According to Cointelegraph, Neal Stephenson, the New York Times best-selling author who coined the term 'metaverse' in his 1992 novel, has launched a blockchain protocol called Lamina1. This protocol has now partnered with Wētā Workshop, a New Zealand-based special effects and video game development company renowned for its work on The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies, to embark on a blockchain-based worldbuilding project named 'Artefact.'
The 'Artefact' project aims to create a framework for intellectual property (IP) development and participatory worldbuilding. It will involve community creators through the Lamina1 blockchain protocol, inviting them to explore and expand upon the lore behind a set of 'Artefacts.' This initiative will build on themes and lore from Stephenson’s literary works. Stephenson emphasized that the project is not just about creating a new virtual world but about establishing an infrastructure that enables the building of multiple worlds. He highlighted the collaboration with Wētā Workshop as a new path in digital worldbuilding, leveraging Lamina1’s creator economy and open metaverse to provide a foundation for long-term value.
Lamina1 CEO Rebecca Barkin elaborated on their vision of the metaverse within the project. She described the metaverse as an always-on, virtual environment where people can gather and participate in various stories, games, and experiences without the need for a headset. Barkin explained that their worldbuilding involves creating an expansive imaginary world with detailed lore, history, environment, and characters, engaging the audience with interactive elements. She also emphasized the importance of advocating for an open metaverse, which promotes transparency, inclusiveness, decentralization, and democratization, as opposed to centralized metaverses.
In a previous interview with Cointelegraph, Stephenson noted that the metaverse is evolving differently from his original vision in his 1992 novel 'Snow Crash.' While his concept of the metaverse’s potential remains unchanged, advancements in technology, such as affordable and high-quality three-dimensional graphics, have enabled a different type of execution than he initially imagined.
