Meta, Alphabet, Amazon, Microsoft, Metaverse Startups
NFT Value Chain: Infrastructure, Production, Distribution, Derivatives
Excerpted from Deloitte Insights 2022 No. 23 "Invitation to the Metaverse, Land of Opportunity." Deloitte identifies four layers for enterprise-scale metaverse application: (1) Access Layer — VR/AR, haptic devices, brain-computer interfaces (BCI) connecting users to the metaverse; (2) Application Layer — digital content creation including virtual environments, industrial manufacturing, gaming, social activities, digital art, economic activities, virtual offices; (3) Technology Platform Layer — supporting virtual community building, virtual rules, application development; game engines and content distribution platforms; AI algorithms supporting intelligent applications and interaction; (4) Technology Infrastructure Layer — internet, IoT, 5G/6G, cloud computing providing fundamental metaverse support.
Four types of metaverse solution providers: Internet companies (Meta, Alphabet, Amazon — possess proprietary technologies, massive user bases, rich application scenarios); Hardware manufacturers; Software developers; Startups. NFT value chain: Infrastructure (blockchain networks, storage, computing) → Production (NFT creation tools, platforms) → Distribution (marketplaces, exchanges) → Derivatives (DeFi applications, gaming integration). Key ecosystem players: Meta (Quest VR hardware, Horizon Worlds social platform), Microsoft (HoloLens AR, enterprise metaverse solutions), Google/Alphabet (AR glasses, spatial computing), Amazon (AWS cloud infrastructure for metaverse), Tencent/NetEase (gaming-based metaverse), Epic Games (Unreal Engine, Fortnite), Unity (game engine platform), Roblox (user-generated content platform). Competition dynamics: large internet companies collaborate internally while competing externally; startups find niche opportunities in the current "blue ocean" phase, before consolidation into a monopoly era expected within 10 years.
