30652 - COMPETING IN THE METAVERSE

Metaverse is a concept that first originated from the science fiction novel Snow Crash by American writer Neal Stephenson, and was published in 1992. The novel talks about an immersive virtual realm that can be accessed through Virtual Reality goggles, which were not a reality then, but could soon be a common hardware in our own homes. Since 2020, the metaverse has become a important topic, which has encourage organizations and governments to invest in its future potential. At DAVOS 2023, the World Economic Forum launched a metaverse platform called the Global Collaboration Village in partnership with Accenture and Microsoft. The goal is to allow the best minds to converge and create solutions for the present challenges. It is no doubt, the Metaverse is an important area of study. The purpose of this course is to help establish a sound understanding of the metaverse and associated technologies. It is aimed at providing students with a good baseline of what the metaverse is, why companies are exploring its utility and how metaverse strategies can be properly executed. The course will first introduce the different types of metaverse platforms and their strategic advantages, and move into the different use cases ranging from brand building, digital transformation and tokenomics.

1. Introduction to the Metaverse:, and metaverse platforms

• What is the Metaverse and its evolution
• Metaverse Platforms (e.g. Decentraland, Sandbox, Roblox etc.)
• How brands can leverage on Metaverse to compete
• Marketing in the Metaverse
• M-Commerce – Metaverse Shopping

2. Gaming & Esports

• How games inspired the metaverse
• Decentralized Gaming – What is it and why it is changing the industry

3. Blockchain

• Overview
• Make or Buy choices in Blockchain
• Tokens
• Smart Contracts

4. Tools of the trade in the metaverse/ Extended Reality (XR):

• Augmented Reality (AR)
• Virtual Reality (VR)
• Differences between AR/VR and benefits of AR/VR
• Mixed Reality (MR)
• Artificial Intelligence (AI)

5. Non-fungible Tokens (NFTs)

• Digital wearables
• Digital twins
• Community Building

6. Building Blocks of the Metaverse

• Avatar builders
• 3D designs and more
• Metaverse Real Estate

7. Metaverse Economics

• Financials and Economics of Metaverse
• In-game currency
• Cryptocurrencies

8. Web 3 & Decentralization

• The future of the internet and how we interact
• DAO – Decentralised Autonomous Organizations
• CRM to Wallet

• Possess a good grasp of the ideas and utility of metaverse and related technologies.
• An understanding of the concepts and methodologies of how to create a strong and robust metaverse strategy.
• Have a better knowledge of what the metaverse holds, its limitations and the different ways the metaverse can be used.

• Leverage on and utilise the practical examples learned through a business project / hackathon, of the tools and programs used by large organization.
• Establish a strategy and execution plan on metaverse and/or NFT projects that can align with a brand’s values.
• Demonstrate their understanding of Metaverse and Web3 in the work environment.

• Face-to-face lectures
• Guest speaker's talks (in class or in distance)
• Case studies /Incidents (traditional, online)
• Group assignments

Students are advised that there are minimum hardware (laptops) requirements for a fully immersive experience in the course:

RAM Memory: 4 GB (8 GB recommended)

Graphics card: NVIDIA GT 730 or better, AMD equivalent of better

GPU Memory 1 GB minimum (4 GB recommended)

The course will be held in three different formats: (1) traditional lecture sessions, (2) experimentation and exercise (laboratory), and (3) classes held in the metaverse. The course will be composed of basic theory on the various new technologies, such as blockchain, cryptocurrencies, Web3 & decentralization, and metaverse economics, as well as practical activities such as 3D rendering in Augmented and Virtual Realities and avatar building.

Evaluation consist of a written exam at the end of the course aimed at assessing the learning path along the overall program (70% of the total grade), and Hackathon with Telepass (30%of the total grade) completed during the course.

Extraordinary in class contribution (in particular in discussing cases and participating in debates) is awarded with a maximum of +1 extra point at the end of the grading process.

Evaluation consists of a written exam at the end of the course aimed at assessing the learning path along the overall program (100% of the total grade). Students are expected to study all the material included in the syllabus (i.e.textbook, articles, cases, videos).

Prescribed Textbooks:

• Ball, M. (2022) The metaverse: And how it will revolutionize everything. New York, NY: WW Norton et Co.
• Hackl, C. et al. (2022) Navigating the metaverse a guide to limitless possibilities in a web 3.0 world. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.

Case Studies:

• Balis, J. (2022). How Can Brands Enter The Metaverse. Harvard Business School, H06RJ8-PDF-ENG.
• Pan, L. (2023). Skodaverse: How Skoda Auto entered the world of Web3. SDA Bocconi School of Management.
• Purdy, M. (2023). Building a Great Customer Experience in the Metaverse. Harvard Business School , H07JVX-PDF-ENG.
• Stackpole, T. (2022). Exploring the Metaverse. Harvard Business School, R2204N-PDF-ENG.
• Wu, A., Yoffie, D. B., & Higgins, M. (2023). Metaverse Wars. Harvard Business School, 723431-PDF-ENG.
• Goodman P. Sawhney M., Nike: Tiptoeing into the metaverse, Kellogg, 2022, KE 1213.

Prescribed Textbooks:

• Ball, M. (2022) The metaverse: And how it will revolutionize everything. New York, NY: WW Norton et Co.
• Hackl, C. et al. (2022) Navigating the metaverse a guide to limitless possibilities in a web 3.0 world. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.

Case Studies:

• Balis, J. (2022). How Can Brands Enter The Metaverse. Harvard Business School, H06RJ8-PDF-ENG.
• Pan, L. (2023). Skodaverse: How Skoda Auto entered the world of Web3. SDA Bocconi School of Management.
• Purdy, M. (2023). Building a Great Customer Experience in the Metaverse. Harvard Business School , H07JVX-PDF-ENG.
• Stackpole, T. (2022). Exploring the Metaverse. Harvard Business School, R2204N-PDF-ENG.
• Wu, A., Yoffie, D. B., & Higgins, M. (2023). Metaverse Wars. Harvard Business School, 723431-PDF-ENG.
• Goodman P. Sawhney M., Nike: Tiptoeing into the metaverse, Kellogg, 2022, KE 1213.