Nike, in the new metaverse users become stylists

Nike emphasizes that the goal of the new dominance is “ensure it is a safe and trusted space” where members can collect virtual creations “like virtual shoes or jerseys“. What seems clear is that the structure of competition, such as dominance, is designed to protect Nike’s ownership and oversight of the businesswhich isn’t exactly in line with the decentralized ethos of the Web3.

The question of interoperability

While there will be no avatars at launch, Nike’s stated ambition is for virtual products launched on the Swoosh to be worn both on and off the platform: “I can imagine the avatars on rtfkt they will be able to wear our wearables, as well as the avatars in the games you already play“explains Ron Faris, vice president and general manager of Nike Virtual Studios, the arm of the brand launched in early 2022 for the virtual sphere.

The study of nft Rtfkt (pronounced artifacts) was purchased from Nike in December 2021, so the reference to the possibility of transferring virtual garments to the platform should not come as a surprise. In addition to this, however, specific details on the interoperability of Swoosh products with other platforms or with Meta have not been disclosed. Faris says the plan is to “making our wearables start to become usable across multiple experiences or games“. In this sense, the recent announcement about adding legs to his avatars seems to offer a perfect opportunity for some virtual sneakers.

Nike already has a metaverse on Roblox, Nikeland, where users can buy and wear virtual goods, which however does not use cash or cryptocurrencies but an in-game currency. Launched in November 2021, the virtual space has recorded more than 26 million visitors, according to Roblox. Again, Faris doesn’t seem to know how the Swoosh will interact with Nikeland: “We have not yet thought about what exactly it will look like“.

With the launch of the Swoosh, Nike could create a virtual world that won’t need to rely on other platforms. Nikeland could be incorporated into the Swoosh, but to be successful the operation will inevitably have to focus on theinteroperability. This is exactly why MSsquaredthe division of technology company Improbable that builds metaverses for third parties, requires customers to ensure the interoperability of all of its virtual spaces.

The union between metaverse and fashion

Because we need to stop calling it a metaverse

The creation of a single immersive environment within which to move freely between one platform and another is still a utopia. And what’s happening has little to do with the metaverse idea we all have in mind

Nike isn’t the first major apparel brand to venture into the virtual product space. Gucci was somehow a forerunner in the field: in 2021, the company launched the Gucci Virtual 25 sneakers, wearable only in digital version on VrChat and Roblox, and created Gucci Town on the latter, an immersive space where users can purchase other virtual clothing items from the fashion house. The bet seems to have paid off: a Gucci digital bag has been sold on Roblox at a higher price to that of its physical version (obviously in in-game currency). In October 2022 Vault, Gucci’s online concept store that hosts various projects related to cryptocurrencies and NFTs, was introduced on The Sandbox platform, consolidating the brand’s relationship with the metaverse.