CALAMEO MAG ENG #11 - MARCH 2023

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ENGLISH #11 mag THE TECH ISSUE Grab your ticket to the metaverse MARCH 2023 NEWS STATISTICS & MORE 1

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THE MONOLITH Technological innovation is propelling our world into the future, one new invention at a time. Represented by flying cars, robotic dystopias, or extraterrestrial monoliths, it has always fascinated and inspired CALAMÉO MAG writers and inventors alike. Director Jean-Olivier de Bérard At Calameo, from the beginning of our Editor in chief adventure, technology and innovation Chloé Jouanne Design have been a cornerstone in the Ana Beatriz Avolio construction of our site. Therefore, it Cover image Michael Dziedzic felt logical to dedicate this new issue of Calaméo Magazine to this very interesting topic. We invite you to discover: statistics on new technologies, a focus on the virtual worlds, and tips to increase your sales thanks to innovative tools. And much more! And as a bonus: a special playlist of sci-fi movie soundtracks awaits you in this issue. HAPPY READING! 3

CONTENTS DISCOVER OUR PLAYLIST 5 STATS Hello HAL 6 NEWS 8 SPOTLIGHT The new virtual world 22 TIPS Tomorrow’s marketing 24 freepik MOODBOARD In the Matrix 26 PICKS No science without fiction 4

STATS HELLO HAL Virtual reality, robots, and augmented reality are innovative technologies that tend to thrive in the future. Here are some key figures to understand the phenomenon. 11% of companies surveyed want to implement humanoid robots in their companies by 2025 Statista 1 /4 of people will spend at 51% least 1 hour per day in the metaverse in 2026 of consumers are willing to use virtual Blog du Modérateur or augmented reality to shop $92B MarketingDive is the size the virtual 33M reality video game market is VR headsets expected were sold in to reach the US in 2017 by 2027 Prostock-studio 3dcreation Réalité-Virtuelle.com 5

NEWS Lakee MNP NEW FEATURE You can now download the statistics of your publications in CSV format. Discover the new feature. Learn more 6

jirsak CALAMÉO BLOG Make sure to check SUGGESTED FOR YOU out all of our latest Optimize the viewer of blog posts to find tips, your digital publications tricks and information on the newest content Take your business to the next level with marketing trends. Calaméo And while you are 5 essential types of browsing our blog, be content to create in sure to check out all of 2023 our previous articles Content marketing: to learn more about why you should create evergreen content the world of digital publishing. Content marketing: 5 mistakes to avoid 7

8 SPOTLIGH nuclear_lily

THE NEW VIRTUAL WORLD In 1492, the New World was discovered. In 2023, it is the New Virtual World that is being invented. In San Francisco, in the Silicon Valley, Mark Zuckerberg’s metaverse is in full development, and there is already talk of a technological revolution. All major brands are preparing for a shift in marketing strategies, and no one wants to miss the boat. However, virtual world experiences are not new, whether they take place in reality or in fiction. Since the 60’s until today, the virtual world has been a subject of both tgpassion and concern. 9

SPOTLIGHT Lemonsoup14 THE MECHANICS OF VIRTUAL WORLDS Although Zuckerberg’s metaverse has been on everyone’s mind lately, it is important to know that it is not the only virtual world. A “virtual world” is any world that is artificially created with the help of computers. Thus, you can surely think of several video games that have created their own. Whether you use a virtual reality headset or simply a mouse and Infinity, symbol used by Meta to represent its company keyboard, virtual worlds propel you into a reality invented from scratch, where the “self” is represented by the avatar of your choice. IN SCIENCE Faithful or not to the reality of FICTION our planet, virtual worlds can free themselves from the rules of physics to Science fiction authors are the drivers offer you unique, unknown and infinite of technological innovation. Indeed, environments, populated by plants and they are the first to imagine it, even creatures completely imagined. before it is researched or developed, including virtual worlds. THE SIMULACRA OF THE 60s Who is Danny In the 60’s, two science-fiction writers are passionate about the theme of false reality. Thus, in 1959, Philip K. Dick, the author Virtual reality headset of Blade Runner and Minority Report, 10

REALITY IS MANIPULATED AND QUESTIONED: IT IS A RIGGED WORLD Poster of The Truman Show and cover of Simulacron 3 makes us discover a city in which In 1963, Daniel F. Galouye’s nothing is what it seems, in his Simulacron 3 tells the story of a novel Time Out of Joint. Reality is machine that creates fake worlds manipulated and questioned: it is a for marketing research purposes. rigged world. This novel is said to have The inhabitants of these worlds inspired the film The Truman Show, are endowed with consciousness in which Jim Carrey’s character realizes and think their worlds real, just like that he has lived all his life in a fake the scientists who take care of the city created as a movie set and simulation. The virtual and the real are populated by actors. then confused and questioned. In 1964, in his novel The Simulacra, Philip K. Dick - yes, him again - depicts an absurd “United States of Europe and America”, with a First Lady who seems as young as a century ago, and flying and intrusive advertisements that must be shot down with a gun. An environment that might remind you of today’s internet. 11

SPOTLIGHT IN DARK AND DYSTOPIAN WORLDS, WHERE SOCIETY HAS BEEN DESTABILIZED AND OVERTAKEN BY TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCES THE CYBERPUNK SUBGENRE In the 80's, the science-fiction subgenre called cyberpunk appeared, inspired by the previous works we mentioned, and taking up similar themes. These are pessimistic Covers of cyberpunk stories that take place in a relatively works near future, in dark and dystopian worlds, whose societies have been destabilized and overtaken by technological advances. With his Neuromancer (1984), William Gibson invites us into a dark world where there is a cyberspace nicknamed "the matrix" where crime and police The Matrix logo clash, and where artificial intelligence and everyday life are in contact. This novel inspired the manga Ghost in the Shell, but also The Matrix movies. The latter are surely the best known examples of virtual worlds in pop culture. Even if we can also mention the 1982 movie Tron, which immerses its characters in a very complex computer world. 12

kinwun Representation of a city in cyberpunk style FROM POST-CYBERPUNK version of the Internet. TO TODAY More recently, the novel Ready Player One by Ernest Cline and Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson, its film adaptation have put the published in 1992, is a representative theme back on the agenda with of the post-cyberpunk subgenre, their virtual world in the form of an which, unlike cyberpunk, sees its ultra-immersive video game called characters trying to improve the Oasis. In this universe, the real world world in which they live. In this is abandoned by humanity, which book, the author talks about the prefers to live under the cover of Metaverse, this new immersive virtual avatars. 13

SPOTLIGHT Luis Villasmil PREMISES In 1989, management games were born with Simcity, then life simulation games with The Sims, in 2000. They allow you to make a city and The Sims, 2000 characters of your own invention live and grow. Another interesting type of game to mention is the MMO. The goal of these massively multiplayer online games is to make your character evolve in a world populated by many players. There are many games and many sub-genres to the MMO. For Before the VR headset, there was the controller example, we can name World of Warcraft for the MMORPG, Fortnite for the MMOFPS and Roblox for IN VIDEO GAMES the sandbox. Thanks to these games, real Video games are laboratories communities have been created in for experimenting with virtual these online universes and this has worlds. From simple life simulations encouraged game creators to offer to hyper-immersive experiences, increasingly immersive experiences. video games have contributed to For example, Fortnite has offered the improvement of virtual reality its users the opportunity to attend technologies and are increasingly concerts by famous artists such as blurring the line between game Travis Scott or Ariana Grande, directly and reality. in the game. 14

EXPERIMENTS a virtual currency, a banking system was created specifically for the game. There are experiments that are Second Life has created a real media between the video game, the buzz. In Europe, you even have to pay social network and the virtual or VAT on purchases. Then, the virtual augmented reality experience, and banks experienced the crisis of 2008, that provide their users with the and the number of active players opportunity to have fun and socialize decreased. Recently, the virtual world in a virtual world. has seen a resurgence of activity In 1997, a French virtual world called following the various lockdowns. “Le Deuxième Monde” opened. Forerunner, it let to its users evolve in a 3D version of Paris. A virtual community was created and lived there until 2002. In 2003, a new metaverse was born: Second Life. This software invites you to live a new life in its world where users can create everything: places, objects, animations. They also have the possibility to acquire land using A concert in Second Life 15

SPOTLIGHT POKEMON GO HELPED SPREAD THE USE OF AUGMENTED REALITY Evan Amos Pokemon Go, available on the real world. smartphones since 2016, offers a The game was brand new experience in augmented a huge success reality. Indeed, the player must move upon its release in real life with his phone to move in and helped the game. Pokemon even appears on spread the use the screen, as if they were present in of augmented reality. It's a great example Delphotostock to show that the line between The Pokémon real and virtual Go Plus is getting thinner. Launched on Steam in 2017, VRchat is an online platform where users can interact and create 3D worlds. The platform became very successful when Youtubers popularized it by creating funny videos. Pewdiepie, for example, has accumulated millions of views on its videos. However, the popularity of this platform quickly faded away. And then, as with Second Life, the confinements of COVID-19 allowed Pikachu appears in augmented reality VRchat to become successful again. 16

Adrià García Sarceda Headset and portable motion controllers HORIZON WORLDS Decentraland, which offers a large number Mark Zuckerberg and his company of plots for sale. Meta's famous metaverse, named But what will surely Horizon Worlds has come online have marked the public Screenshot from in 2021. This new virtual world is the cost that such an Decentraland is available via the VR headsets innovation requires. offered for sale by Meta, the Oculus, Mark Zuckerberg is said to have spent as well as two portable motion billions of dollars per month to see his controllers to capture the movement metaverse dream become reality. of the arms. It offers its users to However, the first returns on Horizon create worlds and objects. Worlds are not what Meta had hoped And if Horizon Worlds is so much for: the graphics are disappointing talked about, it is thanks to the and Meta's share price dropped marketing power of Meta. Because it in 2022. As a result, the company is not the only metaverse of its kind decided to cut 13% of its workforce. to have appeared in recent years: we In consequence, the future of the can also talk about Platzeeland, the metaverse seems uncertain. first metaverse in Central America, or Moreover, Horizon World is a very 17

SPOTLIGHT pressfoto THE VIRTUAL ELDORADO What is important to understand is that the metaverse is not just Horizon Worlds, it should go much further than the simple virtual world. With the metaverse, what should be accessible to us are many interconnected worlds (including Meta's) to form a single virtual universe. It is a new way of surfing the web, and ultimately, a new way of living. A NEW WAY OF LIFE Until now, the Internet was in written form. But imagine if it took a new form. Programming in virtual reality The metaverse is the dream of a new version of the internet, immersive and entirely in 3 dimensions, accessible interesting experience, as it highlights through advanced technology and important questions about virtual from a single portal. worlds. In particular, Mark Zuckerberg The metaverse would be a persistent reportedly asked the US government world, with a virtual currency and not to "over-regulate", exposing the unlimited dimensions. And not only questions about the legislation of would you be represented by an such worlds. Moreover, his metaverse avatar, but you would be able to buy highlights the moderation issues that and sell virtual goods and land using arise in all virtual experiences. Finally, cryptocurrencies, attend concerts, or these and other questions will have to even get married, all directly in the be answered if society as a whole is to metaverse. And the consequences become pixelated. would be reflected in your physical 18

YOUR AVATAR WOULD BE THE VIRTUAL IMAGE OF YOUR REAL SELF life: it would really be your money workplace could also be there. No need that you would spend, it would really to waste time in public transportation, be you who would get married. Your you could simply connect to the avatar would be the virtual image of metaverse to meet your colleagues at your real "self" (without having to look the virtual coffee machine. like you physically). The metaverse promises us a No more walking or driving, you could new life experience by completely teleport directly to the virtual town hall removing the border between the to do your paperwork. And your new real and the virtual. supamotion A work meeting in virtual reality 19

SPOTLIGHT Gorodenkoff A NEW MARKETING TOOL If the metaverse is a New Virtual World, where daily life will be completely rethought, we must not forget that it is also an Eldorado that promises a lot of wealth. In reality, the metaverse is above all a new marketing tool for brands worldwide. Because our young generations spend about 18 hours a week on the Internet, it is more and more difficult for companies to reach them using traditional communication channels. We can already see the Representation of daily life in the metaverse efforts that brands are making to innovate: Ikea offers the possibility to place their furniture in augmented reality directly in your living room, In addition, the administrators Adidas offers to try mountaineering of the metavers will have access to in virtual reality. The metaverse the extensive data collected by the could therefore be a very good new sensors their users will be wearing and communication tool. can use it for marketing purposes.  IT IS NOT SURPRISING TO SEE THE EMERGENCE OF SPACE TOURISM AND THE METAVERSE 20

WHAT ABOUT THE So will the metaverse be more than a simple escape destination and find FUTURE? solutions to the major problems of our time? Will it succeed in lasting over If the metaverse is so eagerly awaited time, rather than being a mere fad? by the public, it is because it comes Although the metaverse raises at the right time, and reflects a very many questions about its current need to escape. development, implementation Between wars, pandemics and and lifespan, it represents a great environmental problems, it is the opportunity for many, a real whole world population that dreams technological breakthrough and a of escaping from its anxiety-inducing great societal change. daily life. Consequently, it is not Whether under the sea or in outer space, surprising to see Elon Musk develop we are all looking for a better world space tourism, and Mark Zuckerberg for our society: what if it was simply create a new virtual reality. located online? 21

TIPS TOMORROW’S MARKETING To stay ahead of your peers and prepare for your brand’s future now, consider including new technology tools in your marketing strategy and offer your customers new sales experiences. 1 LIVESTREAMS If the video format is not new, live video is a new trend that brands will increasingly adopt. Indeed, live videos allow you to show your products and their uses while humanizing your brand. Moreover, live videos are accompanied by chats where your customers and prospects can ask you questions live, which will inform and convince them very quickly. If it is not a physical product but a software that you offer, the live stream can be transformed into a guided tour, or even a live training session! Read more 22

2 AUGMENTED REALITY Offering innovative experiences using augmented reality is a good idea, 3 especially if you have products to sell. For example, L’Oreal uses augmented VIRTUAL REALITY reality on its website to allow customers Proposer Propel your customers to virtually try on the brand’s beauty and prospects into immersive products before they even buy them. experiences that will not leave them Read more indifferent. Indeed, virtual reality is a great communication tool, which allows you not only to evoke, but now to show an ideal lifestyle. Create an entirely virtual store, or an immersive video game that puts your products in the spotlight. And be sure to make a lasting impression. Read more 4 ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE One of our favorite topics of conversation as we enter 2023 is the ChatGPT conversational bot. Users of this tool can ask any question they want for the artificial intelligence to find the answer. All fields of activity are looking for a suitable use. It could be useful to find ideas for products or content to create for example, or to assist you with customer service. Read more freepik 23

MOODBOARD cus Maximalfo r lle Fu ua sh Jo Andreas Tille “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic” ARTHUR C. CLARKE IN T 24 MAT

Sara Kurig THE "THE ADVANCE OF TECHNOLOGY IS BASED ON MAKING IT FIT IN SO THAT YOU DON'T REALLY EVEN NOTICE IT, SO IT'S PART OF EVERYDAY LIFE." BILL GATES TRIX STEVE JOBS Tezos Martin k atler my technology for an "I would trade all of afternoon with Socrates" 25

PICKS NO SCIENCE WITHOUT FICTION Before inventing great technological innovations, we must be able to imagine them. So let's mix "science" and "science fiction" in our selection of this issue. GROUPE ORACOM EDITIONS DE L’ARCHIPEL EDITIONS EYROLLES Discover a great Learn more about Interested in virtual panorama of science Elon Musk, one of the reality? Read this guide fiction: from small to great entrepreneurs to understand all the big screen, and of our time. aspects of it. including books. View more View more View more Share your favorite publications with us on Twitter @calameo 26

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