3D File to IRL Manufacturing Could be a Killer Applet for the Metaverse

In the search for the Metaverse's killer app, here's a possible one proposed by "Kyz", who once made a good living from creating virtual world content before moving to physical items:

Probably true that anything digital is the meat of the Metaverse. I don't think car companies in SL or elsewhere managed to sell more cars. It may have helped bands a bit. Didn't seem to help movies market better. Maybe some fashion. Unless everyone is there it's not going to be a sales vehicle.

This is roughly right. Second Life-based expositions for car companies like Nissan didn't generate much sustained traffic (let alone actual sales), and apart from some one-offs like this SL campaign for a Harry Potter movie in IMAX, all the many SL-based marketing campaigns for movies didn't lead to increased theatrical ticket sales. I deeply suspect marketing campaigns on new platforms like ROBLOX and Fortnite (such as this ROBLOX campaign for In the Heights, a recent movie that bombed in the box office) have met a similar, low ROI fate.

So if RL marketing isn't a compelling killer app, is there another? Kyz proposes one, based on their own RL work experience:

These days I'm doing mostly fabrication for commercial and retail space and some home furniture. What I'd personally like to see is where the 3D Metaverse and manufacturing might meet.

The cost of 3D printers, CNC machinery, embroidery machines, etc. has come down. Theoretically in the future, anything you see as a 3D model in a Metaverse could be manufactured by affordable machinery by any business, anywhere in the world. Manufacturing almost always requires a 3D representation, whether that's layout, CAD files and G-code, etc.

This could more or less democratize many parts of manufacturing because it's manufactured locally by smaller companies, save shipping costs and help with visualization for clients. Less shipping distances also means it's a bit more greener as a process.

It may not be a killer app (although manufacturing is of course huge), but I know it would be nice to show a client say, a custom receptionist counter in the Metaverse, get an approval, cost estimate and then onto the shop to manufacture.

So maybe not a killer app (something the average consumer might use every day), but definitely a killer applet (something a design house and its customers might use once a month).

I had a related thought while exploring the immersive world of the new hit game Deathloop, where you're supposed to uncover the mysteries behind the hero's past life: I spent about as much time wondering where he got his excellent furniture because I'd totally love it for my apartment.  Imagine if the game studio had transferred the 3D files for this furniture to a manufacturing company, which could then print or otherwise produce these items on demand for the thousands or even millions of players getting to experience it in the virtual realm. Assuming the average customer buys furniture a few times a year, that feels like another killer applet.

Comments

[Kyz]

Applets are good, I'll take it :) Had to dig into screenshots of Deathloop.