Anyone remember Active Worlds? My first 3D virtual worlds job was making a 3D virtual marketplace in Active Worlds. This is the technology that made me absolutely love working in real time 3D building worlds and eventually doing video game art, and VR art. The company I worked for was called VWorld technologies, I believe the v was for virtual. This was in 1999.
But before that were the shadows on the wall of a cave.
I don't believe in the goggles side of the metaverse but I do believe that certain advances in representational technology can inspire people. I can be very excited in the possibility of a 3D reality, an immersive reality that is not necessarily a built environment.
But the device doesn't have to sit on your nose.