Where Are We Now?—Exploring the Metaverse Representations to Find Digital Twins

Abstract

The Metaverse promises to change our lives and how we usually interact with the world. However, it can only evolve with technological development and entertainment engagement advances. To investigate more leads regarding this concept, we have a main search question: How are the Metaverse, gaming, and digital twins represented in Academia? To answer it, we need to verify and determine how the Metaverse is defined, how gaming, as an entertainment industry, is represented, and how Digital Twins are defined by scientific knowledge. It will also be important to analyze how these concepts are intercorrelated. Here, we present a documental study—meta-analysis—of the most relevant indexed scientific papers published in the last ten years, according to predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Leximancer software will help us determine the main concepts and themes extracted from these articles—namely from the Keywords, Abstracts, Methodologies, and Conclusions sections. This study allows us to understand how these concepts are perceived, contribute to a scientific discussion, and give suggestions for future research and new leads on approaching these concepts.

Unravelling Virtual Realities—Gamers’ Perceptions of the Metaverse

“…In the rapidly evolving landscape of digital technologies, the concept of the Metaverse has emerged as a transformative force, redefining how we interact with and experience the online world [1][2][3][4][5][6]. The Metaverse represents a collective virtual shared space that integrates augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and the internet, providing users with immersive, interconnected experiences [1][2][3][4][5][6]. As we navigate this dynamic digital realm, the Metaverse promises to reshape social interactions, commerce, and entertainment [2,7].…”

“…As we navigate this dynamic digital realm, the Metaverse promises to reshape social interactions, commerce, and entertainment [2,7]. Its importance lies in creating a seamless digital environment and in the potential to revolutionise how we collaborate, communicate, and engage with information on a global scale [1][2][3][4][5][6].…”

“…The intricate interplay between the Metaverse, virtual reality, virtual worlds, immersion, and the multiverse marks a transformative era in our digital interactions [1][2][3][4][5][6]12]. As users increasingly seek more immersive and interconnected experiences, these concepts collectively contribute to a digital landscape that transcends traditional boundaries, offering a glimpse into the limitless possibilities of the evolving digital frontier [13,14].…”