Think that the concept of virtual worlds is a new one? Think again. The Roman naturalist, Pliny the Elder (AD23 – AD79) expressed an interest in perceptual illusion, which in his mind were basically optical illusions, but since then scholars and technologists alike have been fascinated with this subject. 

Of course, the development of what we now regard as virtual worlds needed a number of fundamental areas to be in place; micro-electronics, high-end software packages, high-definition graphics and the minds that can dream beyond the everyday are all essential, and these have come together over the last years in the form of the Multiverse. Under this umbrella, virtual worlds have blossomed and we are now seeing the beginnings of what is likely to become a major driving force in the world, and will become increasingly important to, well, just about everyone. From online shopping to full virtual experiences, technology is driving the usage of VR and AR equipment. 

In turn, the availability of equipment and experiences has fuelled the growth of VR platforms and worlds. The major forms today include Second Life, World of Warcraft, and Minecraft, though  these are seen more as gaming than serious Virtual worlds. On the other hand, newer entries such as Somnium Space and Decentraland offer a far deeper virtual experience. However, more impressive still is the Ethereum Towers virtual development, which aims to bring the Metaverse to the masses.

The Ethereum Worlds Metaverse had its start with the creation of the Ethereum Towers project. The team behind Ethereum Towers is developing a virtual location that will serve as the focal point, or epicentre, of everything else they create. The main attraction are Ethereum Towers. As a direct consequence of this, early adopters will be able to observe the growth and development of the fascinating new Metaverse protocol from a prime viewing position.

The state-of-the-art towers are the flagship residence in an expansive Metaverse development that will provide an evolving, exciting, and socially dynamic experience for both residents of the development and visitors. The company has placed a high priority on creating a centralised “Community Hub” for the wider Metaverse landscape. Focused on a central location, the towers prove to be useful to individuals who are interested in growing their social networks or establishing a presence online. By doing this, Ethereum Worlds has established itself as the Metaverse platform with the strongest emphasis on community. This has created a platform that is similar in many ways to other well-known Metaverses, but which also includes qualities that have been modified and customised for a significantly larger market sector. The goal is to bring individuals and organisations together in a social environment that is immersive, user-friendly, and helpful in facilitating a wide range of opportunities and benefits that are applicable to the real world.

While virtual worlds are now fairly commonplace, but follow particular formulas; they are either whacky online video game-orientated series of connected spaces with an integrated user space-creation system such as Meta Horizons, or a serious business-orientated world like Engage which is devoid of users since there is nothing to do and virtual business environments are still a few years from hitting the big time. Ethereum Towers – the first part in a much larger development that is called Ethereum Worlds – is being designed to incorporate these essential areas, but will be so much more and will include virtual and living and social areas too.  The aim is to have a virtual world where people can work and collaborate, chill and kick-back, and socialise with others, and establish a beacon for virtual users to really have a second, and complete, on-line life.

Ethereum Towers was conceived as a “Metaverse for all” project, and has always been seen as a part of a larger concept that would be all-inclusive. To be able to do this, the company realised that it would have to appeal to professional, business, social, and gaming users, but would be enhanced by having dedicated areas which users could truly call their own and would be able to enter as they wished. Plainly this meant that the development needed to be based on saleable virtual real estate. Obviously, this would mean that there would be a finite availability, but it would also add an exclusivity to the development that would become attractive in its own right. Besides, virtual space is infinite, so why stop at one development. In the first instance, the company decided to focus on quality rather than quantity, and set about constructing towers – there are two of them – that would be fitting for such a grand development. However, if its popularity proved to be a success, it becomes a lesser task to replicate the towers and start on an entire – and essentially boundless – virtual city.

Physically, the Ethereum Towers are based on a bold, helix design with each floor slightly skewed with respect to the previous one giving a distinct look that reverberates throughout the entire construction. In addition, the ground floor and lower-level areas are highly splayed to give a much larger meeting and socialising area. The so-called “sky-well” sits at the centre of the Towers and serves to illuminate the atrium as well as the promenade, both of which serve as places for members of the community to congregate and engage in social activities. The Towers, when combined, function as the primary residence in a large Metaverse complex, which will provide consumers with an experience that is continuously evolving as well as socially dynamic. The apartments come in three forms:

• Standard apartments. Between the two towers, there is a total of 3,960 apartments available in the Standard category. This is the most frequent form of apartment and can be found on floors one through ninety-nine. There are twenty units on each floor that belong to the Standard type. Windows that look out onto the landscape surrounding the towers are standard in each and every flat.
• Luxury apartments. Across the two towers, there is a combined total of 396 luxury apartments available for rent. This type is much harder to come by than the Standard type; it has approximately two and a half times more floor space than the Standard type; and it can only be found in the corners of floors one through ninety-nine, giving each one a dual aspect and significantly increasing the amount of light that can enter the room. There are only two luxury apartments on each floor, making each one exceptionally coveted and saleable.
• Penthouse apartments. The most desirable of all, there are only 32 Penthouses available across both towers. This sprawling two-story unit is approximately three-times times larger than the Luxury type and is found exclusively on floors 100 and 101. Each floor consists of only eight Penthouses, and it is expected that there will be huge interest in owning one of these.  

Owning a highly-customisable, virtual apartment space in the Ethereum Towers is an option for individuals, groups, and organisations. These apartments will give the social experience of a “digital society” within the context of an aesthetically designed and curated environment. In the form of a non-fungible token (NFT), the ownership of apartments is reflected on the Ethereum blockchain NFT. Through the use of NFT technology, the user is granted genuine ownership of the digital asset, which may then be traded at any moment.

Ethereum Towers have a distinct roadmap for the development, reinforcing the professionalism and seriousness of the scheme, have milestones including development of the system mechanics, Utility Token launch, initial design, release of the beta version, and then the public beta launch. Trading is already going on with the NFT’s and the project is advancing as planned. However, as you may assume, this highly complex virtual construction requires huge input, and the completion date to the public beta launch is highly dependent upon the completion of the technical work.

Unity Developers are right in there with the Ethereum Towers project to provide assistance with the company’s ongoing development of a leading virtual community project. This endeavour is anticipated to play a pivotal role in the development of the emerging Virtual world. From the perspective of Unity Developers, the Towers represent an exciting centrepiece attraction in an ever-changing landscape that will become a virtual home to thousands of users of the Metaverse. Contributing to the development of constructions such as these helps place Unity software directly at the heart of the Metaverse and ensures that the package will become a vital building element of future advancements. According to creators of Ethereum Towers, the Unity software is an intelligent and user-friendly package that is ideal for virtual construction projects and the development of the realities that will become central to the form of the Metaverse and contain its existence. This assessment was made based on the company’s experience with the software.

For up-to-date information about the project and how it is progressing, you could head over to the Ethereum Towers twitter page and get it all first hand from the company.