Part 2/15:
At the outset, there's a frank dismissal of the existence and durability of the metaverse. One participant boldly states, "the metaverse doesn't actually exist." The prevailing theme is that the metaverse, as often pitched, is a concept riddled with hype—more an echo chamber of buzzwords than a tangible reality. The consensus is that what is being called the metaverse is really just layers of existing video games or virtual environments, like Fortnite or CS:GO, repackaged under a new brand.