On Spatial Computing, Metaverse, the Terms Left Behind and Ideas Renewed
What’s old is new again, but sometimes reinterpreted, distorted, or weighted with what came in between. What matters, doesn’t, and where most agree we’re headed.
The Tremendous Yet Troubled State of Gaming in 2024
If you’re a player or casual observer, the video game industry seems to have it all. Yet growth is now illusory, layoffs abundant, and game/studio shutdowns common. Why? And how might things change?
Parallel Bets, Microsoft, and AI Strategies
Thoughts on corporate strategy formulation in the “age of AI,” the messiness of these strategies, and lessons from the past.
Big Tech’s Biggest Bets (Or What It Takes to Build a Billion-User Platform)
Meta’s Reality Labs losses may be eye-watering, but such investments aren’t rare - and they’re looking increasingly essential to building (or disrupting) a billion user platform.
The Streaming Book
A free and chart-filled mini-book on where we are in the Streaming Wars, have been, and will go.
Why VR/AR Gets Farther Away as It Comes Into Focus
Thirteen years after XR devices became a big tech obsession, VR/AR devices are not just behind schedule, they still seem far away. Why?
What China, Marvel, and Avatar Tell Us About the Future of Blockbuster Franchises
An essay on trade wars, unexpected successes, and the once but not future kings of the big screen.
Cover Story: 16 Page Interview with Bloomberg Businessweek China
(Article is in Chinese and is paywalled)
Big Think: The Metaverse Explained in 14 Minutes (Produced Video)
Why should anyone care about the metaverse? Expert Matthew Ball explains what it is, what it isn’t, and why it matters.
My Cover Story for TIME Magazine
I adapted my book THE METAVERSE for TIME Magazine’s double issue cover story.
Out Now: My Book ‘THE METAVERSE’
Reviews, blurbs, and details on my Book, THE METAVERSE. Published by W.W. Norton | Liveright in July 2022.
NFT Auction of My Essay: “The Metaverse What It Is, Where to Find it, and Who Will Build It”
Auctioning my most influential essay, in partnership with the FWB DAO
My Live Audio Chat with Mark Zuckerberg
Following Facebooks’ rebrand as ‘Meta’, Mark hosted me on Facebook’s audio rooms to chat Metaverse standards, interoperability, and more
Netflix and Video Games
Why does Netflix want to enter gaming (beyond the money)? Why now? Can it succeed? What makes the category so uniquely challenging for the streaming giant?
Stratechery Podcast [Paywall]: The Metaverse, Epic Games, Apple, Interoperability, and the Hope of Blockchain
I join Ben Thompson’s Stratechery for a podcast on the rush to the Metaverse, the idealism of interoperability, the philosophy of Epic, the hope of blockchain, and more
‘The Metaverse Primer’
A nine-part series on the Metaverse, what it is, how much of it is already here, what it needs to thrive, and more
Framework for the Metaverse
How much of the Metaverse is already here? When will it arrive? What does it need? And how will it grow? A Foreword to ‘THE METAVERSE PRIMER’
Hardware and the Metaverse
The role of hardware in the Metaverse. Part II of ‘THE METAVERSE PRIMER’
Networking and the Metaverse
The role of networking in the Metaverse. Part III of ‘THE METAVERSE PRIMER’