The metaverse has been busy with lots of new exciting stuff lately, including problems for that matter, such as Meta (formerly Facebook) having issues with their endeavors within the virtual realm and other corporate giants wanting to get a piece of the metaverse action, but have no idea how.
One such entity is the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), which aims to use new technology to widen the reach of education to students worldwide.
Recently, a new free online educational tool was launched in the metaverse by the Ozone Secretariat, an office of the UNEP that handles issues and concerns related to ozone layer agreements and treaties. The said tool comes in the form of a new simulator game that uses in-game avatars for players to use.
Ozone Secretariat’s Metaverse Game
The new game titled “Apollo’s Edition” is a new addition to the main game platform launched by UNEP called “Reset Earth”. This platform is a host for various educational metaverse games that teaches players aged 13 to 18 years old about environmental education, mostly about the dangers of not protecting the planet’s ozone layer, its consequences, and how to help in its recovery.
The game introduces Apollo, a new character for this game that guides and educates players to know more about the ozone layer protecting Earth’s inhabitants. Apollo’s movements, expressions, and emotions were produced thanks to motion capture technology (wherein a real-life actor is recorded doing all of those), according to Mirage News.
The players then are tasked to make important in-game decisions, wherein each of those decisions will have a significant impact on the game’s progression. Players have the option to select four choices, in which the game visualizes the outcome produced from that chosen option.
Metaverse For Education And Being Accessible To Many
Aside from gaming, the metaverse is also now being used for educational purposes, similar to UNEP’s Reset Earth. The metaverse can be used for a wide range of educational purposes (i.e. teaching students in the virtual domain who cannot attend physical classes), thanks to it providing connectivity to its users globally, according to Frontiers.
Users such as students can access the metaverse as long as they have the proper device, like their smartphone or computer. Then, the usage of other smart gadgets such as VR/AR headsets alongside sensors for the hands, body, and feet, can provide an immersive experience for the user, stimulating his/her presence inside the metaverse as if the player was physically inside of it.
Additionally, many users would be less hindered by time and location thanks to the metaverse being primarily online. As long as they have access to either 4G/5G connections or regular internet connection, they are able to enter the metaverse without any hindrances.
-Featured image from PreMortem Games