To kick off our slate of fantastic guests for 2024, Matthew was delighted to chat with Steven Gay, the CEO of Mode Maison. Mode Maison is the first and only multi-brand retail platform for luxury home goods and the first and only multi-brand retail platform built entirely with digital twins. Steven and Matthew had an excellent conversation about the importance of digital twins in the luxury goods market, what differentiates Mode Maison’s technology from peers and why their company decided to focus first on the luxury home goods market for digital twins applications. Steven also discussed the company’s work with the DigitalCore Consortium and why we need organizations like DigitalCore to help spearhead the digitization of industries like luxury retail. And to wrap it all up, Steven left us with a fun prediction for the metaverse in 2024, which you’ll have to listen through to catch at the end of the conversation. Follow Steven: LinkedIn  Follow Mode Maison: Website | Instagram Chapters: Introduction (00:00) Steven’s Background (01:05) What is the Metaverse (02:25) Defining DigitalCore (04:55) Efficiencies that Come From Digitization (07:05) Using Digital Twins to Solve Retails Biggest Tech Problem (09:25) Need for Sense Data from the Real World (15:50) Standards Based Technologies and the DigitalCore Consortium (24:35) One Big Prediction for 2024 (30:55) -- -- -- -- -- Learn more about Into the Metaverse by visiting the website. Learn more about Supersocial by visiting the website. Follow Matthew: LinkedIn | Twitter

Yon and Matthew are back to kick off 2024 discussing the most important and interesting news stories related to the Metaverse in this week’s edition of Yon & Matthew Talk All Things Metaverse. Topics covered include the recent UGC Gaming Report from Naavik, the latest news around Apple Vision Pro, continued layoffs across the industry, and Yon and Matthew’s favorite debuts from CES. Chapters: Introduction (00:00) Reactions to the UGC Gaming Industry Report (01:55) Apple Vision Pro Announces Ship Date (10:15) Layoffs Continue Across Industry (17:45) Favorite Products from CES (23:20) -- -- -- -- -- Read the UGC Gaming report from Naavik here. Learn more about Into the Metaverse by visiting the website. Follow Yon: LinkedIn | Twitter Follow Matthew: LinkedIn | Twitter Learn more about Supersocial by visiting the website.

To close out the year, Yon welcomes back to the show former co-host Matthew Kanterman to recap everything that happened in the metaverse in 2023 and to look ahead at what intrigues and excites them the most about 2024 and beyond!  Long-time listeners will quickly recognize Matthew as he was here at the inception of the Into the Metaverse podcast back in 2021 as co-host for the first iteration of the show. Matthew is a former Bloomberg analyst who has spent the last few years in high level research roles for metaverse related companies, where he has continued to expand his knowledge and thoughts around the metaverse, AI, and all emerging technologies. Stick around to the end of today’s show to hear some exciting news about Matthew’s future work plans! During their conversation Yon and Matthew first build a consensus on what the metaverse has come to mean in 2023, then discuss the year that was and the year ahead for both Epic Games and Roblox, before finishing up with topics of AI, the market size of the metaverse, and what they are most excited for in the coming year. Chapters: Introduction (00:25) Defining the Metaverse and Its Core Building Blocks (02:15) Why Unification and Interoperability Matter (09:45) UEFN, LEGO on Fortnite, and How Epic Games Handled 2023 (12:55) UEFN Thoughts and Predictions for 2024 (21:50) Adding an Advertising Layer to the Roblox Economies (30:55) Real World Commerce Integration on Roblox in 2024 and Beyond (39:40) How AI Pushed the Metaverse Forward in 2023 (47:52) The Market Size Opportunity of a Real Time 3D Internet (53:45) What Matthew and Yon are Most Excited for in 2024 (56:57) Announcement About Matthew’s New Role (01:07:45) Follow Matthew: LinkedIn | Twitter Learn more about Into the Metaverse and Yon by visiting the website. Follow Yon: LinkedIn | Twitter Learn more about Supersocial by visiting the website.

This week Yon welcomes Alvaro Velilla into the metaverse to discuss the future of music in the metaverse as well as an exciting new partnership between Supersocial and Universal Music Group in bringing the game, Beat Galaxy, to life! Alvaro’s career spans over twenty years of experience driving business transformation at the intersection of Entertainment, Technology, and Creative Industries. This includes his founding of Pulselocker, the first music streaming service built to be integrated with music performance applications, as well as a stint at Soundcloud leading their business development team, before reaching his current role as Senior Vice President of New Business at Universal Music Group where he is in charge of devising and implementing UMG’s New Business strategy with a particular focus on new business models, immersive experiences, gaming, and Web3. We're all incredibly curious to know how UMG, who is one of the largest and most influential companies in the music world, thinks about virtual worlds, gaming, and what the next iteration of the internet means for record labels, artists, and fans During their conversation Yon and Alvaro dive into those above questions, Alvaro’s journey and lessons he’s learned, what Roblox needs to get right to integrate best with the music industry, the exciting new partnership between their two companies, and much more. To learn more about the launch of Beat Galaxy, visit here. To play Beat Galaxy on Roblox, visit here. Learn more about Universal Music Group by visiting their website. Follow Alvaro: LinkedIn Learn more about Into the Metaverse and Yon by visiting the website. Follow Yon: LinkedIn | Twitter Learn more about Supersocial by visiting the website.

Yon is once again joined by Lisa Bernard to discuss the most important and interesting news stories related to the Metaverse in this week’s edition of Yon & Lisa Talk All Things Metaverse. During their conversation they discuss the early success of LEGO on Fortnite, why Yon’s new rallying cry is, “2D is dead, long live the 3D internet,” subcategories of the metaverse that are ripe for expansion, and more! Chapters: LEGO on Fortnite’s Early Success (00:25) 2D is Dead, Long Live the 3D Internet (06:00) The Metaverse is Not a Toy (08:30) Musicians Launching New Experiences on Roblox (10:35) Gaming as the Subcategory that Resonates Best (12:10) Education as a Fertile Ground for Metaverse Implementation (13:25) Learn more about Into the Metaverse and Yon by visiting the website. Follow Yon: LinkedIn | Twitter Learn more about Supersocial by visiting the website. Lisa is the creator/host of “Demystify AI”, presenting all the buzz about AI, VR, and the Metaverse. She is a longtime tv reporter whose work has been recognized with 3 Emmy awards. Follow Lisa: Instagram | LinkedIn

This week Yon welcomes Morgan Tucker into the metaverse to talk about the role of 3D avatars to build online connections and how Rec Room is going about doing this. Morgan is the Head of Creator at Rec Room, where he works to empower creators to make incredible interactive experiences, develop community, and achieve long-term success. Prior to Rec Room, Morgan led Product for Music, Brands and Education at Roblox, developing groundbreaking projects like Spatial Voice Chat, immersive virtual concerts, the Gucci Garden virtual exhibition, and more. An inventor by trade, musician and creator at heart, Morgan has had a fascinating and impactful career that gives him a well rounded vantage point on the future of the metaverse.  During their conversation, Yon and Morgan discuss Morgan’s career journey through many notable metaverse platforms, how brands can be authentic with their activations, what metaverse platforms can learn from the dominant social media platforms, growth and key challenges for Rec Room, and much more! Follow Morgan: LinkedIn  Follow Rec Room: YouTube | TikTok | Discord | Twitter Chapters: Episode and Guest Introduction (00:00) What is the Metaverse (03:00) Morgan’s Career Journey (05:10) The Moment Morgan Knew Adoption at Scale Was Coming (09:30) Authentic Brand Activations in the Metaverse (12:30) What Metaverse Platforms Can Learn From Social Media Platforms (18:50) What Morgan Saw in Rec Room that Made Him Join (21:50) Key Challenge for Rec Room Balancing 3D and 2D Engagement (26:53) Building and Nurturing the Creator Community on Rec Room (29:55) Role 3D Avatars Play in Reimagining Connection Online (34:40) How Brands and Marketers Should Approach These Platforms (40:55) Morgan’s Most Exciting Thing in Next Twelve Months (44:55) Learn more about Into the Metaverse and Yon by visiting the website. Follow Yon: LinkedIn | Twitter Learn more about Supersocial by visiting the website.

Yon is once again joined by Lisa Bernard to discuss the most important and interesting news stories related to the Metaverse in this week’s edition of Yon & Lisa Talk All Things Metaverse. During their conversation they discuss where brand advertising is at in it’s adoption of the metaverse, how generative AI is enabling the next frontier of personal creativity, Lego coming to Fortnite, and more. Chapters: Brands Building Persistent Presence on Roblox (00:25) Generative AI Enabling the Next Level of Creative Expression (05:25) Lego Coming to Fortnite (11:12) Web3 Monopolization and the Start-Up Ecosystem (15:33) Learn more about Into the Metaverse and Yon by visiting the website. Follow Yon: LinkedIn | Twitter Learn more about Supersocial by visiting the website. Lisa is the creator/host of “Demystify AI”, presenting all the buzz about AI, VR, and the Metaverse. She is a longtime tv reporter whose work has been recognized with 3 Emmy awards. Follow Lisa: Instagram | LinkedIn

Yon is once again joined by Lisa Bernard to discuss the most important and interesting news stories related to the Metaverse in this week’s edition of Yon & Lisa Talk All Things Metaverse. During their conversation they discuss the chaos at OpenAI, the state of the gaming industry heading into a new year, Epic Games’ current lawsuit, Nvidia’s trillion dollar valuation, and more! Chapters: Introduction (00:25) Chaos at OpenAI (01:10) Where Gaming Stands Heading Into New Year (05:45) Bottom Up Innovation of Marketplaces on Platforms (09:20) Epic Games’ Lawsuit Against Android (12:20) Nvidia’s Trillion Dollar Valuation (14:00) Gucci Pushing Boundaries In Art and Commerce (15:55) Learn more about Into the Metaverse and Yon by visiting the website. Follow Yon: LinkedIn | Twitter Learn more about Supersocial by visiting the website. Lisa is the creator/host of “Demystify AI”, presenting all the buzz about AI, VR, and the Metaverse. She is a longtime tv reporter whose work has been recognized with 3 Emmy awards. Follow Lisa: Instagram | LinkedIn

This week Yon welcomes Raffaella Camera into the metaverse to discuss how the power of platforms like UEFN and Roblox can be leveraged by brands to improve and grow their businesses. Raffaella was most recently the Head of Brands at Epic Games’ Unreal Engine where she was responsible for the overall industry setup and strategic growth of the Epic ecosystem - from tools to Fortnite - for the Lifestyle Brands industry. Prior to Epic, Raffaella spent time as a Partner at Accenture, where she co-created the global Accenture XR practice and served as Global Head of Innovation & Strategy. Between these roles and others she has held in her career, she has built a deep knowledge of how brands can interact with and derive value from metaverse platforms, making her a fantastic guest to dive into today’s topics with.  During their conversation, Yon and Raffaella discuss the power of Unreal Engine for verticals outside of gaming, the UEFN & LVMH partnership that Raffaella helped secure and what it means for the industry, how Fortnite could transition from a game to a platform, and much more.  Chapters: Episode and Guest Introduction (00:00) How Does Raffaella Define the Metaverse (02:48) Raffaella’s Journey that Led Her to Epic Games (07:50) Why Epic Games and Their Platform was so Attractive (13:05) Proving the Unreal Engine’s Power to Other Verticals (17:10) LVMH Partnership and What it Means for the Industry (19:25) Non-Gaming Solutions Offered by the Metaverse (24:55) Fortnite Creative’s Role in the Future of the Game Industry (31:55) Dealing with Perception that Fortnite is a Game, Not a Platform (36:45) Role of Platforms like Roblox and Fortnite Creative for Brands in Short Term (40:45) Most Excited About in Next Twelve Months (47:25) Follow Raffaella: LinkedIn | Twitter Learn more about Into the Metaverse and Yon by visiting the website. Follow Yon: LinkedIn | Twitter Learn more about Supersocial by visiting the website.

This week Yon welcomes Chris Heatherly into the metaverse to chat about all things brands, creators, and IP in the next generation of gaming. Chris is a veteran executive in the games industry and has been an innovator and leader at the intersection of entertainment and technology for over 20 years. He ran the games business for both Disney and NBCUniversal as a general manager. His experience working with brands and IP such as Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, Jurassic World, and more make him an ideal guest to break down the modern state of brands and IP in gaming and the metaverse. During their conversation, Yon and Chris discuss the backlash towards Web3 and NFTs in recent years, why switching costs matter so much in the modern economics of gaming, IP management in a digital first world, and much more. Chapters: Introduction (00:25) Defining the Metaverse (01:10) Connection and Interoperability (04:50) Deciphering the Backlash Towards Web3 and NFTs (09:37) Switching Costs and the Modern Economics of Gaming (22:09) Growth Challenges for Platforms like Roblox and UEFN (31:32) Brand and IP Management in a Digital World (40:17) Generative AI’s Impact on the Metaverse (51:52) What the Next Year Has in Store (58:35) Check out Chris’ studio’s newest game launch, The Mystery Society, by visiting here. Follow Chris: Twitter | LinkedIn Learn more about Into the Metaverse and Yon by visiting the website. Follow Yon: LinkedIn | Twitter Learn more about Supersocial by visiting the website.