> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.nevillehobson.io/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # The Metaverse Isn’t Dead, It’s Just Moved to the Factory Floor - URL: https://www.nevillehobson.io/the-metaverse-isnt-dead-its-just-moved-to-the-factory-floor/ - Published: 2025-05-19T08:15:55.000Z - Updated: 2025-05-19T08:15:55.000Z - Description: The consumer metaverse may have stalled, but a new version is thriving in factories and warehouses. Discover how digital twins, spatial computing, and AI are reshaping industry – and what this shift means for communicators. - Author: Neville Hobson - Tags: Metaverse, Artificial Intelligence, Innovation Remember the [metaverse](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metaverse?ref=nevillehobson.io)? Back in 2021 and 2022, it was the buzzword on everyone’s lips – a vision of virtual worlds filled with avatars, digital real estate, and meetings that took place around cartoon conference tables. [I wrote a number of posts](https://nevillehobson.com/?s=metaverse&ref=nevillehobson.io) on my previous (now archived) blog during that time, exploring what this new digital frontier might mean for individuals and consumers. Like many, I was intrigued, hopeful, and [a little sceptical](https://nevillehobson.com/2021/08/25/considering-the-forthcoming-metaverse/?ref=nevillehobson.io). Three years later, much of that hype has faded. The consumer metaverse hasn't vanished, but it has certainly stalled. Headsets still feel clunky. Engagement has plateaued. Meta's early dream of a [workplace revolution in VR](https://www.meta.com/en-gb/blog/connect-future-of-work-vr/?ref=nevillehobson.io) never quite caught fire. But here’s the twist: the metaverse isn’t dying, it’s thriving – just not where most people expected. ## **Enter the Industrial Metaverse** A *Wired* article published in early May 2025 reframes the metaverse conversation with a more grounded perspective. "[The Dream of the Metaverse Is Dying. Manufacturing Is Keeping It Alive](https://www.wired.com/story/the-metaverse-is-here-and-its-industrial/?ref=nevillehobson.io)," says *Wired* as it explores how companies like BMW, Amazon, and Lowe’s are using metaverse technologies – specifically [digital twins](https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/mckinsey-explainers/what-is-digital-twin-technology?ref=nevillehobson.io), [simulations](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simulation?ref=nevillehobson.io), and [spatial computing](https://www.nvidia.com/en-gb/glossary/spatial-computing/?ref=nevillehobson.io) – to transform how they design, build, and optimise physical spaces. 💡 This industrial metaverse doesn’t care about avatars. It’s about something much more useful: reducing errors, improving efficiency, and saving money. BMW, for example, now [plans new factories using detailed virtual replicas](https://www.bmwgroup.com/en/news/general/2022/bmw-ifactory-digital.html?ref=nevillehobson.io) created with [Nvidia’s Omniverse platform](https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/omniverse/?ref=nevillehobson.io). Engineers can walk through these digital twins, test assembly lines, simulate robot workflows, and spot problems before a single bolt is turned. The result is faster builds, better layouts, and fewer costly surprises. As *Wired* notes, what’s emerging here is a convergence of technologies – from 3D modelling to generative AI – that has far more immediate value than virtual poker nights with your colleagues. ## **What Communicators Should Take Away** For communication pros, this shift offers a few compelling signals: - **The narrative has matured.** The metaverse is no longer a consumer fantasy. It’s a practical enterprise tool. Our messaging should reflect that. - **We need to reframe the language.** “Metaverse” still carries baggage. Try “spatial computing,” “digital twins,” or “virtual simulation” — terms grounded in outcomes, not abstractions. - **Show, don’t tell.** Now is the time to craft stories about how these technologies are solving real-world problems. Not sooner or later, or one of these days, but now. - **Stay alert to ethical and cultural impacts.** Simulated environments raise questions about data use, employee monitoring, and the role of AI in decision-making. These must be part of the conversation. As communicators, we have an opportunity – and a responsibility – to help organisations articulate the real value of these technologies while managing expectations and addressing concerns. ## **Bringing the Story Full Circle** Looking back at what I wrote about the metaverse between 2021 and 2023, and [what Shel and I discussed in our FIR podcast](https://www.firpodcastnetwork.com/?s=metaverse&ref=nevillehobson.io), I see the same curiosity and questioning spirit that still drives my interest today. But what’s changed is the context. What was once a grand promise is now a working system – not in games or social platforms, but in factories, warehouses, and architectural studios. 💡 That evolution is a signal: technologies once seen as speculative are becoming the quiet infrastructure of real-world innovation. So maybe the metaverse hasn’t died, it’s just grown up. And like many grown-ups, it's gone to work. As spatial computing, AI, and industrial applications evolve, I’ll continue exploring what this means for communicators and business leaders alike. **Related Reading:** - [FIR #427: The Metaverse Lives! Just Don’t Call It The Metaverse](https://www.firpodcastnetwork.com/fir-427-the-metaverse-lives-just-dont-call-it-the-metaverse/?ref=nevillehobson.io) (4 September 2024) - [FIR #326: The (Metaverse) Winter of Our Discontent](https://www.firpodcastnetwork.com/fir-326-the-metaverse-winter-of-our-discontent/?ref=nevillehobson.io) (7 April 2023) - [FIR #279: Business Buys Into the Metaverse](https://www.firpodcastnetwork.com/fir-279-business-buys-into-the-metaverse/?ref=nevillehobson.io) (22 August 2022) - [The metaverse is not your destination](https://nevillehobson.com/2022/07/29/the-metaverse-is-not-your-destination/?ref=nevillehobson.io) (29 July 2022) - [Second Life was ahead of its time](https://nevillehobson.com/2022/02/07/second-life-was-ahead-of-its-time/?ref=nevillehobson.io) (7 February 2022)