Times Square’s New Year’s Eve Party Moves Into Metaverse For World To Witness
If there’s one service the metaverse has already done for the world, it’s the granting of accessibility to places you wouldn’t have been able to visit due to COVID-19 limitations and other restrictions. And when the NYC New Year’s Eve celebrations—a tourist attraction in their own right—come around, the entire world can join in without bumping shoulders or stepping on each other’s toes.
One Times Square, the venue of the iconic Ball Drop, is taking the party into the metaverse concurrently with the hosting of physical celebrations. Created by real-estate company Jamestown, the owner of the location, and cryptocurrency firm Digital Currency Group, the site has been digitally simulated to host this annual tradition virtually.
A replica of One Times Square has been designed within virtual world Decentraland, and those in attendance can do so much more than to watch the celebrations.
Visitors around the world are also invited to play immersive games, as well as hang out at rooftop lounges, during the event, Bloomberg reports. And as shown in a marketing visual, there will be no need to elbow your way through the crowd to get closer to the New Year’s Eve Ball.
To catch the virtual ‘MetaFest 2022’, as it is called, guests can head to VNYE.com on December 31. Mobile users can also participate by downloading the VNYE app on the App Store or Google Play Store.
Simon Koster, head of real estate at Digital Currency Group, believes that the next inevitable step for real estate is to venture into the metaverse. Although the digital realm will not replace the physical world, it would serve as a viable destination for people who cannot attend in-person events. For one, a wedding has already happened in the metaverse.
“Ironically I have never seen the ball drop in person. I’ve always wanted to, but there’s always been one issue or another,” Koster told Bloomberg. “I’m looking forward to seeing the ball drop virtually for the first time.”
As with his challenges with attending the New Year’s Eve party in real life, Koster said he’s been forced to cancel many of his plans this month. “But this one’s going to remain.”
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[via Bloomberg, images via various sources]
