Manchester City, a popular English football team, is collaborating with Sony, a Japanese technology behemoth, to create its own Metaverse.
In summary
- Manchester City and Sony collaborate to construct the Metaverse.
- Fans will be able to see sports from various perspectives.
- Avatars can be customised by users.
By Emerging Tech Team: Manchester City, the English Premier League champions, and Sony have agreed to collaborate to build a Metaverse for football enthusiasts.
Sony announced at the Consumer Electronics Show 2023 (CES) that the ‘Proof of Concept’ will let spectators to engage with the virtual Etihad Stadium as well as participate in numerous online activities.
Sony released an official video on its YouTube account demonstrating the virtual experience. Virtual avatars are seen sprinting about the stadiums in the footage. They can also be seen dancing around the virtual stadium in designated spots.
Sony’s Senior Product Planner, Nami Iwamoto, stated that avatars, 3D graphics, and “other expressions unique to the metaverse” will allow users to communicate in novel ways.
The available experience
Users will also be able to see the game from numerous perspectives and learn more about tactics and player positioning on the field thanks to the virtual experience. This technology has the potential to provide an in-depth understanding of the game. Sony stated that it installed many sensors on Manchester City players and gathered footage as well as volumetric data for analysis.
The video also shows customers watching the event on their smartphones and computers, implying that the technology will be designed with lower-specced devices in mind.
While the application is scheduled to be published in 2023, the countries and locations where it will be available are still being debated.
This might be a terrific way for fans to interact with their favourite clubs, as well as an opportunity to include more technology, such as NFTs, into the bespoke Metaverse. Other well-known football clubs, such as AC Milan, PSG, Barcelona, and Liverpool, have already entered the Metaverse and are inviting supporters to interact with them.