Virtual Platforms and the Metaverse — MatthewBall.co

According to Bill Gates (as told by Chamath Palihapitiya), a “platform is when the economic value of everybody that uses it, exceeds the value of the company that creates it.” 

Tim Sweeney argues “something is a platform when the majority of content people spend time with is created by others.” 

Virtual Platforms are defined as “The development and operation of immersive digital and often three-dimensional simulations, environments, and worlds wherein users and businesses can explore, create, socialize, and participate in a wide variety of experiences (e.g. race a car, paint a painting, attend a class, listen to music), and engage in econo... See more

“The condition is extremely rare that a market is simultaneously large and technologically demanding. It is usually the case that the markets that require really powerful computers are very small in size, whether it’s climate simulation or molecular-dynamics drug discovery. The markets are so small, it [sic] can’t afford very large investments. Tha... See more

A virtual Metaverse platform must have the technical ability for (relatively-unbound) creation (engine + studio + tools), services to support it (prefabs and asset marketplaces, voice chat, player accounts, payment services), and operate a multifaceted economy (i.e. consumer spending that’s shared with on-platform creators/developers, as well as cr... See more

To this end, it’s important to emphasize that virtual platforms are a subset of virtual worlds, not synonymous with them.