Facebook parent company Meta Platforms reportedly told the ad agency that the technology to combine the virtual and real worlds will be a few years away, revealing more details about its vision for the development of the Metaverse.
It is reported that Apple’s new privacy policy has caused advertisers to become more cautious about Meta’s advertising. Meta’s stock price has plummeted, and its market value has fallen out of the top ten in the world; while another advertising giant, Google, has mainly caused search engine advertising. Apple’s adjustment was “unscathed”.
In MR technology, a user with an MR headset can use objects in the real world to stimulate reactions in virtual reality, such as hitting a character in a video game with a baseball bat in the real world.
This is one of the 3 metaverse-related extended reality technologies we often mention. Augmented reality (AR) already exists, as in the mobile game Pokémon Go, but players cannot influence the digital world with real objects. Virtual reality (VR) headsets like Oculus, developed by Meta, immerse users in a fully virtual world, allowing them to interact with their surroundings.
Meta’s comment comes from a video conference they held with ad agencies last Thursday to help advertisers better understand the metaverse. This is the first time Meta has held a roundtable with an advertising agency on the Metaverse.
Predictions that mixed reality is still a few years away reveal more details on Facebook’s plans for the development of the metaverse. The Metaverse is a very forward-thinking idea that will bring together many virtual worlds into a network that can be accessed from different devices. Meta said the metaverse could be another 10 years away from developing.
There are some mixed reality headsets out there, but not yet for the average consumer. Microsoft launched the Hololens 2 in 2019 for $3,500, mostly for the workplace.
Meta announced Project Cambria at Connect in October, a headset that will feature a mixed reality and will include face and eye-tracking. The device is expected to be released this year.
Meta also went on to advise agencies to experiment with augmented reality advertising, such as a photo or video filters that overlay digital images on top of the real world, according to a digital ad executive at the meeting. This is also the same point that Meta made at an advertising industry conference.
Meta said brands could collaborate with content producers on augmented reality ads, as well as for virtual clothing try-on services.
The roundtable did not detail which ad formats Metaverse will use, or what specific controls Meta will put in place to prevent brand ads from appearing with inappropriate content or actions.
Advertisers are still exploring how to measure ad effectiveness in the metaverse and “what do I get for my money,” the agency executive said.