means that the virtual world mimics the space limitations of the real world and the scarcity of land, like a patch of land in Second Life. In others, it means that users share a space dedicated to particular games or special time-sensitive events, such as the recent multimedia concert at Fortress Night.
在理想化的元宇宙里，每一位用户均共享同一个虚拟世界。在这个世界里，人人都可以在跨在线会话保留自己的物品和财产。不过，由于技术上的原因，很多现代的类似元宇宙的空间最终会把用户区隔金多个分片服务器，只有一小部分用户之间可以进行交互。
In an ideal meta-cosm, each user shares the same virtual world. In this world, everyone can keep their goods and property across online conversations. But, for technical reasons, many modern meta-cosmos-like spaces eventually separate the user areas from multiple segment servers, with only a small number of users interacting with each other.
拥有虚拟财产的能力，就像拥有实物财产一样
从跟你的帐户关联的 Neopets JPG， 到《魔兽世界》里面强大的装备集合，这可以表示任何东西。不管是什么，你的虚拟财产都会跟你关联在一起，而且不会换一个会话之后就消失。
From Neopets JPG, linked to your account, to the powerful collection of equipment in the World of Monsters, it means anything. Whatever it is, your virtual property will be connected to you, and it won't disappear after another session.
最近，有人试图非同质化代币（NFT）来跟踪并建立虚拟商品的所有权，这将独立于任何控制机构或公司的服务器，属于一种去中心化的方式。理论上，这样的 NFT 可以让虚拟商品在不同公司控制的元宇宙之间进行自由移动。在实践上，这种可移植性需要制定标准，需要公司间开展紧密合作，所以仍然是个白日梦。
In recent times, attempts have been made to deconstruct the ownership of virtual commodities (NFTs), which would be independent of any control agency or company’s server, in a decentralised way. In theory, such NFTs can allow virtual goods to move freely between meta-cosms controlled by different companies. In practice, this portability requires standards and close inter-firm cooperation, so it remains a day-to-day dream.
创建自己的虚拟财产的能力
让用户可以制作自己的元宇宙内容对于用户（从而可以随心所欲地塑造虚拟世界）和元宇宙创建者（从而不必花费大量时间和精力从头开始去创建每一个虚拟对象）来说都是一种福音。像 Minecraft 和 Roblox 这样的游戏就是很好的例子，充分展示了提供相对简单的构建块的元宇宙是怎么利用网络效应以及玩家的创造力来制作出各种各样的世界内的创造物的。
Allowing users to produce their own meta-cosm content is a blessing for users (so that they can shape the virtual world as they please) and the creators of the meta-cosmos (so that they do not have to spend much time and effort starting from scratch to create every virtual object). A game like Minecraft and Roblox is a good example of how the meta-cosmos, which provides relatively simple building blocks, uses network effects and player creativity to create a variety of creations in the world.
但是，用虚拟对象去填充元宇宙不是只有“让用户去干”这么简单。控制、管理以及侵犯版权的问题可能会变得非常重要，尤其是如果你的元宇宙是被希望从所有用户生成的作品中获取价值的公司所控制（并且如果用户希望能分享利润）的话。
But filling the metacosystem with a virtual object is not so simple as "let the user do it." The problems of controlling, managing, and violating copyright may become very important, especially if your metacosystem is controlled by a company that wants to derive value from all the works produced by the user (and if the user wants to share profits).
*Minecraft之类的游戏让用户可以构建自己的元宇宙。
交换及/或出售虚拟财产的能力
从类似供《魔兽世界》的职业打金者兑换货币的（不再是）灰色市场，到严格监管的宇宙内经济体（如 EVE Online 里面的经济体），这些都算。在这中间，会有像《第二人生》这样的游戏，曾出现因为对玩家所持有的发行商 Linden Labs 所创建的虚拟土地的“所有权”存在分歧而对簿公堂。
From a (no longer) grey market for the exchange of money by a professional gold dealer like the World of Monsters, to a highly regulated universe economy (e.g., the economy in EVE Online). In the middle, there will be games like Life Second, where there has been a “ownership” of the virtual land created by the player's publisher Linden Labs.
来自多家大公司的IP共享宇宙
元宇宙的这个元素是被《头号玩家》给普及起来的（2011 年推出的小说，2018 年被改编成电影）。里面介绍了一个结合了无数怀旧媒体属性元素的虚拟世界，包括《鸵鸟骑士》（Joust） 、《龙与地下城》 （Dungeons and Dragons）、《战争游戏》（WarGames）、《巨蟒剧团》（Monty Python）以及《圣杯》（Holy Grail）等。
This element of the Won cosmos was popularized by First Player (the novel was launched in 2011 and adapted into a film in 2018). It presents a virtual world that combines numerous old media attributes, including Joust, Dungeons and Dragons, WarGames, Monty Python, and Holy Grail.
媒体整合对这一概念来说是个促进，在这样的虚拟世界里面，甘道夫可以大战兔巴哥，因为IP同属母公司时代华纳。但打破企业围墙花园的跨界情况也越来越普遍：比方说，来自世嘉（Sega）、史克威尔艾尼克斯（Square Enix）、卡普空（Capcom）、南梦宫（Namco）、科乐美（Konami）等公司的角色可以同时出现在《明星大乱斗》（ Super Smash Bros. Ultimate）里面。与此同时，迪士尼/漫威/星球大战、约翰威克（John Wick）、DC漫画、《捉鬼敢死队》、《战神》、《光环》、NFL 等官方跨界游戏也都可以在《堡垒之夜》里面玩。
Media integration is a catalyst for this concept, and in a virtual world like this, Gandalf can fight the rabbits, because IP is a parent company-era Warner. But breaking the corporate fence garden is also becoming more common: for example, the roles of companies such as Sega, Square Enix, Capcom, Namco, Konami, etc., can also be played in Fort Night, while the official cross-border games such as the Disney/Wandway/Star War, John Wick, DC Cartoons, Ghostbusters, War God, Halo, and NFL can also be played in Fort Night.
*《明星大乱斗》里面的不只是任天堂的角色。
通过 VR 或 AR 眼镜实现全 3D 远程呈现
这被很多人视看作是实现“完全”元宇宙的最后一步。通过虚拟现实和增强现实，我们得以超越平板屏幕的“魔窗”，进入到另一个世界。在这个世界里，你会跟其他的 3D 化身占据同一位置，从而感受到一种“存在感”。就像 Meta 在主题演讲里面所说的那样，“那感觉仿佛大家都在一个房间里面，一起用眼神交流，拥有共同的空间感，而不是眼睁睁看着屏幕上的一张张脸。”
This is seen by many as the last step towards a “full” meta-cosm. By virtual reality and enhancing reality, we are able to go beyond the “magic window” of the flat screen and into another world. In this world, you will feel a sense of existence by taking up the same position as the other 3Ds. As Meta said in her keynote address, “It feels like everyone is in a room, sharing eyes, sharing a sense of space, rather than looking at a face on the screen.”
VRChat 以及 Meta 自己的 Horizon Worlds 与 Horizon Workplaces 就是这方面的早期努力。这些就是那个世界的运作机制强有力的概念验证。但就像Carmack所指出的那样，跟 Horizon 里面的其他 16 个化身共享一个房间“与我们想象中的元宇宙相去甚远”。要想实现Carmack的设想，需要克服诸多技术问题才能拥有一个有“成千上万的人四处游荡”，且可以随意进出虚拟房间的 VR 虚拟世界。
VRChat and Meta's own Horizon Worlds and Horizon Workplaces are early efforts in this area. These are the powerful conceptual validations of the world's operating mechanisms. But, as Carmack pointed out, sharing a room with 16 other incarnations in Horizon is “almost away from the meta-cosm as we imagine it.” To achieve Carmack's vision, many technical problems need to be overcome in order to have a VR virtual world with “thousands of people wandering around” and free access to the virtual room.
译者：boxi
This post is part of our special coverage Egypt Protests 2011.
注册有任何问题请添加 微信：MVIP619 拉你进入群
打开微信扫一扫
添加客服
进入交流群
发表评论