The metaverse doesn't need more features, it needs more benefits.
The Empire State Building's viewing deck
Talking to uncle Greg about his stamp collection
What do these products/experiences all have in common?
They lack 'stickiness' - i.e. they may be fun to try (bar Greg's lecture on stamps), but offer no real reason/need to return to them frequently.
Which for many businesses, is absolutely fine.
But for some products, like the current iteration(s) of the metaverse, it's a big problem. For these platforms to grow, they need to nurture a consistent user base (much like social media platforms).
Currently, metaverse platforms like Decentraland offer a colorful first experience, but not a whole lot beyond that.
...which is a big sticking point for their latest feature update, which lets metaverse land owners rent their plots to other users (so they can create experiences / hold events on the cheap).
But Decentraland's average daily user base of 8,000 people (worldwide), makes 'land rental,' a feature without any clear benefits.
Here's our hot take:
The metaverse needs an attraction that will piss the average consumer off.
For example, an experience so compelling that someone outside of Web3 will say to themselves:
"God damn it, now I'm going to have to go and buy a $500 VR headset and/or set up a confusing-ass crypto wallet - this is just too good to ignore."
We're looking forward to the day that we face this frustration.
