User Research
ReportLead Researchers
Georgia Rakusen
Rhiannon Barrington

PublisherTable of Content
Introduction ........................................................................................................................................................................4
Research Goals..............................................................................................................................................................5
Participant selection and research method ......................................................................................................6
Qualitative interviews
Quantitative survey
Who is using the web3 Metaverse now? What is it about them thatmakes them early metaverse users?.........................................................................................................................10
How does people’s gaming experience impact their metaverse engagement?.................................13
Does Play to Earn influence metaverse involvement? ..................................................................................18
What is the trigger for someone to begin using the metaverse? ...........................................................20
NFTs as an entry point to the metaverse ..........................................................................................................21
Other triggers for a user to enter the metaverse for the first time .......................................................23
Personal connections
Social media ...........................................................................................................................................................25
What does the user journey for a metaverse user look like?..........................................................................26
What are the meaningful experiences for users, and what are theopportunities to increase these for others? ........................................................................................................29
Social connections in the metaverse are key for retention ......................................................................30
Realization of the creative and earning capabilities through self-exploration .................................34
How do users decide what platforms to choose?...............................................................................................38
Metaverse pains ........................................................................................................................................................40
The importance of portability and ownership ....................................................................................................43
Ownership is an integral part of the web3 metaverse ................................................................................44
Users are proud of owning things they value ...........................................................................................45
Non-NFT items such as Avatar and Username are things they’d like to own ................................46
Ownership creates earning opportunities ..................................................................................................47
Is decentralization important? ..................................................................................................................................49
Portability is a cool concept but only important to some users ............................................................52
Skepticism about achieving portability .....................................................................................................53

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Table of Content
Components of Metaverse Identity ........................................................................................................................54
What is important about real life identity?......................................................................................................55
Physical elements of identity
Values and traits also help to form identity
The roles they hold also matter to identity
How is identity expressed in the metaverse?.................................................................................................56
How important is their metaverse identity?....................................................................................................57
Identity is often expressed through wearables............................................................................................59
Improvements to avatar customization ............................................................................................................61
Username is a key part of any identity .............................................................................................................62
Types of Metaverse Identity.................................................................................................................................64
Many users create a web3 version of their real life identity ....................................................................65
Some users prefer to experiment with brand new identities...................................................................66

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Chapter 01

Introduction

01.1

Research goals
In 2022, Protocol Labs engaged user researchers working in the web3
ecosystem to perform broad discovery research about the existing
web3 metaverse users. The purpose of the research was to:•
Uncover the characteristics of early metaverse users•
Identify the meaningful experiences and user pains•
Surface opportunities for platform improvements•
And deep dive on the themes of identity, ownership and portability.
The findings in this study are designed to support those building
metaverse experiences across the entire web3 ecosystem (and beyond)with real data about existing users, to aid in better strategic planningand decision-making.

Important
The term ‘metaverse’ is broad. Unless specified otherwise, use of
the term metaverse in this report refers exclusively to web3 enabled
metaverse experiences (e.g. Decentraland, Cryptovoxels, The Sandbox)
and not web2 metaverse platforms (e.g. Minecraft, VRChat).

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01.2

Participant selection
and research method
Qualitative Interviews
Sixteen individuals were recruited for in-depth interviews via social
channels, and screened for suitability. We aimed for our participant pool
to reflect a broad range of engagement levels, experiences on different
platforms, different geographical regions, and other characteristics.
Interviews followed a semi-structured discussion guide, and wereconducted over video call. Each session lasted up to 1 hour, andparticipants were compensated for their time in a stablecoin. Interviews
took place in June 2022.
Quantitative Survey
To test some of the qualitative findings from the interviews at scale,a survey was launched which ran from October-November 2022. The
survey was distributed across social media channels, and survey
design best-practices were employed to ensure that only high quality
responses were recorded. In total, 83 web3 metaverse users completed
the survey. Participants who completed the survey were entered into astablecoin prize draw.

Important
This report references both qualitative and quantitative findings.
Chart titles are explicit about what source of data the chart refers
to. In the body of the report, we state ‘interview participants’ where
qualitative findings are being referenced, and ‘survey respondents’ whenquantitative findings are being referenced.

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01.2

Qualitative Interviews: Geographic spread of participants (n=16)

Quant Survey: Geographic spread of respondents (n=83)

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01.2

Qualitative Interviews: Gender split of participants (n=16)

Quant Survey: Gender of respondents (n=83)

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01.2

Qualitative Interviews: What Metaverse platforms participants
have used (n=16)

Quant Survey: What Metaverse platforms respondents have used (n=83)

It should be noted that there is an inherent bias in recruitment for
research. The participants who took part in this study were people
willing to share their experiences, more likely to be responsive on social
media, and thus may lean towards more engaged metaverse users.
It is not the intention of this research to provide conclusive findings
quantifiable at scale, but rather to illuminate the real lived experiences ofusers and support teams with new avenues for discovery.

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Who is using the web3
Metaverse now?
What is it about themthat makes them early
Metaverse users?

02.1

Participants we spoke to come from a range of backgrounds. Manyof them were working in the creative industries before coming to themetaverse; in music production, visual design, or online content creation.
We also had participants in more traditional (non digital roles), as well as
finance and tech. Only 3 of the 16 interview participants we spoke towere working in the web3 space before trying out the metaverse.
In the survey, we asked respondents to tell us about their experiencelevel in web3 before using the metaverse. Over a third (~38%) told us they
were working in the crypto/web3 space prior to trying the metaverse.

Quant Survey: The web3 experience level of respondents before theyfirst tried the metaverse (n=83)

Though some users had dabbled in crypto in the past, perhaps buying
BTC on a centralized exchange, many of the participants we interviewed
had not been avid web3 users for long (or at all) before trying out the
metaverse. Of survey respondents, 13% stated they were never involvedin nor had used web3/crypto before trying the metaverse.

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02.1

Almost everyone we interviewed was a millennial, some with children of
their own. They all came from established work backgrounds, and aretechnologically savvy, learners, dabblers, and also willing to take somerisks. Over two thirds of survey respondents (69%) were aged 25-44.

Quant Survey: Age of Respondents (n=83)

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02.2

How does people’s
gaming experience
impact their Metaverse
engagement?
We assumed that people who were gamers would be most drawn to
the metaverse. What we learned was that though all our interview
participants had a history of playing games in their youth (as millennials,
they came of age during multiple games platform launches) mostwere not big gamers anymore (with the exception of one user who isa professional streamer). One of our participants used to be part of acompetitive esports team playing Counterstrike, but plays games rarely
now. Many spoke about previous experience with World of Warcraft,
The Sims, and Second Life (all open-world metaverse-like experiences),and Nintendo games, in addition to more recent AAA releases such as
Call of Duty, The Walking Dead and League of Legends. Gaming in their
youth during the emergence of online forums in the early 2000s has
prepared these people for the convergence of the metaverse with social
platforms such as Discord and Twitter.

“To me, the metaverse is the ultimate social platform. It reminds me of
AOL chat in the nineties, the way that people would get together andjust socialize. But now you have visuals attached to it and now you havetokens attached to it. Now you have a financial opportunity and it’s
extremely efficient. It’s an improvement in life. An obvious next step forthe world.”

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02.2

Playing games like World of Warcraft in the past has prepared them forthe idea of ownership of items in-game. For one interview participant,a visual designer, they spoke about making paid commissions forhelmet skins for e-racing competitors when they were younger, and theopportunity to create wearables in the metaverse was the outlet theyfound to “scratch that itch again”.
For survey respondents, 42% described themselves as “gamers”, withsome variance in how frequently they play games now, and almost two
thirds (61%) saying their video game use had decreased over time.

Quant Survey: Whether respondents consider themselves “gamers” rightnow (n=83)

Quant Survey: How often respondents play video games (n=83)

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02.2

Quant Survey: How video game playing behavior has changed over time
for respondents (n=83)

Few of our interview participants are heavy gamers now, because they
are in a different stage of their lives with new priorities, and place ahigher premium on their time; focussing on work, personal development,
or families. This is the same reason that many of these users havenot spent time playing Play to Earn games. They are not interested in‘grinding’.

“In Decentraland they have the Ice poker, you have to really grind to doit. And that’s one thing I hate about games is the grind aspect of it. So
I don’t play World of Warcraft anymore. I have real life stuff to do, and I
cannot spend six hours a day sitting at a computer and trying to evencome close to what I’ll make doing other things”.

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02.2

When we asked survey respondents about their use of Play to Earn
gaming, over a third (35%) had never played any Play to Earn games, with
only 12% saying they regularly did so.
Quant Survey: The Play to Earn gaming behavior of respondents (n=83)

Some interview participants in our study had experienced Roblox or
Minecraft but few of them were regular players; some of our participants
had children of their own who play these games. But people see thesimilarities: creativity as a form of play.

“The interesting part is I’ve tried to get [my kids] into the [web3]
metaverse. I’ve tried to teach them about wearables. They’re doing it on
Roblox, but they’re not doing it in Decentraland. I think they’re shy about
the social atmosphere. I mean, it’s a bunch of older people, maybe 2540, and they’re 12 and 13. That’s a little weird to them. I don’t know if thecontrols are the same, but for whatever reason, they’re not interested asmuch as I am.”Metaverse user
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02.2

Previous gaming experience, or hype around the term metaverse, has an
impact on user expectations. People are looking or hoping for AAA game
quality, and many are disappointed at the quality of graphics. In someinstances, this is a blocker for them pursuing time in the metaverse.

“My expectations were low because of the graphics. I came from agaming world. It’s like 1990s graphics. And that honestly is still thebiggest turnoff to me.”“Decentraland was quite clunky and I was using it on mycomputer. I felt like I was in a game. I used to play video games
as a child, as a teenager. If this is the metaverse, this isn’t new.
Maybe I was expecting something more groundbreaking… I justwasn’t clicking with it and the visualization also didn’t reallystrike me as anything fascinating compared to the early days ofgaming.”For others, the low quality graphics give that strong sense of nostalgia
for the early 2000s gaming experiences they came of age playing. But
they still wish for better game mechanics and controls. Users are looking
for compatibility with game pads.

“Finally, I’m in. And I realize I have to use WASD controls on the keyboard
to move around. I haven’t done that since 2000! So I was like, oh geez, allright, I’ll figure this out. There’s a little bit of a learning curve.”

It is likely that committed gamers will not spend significant time in the
metaverse until the quality of the gaming experience improves; thegraphics, and the controls.
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02.3

Does Play to Earninfluence Metaverse
involvement?
Our interviews uncovered that Play to Earn games are not a precursor tometaverse involvement. None of the participants began their journeys
there, although a couple had played Gods Unchained, Axie Infinity, andDecentral Games. What is interesting about these games for users is
the play to earn model, the inclusion of NFT ownership, and mechanisms
such as delegating power to other players. However, most users who
had played any of these games had poor experiences of thegames themselves.

“I don’t like the Play to Earn term, but to take a term from Decentral
Games, I like ‘play to own’ because you are then invested in it… play toearn means selling the token instantly, leading to project failure.”

In fact, there was a lot of skepticism about the sustainability of Playto Earn games; either the ‘game’ mechanics were left wanting, cost to
participate was prohibitive, or the model itself felt ‘scammy’, against
the power-to-the-people ethos of web3. Though users ‘play’ in the
metaverse, they are not interested in Play to Earn being an intrinsic partof these platforms right now.

“What attracted me to Axie? Because I can sell it. I’m not playingthat much”

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02.3

Some spoke of their distaste for the ‘casino environment’ that Play to
Earn games within the metaverse creates. This is where players join,earn, and then leave, without spending time socializing, collaboratingor creating. Multiple interview participants spoke about the problem ofmonetary incentives competing with social incentives. That said, users
were very interested in novel innovations around the Play to Earn model,such as ‘wear to earn’, or rewards for time spent on the platform.

Consideration
How might metaverse platforms explore newmodels of earning that encourage socialization
as opposed to earn-and-leave?

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02.4

What is the trigger forsomeone to begin
using the Metaverse?
A common theme we heard was the effect of the COVID pandemic oninterview participants’ web3 journeys. Some told us how working fromhome had created more free time for exploration online, or layoffs intheir industries had prompted them to explore new ways of earning, andfor having a creative outlet.

“During COVID I learned blender (3D modeling). When I looked into
Decentraland it seemed to be a perfect extension of that… It felt like
I was at the beginning of something - this is the future… During COVID
we were doing zoom calls over and over again, but the difference inexperience in Decentraland was so striking; it felt like this is somethingthat we really don’t have in the digital sphere, even though we think
we’re so connected.”

We heard about the impact of cultural moments that triggered people’sinterest; the announcement of Facebook rebranding to Meta and theterm metaverse being in the public domain; reading books such as Snow
Crash, or watching the film Ready Player One. One user was directly
inspired by the Black Sun nightclub in Snow Crash, a venue for exclusive
members who were early entering the book’s fictional metaverse, andthis was direct inspiration for their own efforts to build a nightclub in
Decentraland.
However, hype from cultural moments such as the film Ready Player One
can also lead to disappointment due to metaverse platforms not living
up to those expectations.

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02.5

NFTs as an entry point
to the Metaverse
For those not already working in crypto/web3, the major driver for theirinterest in the space came from the NFT boom in 2020. Many werecollecting, trading and creating their own NFTs.
In our survey, more than two thirds (69%) had learned about or
discovered NFTs before learning about the metaverse.
Quant Survey: Did respondents discover/learn of ‘NFTs’ or ‘the Metaverse’first (n=83)

In the survey we ran, we asked people to rate their NFT-buying behavior
on a 1-5 scale, from only buying NFTS that are trending or goodinvestments, to only buying NFTs that they personally like and don’t
have future investment value. Though 24% buy NFTs exclusively basedon what is trending or for investment purposes, the majority of survey
respondents sway more towards buying NFTs they personally like andnot for investment purposes. Thirty-four percent placed themselves
directly in the middle of the range we asked them to rate themselves on.

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02.5

Quant Survey: NFT buying trends for repondents (Q: “When it comes to
NFTs, please describe your behavior on a scale from 1-5.”) (n=71)

Our interview participants were interested either in art that’s
aesthetically pleasing to them, or seeing how NFTs are able to subvert
the existing web2 creative economies to better support creators. Theseusers demonstrate a lot of altruism; if they later become committed
metaverse users, they give a lot of things away to others, and takepersonal satisfaction from this.

For some the metaverse is their first foray into web3 (going on to
explore NFTs afterwards). This comes with challenges; users have a steep
learning curve in order to onboard into metaverse experiences; learning
about web3, about blockchains, self custody wallets, how to receive
payment in crypto, working out which stablecoin to trust, what a POAP
is etc, and a whole host of new concepts. It’s not surprising therefore
that these early adopters of these platforms are inquisitive people,
curious about new technologies, and excited about the potential of themetaverse before even dipping their toes in.

Consideration
How might platforms support users with onboarding into themetaverse, if they have no previous web3 knowledge?

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02.6

Other triggers for a user
to enter the Metaverse
for the first time
Personal Connections
We heard from interview participants about the importance of having
a person they know hand-hold them into the metaverse. Multiple
users spoke about a friend who was already in web3 identifying it as
an experience that might benefit them and showing them around.
In this scenario, social desirability bias influences the participant towork through the ‘hassle’ of first using the metaverse (overcoming
reservations about it, dealing with long loading times, working out how
to move their avatar around, etc.) in order to please the person guidingthem through, but this way of discovering is also the most effective forfast-tracking someone to a meaningful experience that encourages
them to return; participants are shown where to go and are introduced
directly to others in the game.

“My brother has been into the metaverse since day one and he’s always
tried to get me into it and it was always sort of daunting for me… thena little bit later down the road, he introduced me to his friend who was alandowner who hosted parties. So I would go to his place and watch him
DJ. That was cool.”

For some people, lacking a personal connection prior to experiencing themetaverse results in them feeling lost. It’s unclear to them where they
can go, and what activities match with their interests.

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02.6

Survey responses demonstrate an increased satisfaction level with themetaverse for those respondents who told us that they had someone
show them around.

Quant Survey: Respondent satisfaction level of using the Metaverse,
comparing all resondents (n=83) vs those who had someone show themaround (n=19)

Survey respondents told us how they learned to use and navigate themetaverse. Despite hand-holding being such a powerful experience forusers, only 19 survey respondents (23% of the total respondents) had
anyone to show them around.
Quant Survey: How respondents learned to use and naviage themetaverse (n=83). Respondents were able to give multiple answers

Count

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02.6

Finding people to socialize with is somewhat harder with no one to makeintroductions on a user’s behalf. If a user enters the metaverse the firsttime for a particular reason, i.e. to attend an event, once the event ends
they’re unclear what else they should do next. Platforms tend not tosupport the user with understanding actions they could be taking.

Consideration
How might platforms replicate the role of the hand-holder to allow for
people without an initial personal connection to discover appropriate
and meaningful experiences in the metaverse?

Social Media
Learning about the potential in the metaverse for creativity and earning,
usually via YouTube, podcasts and articles, is a big driver for naturally
inquisitive people. The concept of digital real estate is especiallyintriguing for users.

“I read an article about a company buying a piece of land in
Decentraland for a couple of million dollars. I was just shellshocked. I didn’t know this was a possibility. And the thing is I’mjust a very intensely curious person, and I like to explore things”.

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Chapter 03

What does theuser journey fora metaverse user
look like?

03.1

There are three distinct user journeys we have identified through this research.
Metaverse early adopter user journey

1. A rapid path from first-time user to creator in the space. After having
a transformative experience, multiple participants we interviewed
gave up their full time jobs or pivoted their careers to work exclusively
in the metaverse, as musicians/DJs, event organizers, visual artists orarchitects. This cohort remains dedicated to the metaverse and NFTs
and does not stray out to other web3 use cases such as DeFi or P2E
gaming.
a. Often their journey from user to creator is very short; they might
begin creating after their very first experience in the space. This is
made possible due to:i. The ability to see what is being done by others (individuals andbusinesses). The metaverse is a creative canvas for people toshowcase ideas, and new users pick up on this quickly.
ii. The cryptoeconomic model in the web3 metaverse. Some
users are looking for new ways to generate an income and theyexperience this quickly; seeing that NFTs can be exhibited andbought in metaverse galleries, or discovering the market for
wearables.

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03.1

Survey respondents reported their frequency of use of the metaverse,
and over half (51%) are using these platforms weekly or more frequently,
with 24% using the metaverse daily.

Quant Survey: How often respondents use the metaverse (n=83)

2. Users who did not have a powerful experience from being in the
metaverse (they weren’t shown around, didn’t see an opportunity thataligns with their own skillset, did not find a community in the space, or
the graphics were too offputting), their interest wanes and they stop
being metaverse users.
3. People already deep into web3 whose attention is split across multiple
web3 use cases and activities (NFTs, DAOs, DeFi, development) may
dabble in the metaverse but don’t have time to commit to engaging (andmay also be working in web3).

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Chapter 04

What are themeaningfulexperiences for users,
and what are theopportunities
to increase thesefor others?

04.1

Social Connections in
the metaverse are key
for retention
For most users, the most exciting and impressive element to experiencesin the metaverse is the social interactions they have. We learned thisfrom interviews, and it was validated through the larger sample of survey
respondents.

Quant Survey: What respondents find to be the most impressive/exciting
aspects of the metaverse (n=83)

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04.1

These social interactions refer to the ability to meet people, have ashared experience as early adopters, find collaboration opportunities orcollectors for their art, or discover their tribe just to have fun and hangout.

“You meet a lot of nice people and the community has just been
awesome. I met a lot of the people that helped me develop things, myteam and everything. And I’m like, wow, indirectly I just met a bunch ofprofessionals and it all came together.”“I’ve spawned a lot of meaningful relationships over the past year in the
metaverse; relationships that have led to several creative outlets. So it
holds tremendous value to me right now. This is stuff that I would not be
doing in real life that I’ve longed to do for a long time. For me, it’s hard
to go out there and make friends… in my job, nobody shared the sameinterests as me. The metaverse is an easy way to focus in on a group ofpeople that have similar interests and identify them quickly and thencontinue those relationships, even outside of the metaverse.”“The best use case of the metaverse is that it helps people socialize. It
brings people together from different parts of the world in a better way.
We are immersed in the social worlds of Instagram and Facebook, but the
metaverse does this on another level.”“How many people can’t go out because they are introverted, or they
have some physical problem? These are people with great ideas, but notools. In the metaverse you can find a community ready to help you. To
grow together in some way, to move forward. And this is something that I
really, really love about the metaverse. It’s amazing that it’s happening.”

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04.1

“I was there in the crowd (at an event in Decentraland) with a bunch ofother people, talking to the people about what they’re wearing, having
a good conversation with a few of them and meeting a few big builders,
VIPs. And then on the screen, the DJ actually does a shout out to mewith my username. I’m watching my digital character, watching the real
person, and the real person’s talking about my digital character. I’ve
watched Twitch before, I’ve interacted with streamers, but this was somuch more interactive than I’d felt before.”“We talk vocally, in discord. I’ve developed amazing relationships withhundreds of people. And they’re all my friends now.”

Users continue these social connections outside of metaverse platforms,
on Twitter and Discord. Twitter buzz drives engagement and thus people
experience the metaverse platform on Twitter too. Communities offplatform end up coordinating group activities that take place within it.
For users who do not discover social interactions easily, this is a major
blocker to them continuing to use these platforms.

“As a solo explorer in this space, it feels quite lonely, especially if you justgo in for events and come out”

“My initial understanding was that maybe the players that I’m seeing
now in front of me must be from the USA. And I am sitting here in India.
So these guys might not be active. I tried chatting to players but no one
responded. I was disappointed. I was expecting to meet people and learn
about them, but none of that really happened.”

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04.1

Consideration
How might platforms better signpost social opportunities for new
players? How might a user’s own existing social graph be surfaced in the
metaverse, so the initial experience is not isolating?

As with all social spaces, interpersonal conflict can arise. We heard about
the stealing of ideas, and some expressing concern about the fact that
there is little to no moderation in the metaverse. For now, this is deemed
not critical because players are early and the overriding sentiment is ofcooperation. But users are cognizant of internet culture, and have readup on or personally experienced “toxicity” in the web2 metaverse. They
anticipate more scams, trolling and IP theft as more users onboard into
the web3 metaverse, especially as the cryptocurrency space has its own
unique culture. Platforms with financial incentives for participation may
exacerbate this problem.

“You have to be aware that it can be dangerous if you’re not suspicious
enough, but at the same time you need a good balance, being open
enough to talk to people and to build.”“The metaverse as a whole right now is being influenced by the ideology
of cryptocurrency - that we can do whatever we want. But sometimes
doing whatever you want isn’t necessarily the right thing.”

Consideration
How might platforms optimize for positive experiences without
undermining the freedom that exists?

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04.2

Realization of thecreative and earning
capabilities throughself-exploration
When users realize that there are land parcels that can be purchased,auctions, art galleries, live events, and big name brands, these all
influence the user’s perspective of the potential for the platform, andthey are very excited about continuing to explore it.

“I remember losing myself for 4-5 hours discovering Decentraland, justwandering, discovering the builds of people, the life, the projects, thevision, so much creativity, such good vibes for the future. And I cameback the next week, and the next week.”“Seeing that Christie’s had auctions in the metaverse, that was thebiggest surprise… the amount of real world organizations and projects
having land in Decentraland - actual clubs that exist in the real-world- Amnesia which is one of the biggest clubs in the world has a club in
Decentraland, which is pretty insane.”“The first time I fell in love with it was the metaverse music festival where they
had A-List artists performing. You would have to travel and pay $60 to see these
artists, and there they were for free in Decentraland. You were there with a groupof people who were also enjoying it. And then you received a wearable that wasconnected to that artist in some way.That was the point where I was like, okay,
this has potential. This is really cool.”
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Consideration
How might metaverse platforms better highlight the opportunities forusers without them having to be seen to be believed?
How might a greater variety of big name artists be encouraged to takeup space and engage in the metaverse?

Discovering the interoperability of their own NFTs within the space isa driver for continued use. And seeing the opportunity for their own
creative output by observing others in the metaverse is the hook thatturns a casual user into a committed metaverse creative. In our survey,
we saw that 18.5% of respondents dedicate their time in the metaverse
only to creating (they don’t class themselves as users/consumers).
Twenty-six percent consider themselves to be both creators and users/
consumers, which means that a notable amount (~44%) of respondents
are creating in the metaverse; 56% are users/consumers only.
Quant Survey: Whether respondents class themselves as metaverse
users/consumers, metaverse creators, or both (n=83)

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04.2

One participant told us how their initial reaction to Decentraland waspoor due to the quality of the graphics and the controls. But when they
saw their artwork exhibited by a hand-holder in a gallery for the firsttime, they experienced a lightbulb moment:“I could see my work virtually on these walls. And they wererepresentative of 20 foot images with this neon frame around. It looked
stunning. I realized this would cost $10,000 to display in real life. And
here I’m doing it for free. A collector had questions and I was answering
but everyone in the space could read my answer. I only had to answer
one question one time, where in real life at gallery shows I have to answer
the same question 70 times over the course of two hours and still makeit seem like it was the first time the question was asked. That for me waslike the golden “wow” moment.”

The creative expressions of others are very inspiring for some users.
“It’s very interesting to see the type of people in Cryptovoxels thatare able to get in and start building without any experience, and makesomething - even a basic idea. The accessibility was what I really liked.
Versus The Sandbox, which is just questing and trying to beat thegame, there isn’t really a purpose for Cryptovoxels so most people arefocussed on making things and then sharing and discussing in-world…
I saw artists bidding on other artists’ work. When I saw that, I thought I
want to upload something and share it the next time this happens. And I
think that was like the first thing that really gave me an impetus to want
to be a part of it.”

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04.2

There is risk for creatives just getting started out in earning in the
metaverse. Business arrangements may go sour. We heard of a handfulof instances where payment for services in the metaverse were nothonored. Anonymity behind avatars allows this to occur more easily.

“Now I know you can’t really trust what people say… Who can I trust? In
time I’ll be able to figure that out.”

Consideration
In market downturns, how might metaverse platforms support creators
so that their livelihood is not affected?

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Chapter 05

How do users decide
what platforms tochoose?

05.1

Users tend to gravitate towards the platforms easiest to discover, andthey stick with the platform that delivers a transformative moment forthem. Most spend the majority of their time on only one platform. If they
invest time and energy into one platform, and develop or become part ofa community there, they are very unlikely to move to a different one.

“I started posting from my Twitter account when I began sharing stuff
from Cryptovoxels and it’s been decent feedback since I started. If thewell runs dry, then I probably will need to switch to another platform. But
for now I keep getting more opportunities here, which makes it harder toleave it.”Some users try a variety of platforms out, but in general they usually
have one preference. Their preferences are based on their own personal
priorities - whether those are user experience, community, visual style,creative capability, or something else.
“It was around December last year that I spent a little bit of time in
The Sandbox, and it didn’t do it for me. It was a lot smoother thanDecentraland and a lot more similar to the gaming experiences of real
games, but I wasn’t crazy about it. Now a lot has changed, I hear. Maybe
it’s time to revisit it, but I liked Decentraland a lot better”“Decentraland has a lot of creative limitations… At the end of the day I
want to have free creativity, and I know that in Cryptovoxels I can create
whatever I want, whatever shape, textures, details, small characters or
anything and present it the way I want”“I tried LUX, the Solana VR metaverse. I was invited to perform there. But
users can view the show from their own properties on the platform, so
not everyone was in the club watching the show. Decentraland is totally
the opposite; people gather in one place. It’s closer to human behavior.”

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05.2

Metaverse Pains
About one third (37%) of survey respondents told us that they aresatisfied or very satisfied with their metaverse experience so far. The
same proportion, 37%, stated they were neutral, with 16% saying they
were dissatisfied or very dissatisfied. There is room for improvement in
the space for existing users.

Quant Survey: Satisfaction level of metaverse experiences
for respondents (n=83)

When we asked survey respondents to tell us what aspects of themetaverse they find most challenging or frustrating, the top 4 selected
aspects all relate to mechanics and performance.

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05.2

Quant Survey: What respondents find to be the most challenging/frustrating
aspects of using the metaverse (n=83)

In user interviews, we heard about issues for users related to technicalperformance of these platforms; long loading times, bugs, lagging, otherperformance issues which may impede some users from persisting inthese early metaverse experiences. For committed users who have founda reason to stay, they will ‘eat the pain’ (although they do eagerly await
performance improvements). For those who have tried the beta desktop
client for Decentraland, they appreciate the performance improvements,
but there are still limitations which impede on their enjoyment, forexample the inability to broadcast audio during a live stream (a dealbreaker for musicians).

Consideration
How might platforms incentivize bug-fixing from the community?
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05.2

For some, the computing power required to experience the metaverse
is a barrier. We heard from multiple users eager to engage more, but
who did not have powerful enough devices to access it. One committeduser would travel to their friend’s house to borrow their gaming PC inorder to access the metaverse. We heard from some users, especially inplaces where powerful cellular devices are more common to own than apowerful computer, that being able to play in the metaverse from theirmobile would be a game-changer for them.

“Right now, when you want to log in, it’s a commitment. You have tosit down at your desktop computer, load it up and get things running.
Whereas if you could just pop in via mobile to see what’s going on I think
there’d be a lot more attention within the game. People use Twitter toadvertise the events; I use Twitter on my phone and tried to access
Decentraland from there, but it didn’t work.”

Considerations
Given social media (e.g. Twitter) is a frequent metaverse discoverability
path for users, and many people access social media via their mobile
devices, how might platforms provide a ‘lite’ experience that works on
those devices?
How might metaverse platforms optimize the entire experience formobile?

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The importanceof portability andownership06.1

Ownership is an
integral part of theweb3 metaverse
For some interview participants, ownership and portability are key
components of the metaverse and decentralization. These users are
motivated and interested in the metaverse as a replacement for thecurrent web2 model in which large companies own everything that iscreated by the users, making profits from the creativity and skills of
those who use the service. These types of users believe that what makes
the metaverse valuable is the change in ownership and the ability tobring assets together into one experience. Some participants mentioned
a dislike for Meta’s metaverse as it doesn’t allow for ownership - they do
not consider that a true metaverse.

“I think ownership should be in the definition of the word ‘metaverse’.
When you say metaverse, it’s not only about the VR component, but it’salso about being able to own your content, your scores, your identity.”

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06.2

Users are proud ofowning things they value
In real life, people take pride in items of value (monetary, sentimental
or otherwise) that they own, and this holds true within the metaverse.
Users love being able to display the NFTs and wearables that they own inthe metaverse. These add a rich and dynamic experience for metaverse
players. They are proud of what they own, and might like to show themoff and give them to others. NFTs can vary in rarity, and therefore holddifferent levels of value - users can feel pride and accomplishment byowning assets that are rare and might use them as a symbol of status.

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06.3

Non-NFT items such as
Avatar and Username arethings they’d like to own.
Users often put time and effort into creating their avatar, as this is a
key part of their identity within the metaverse. Currently, they have tocreate a new avatar for each platform and these avatars are different
because of lack of interoperability across platforms. Users would likethe opportunity to have their avatar as an NFT, keep it within their wallet,
take it to whichever platform that they like to, and to be able to sell it ifthey want to.
In addition to their avatar, participants felt a lot of ownership for theirusername - this was often an aspect of their identity that they wereable to take across platforms. They feel like they own their username, itbelongs to them, and they often use the same username acrossmultiple platforms.

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06.4

Ownership creates
earning opportunities
Owning items can be an investment, and collecting items within the
metaverse opens doors for users. Participants spoke about bartering
within the metaverse - people offer skills for assets which can then be
traded or sold. The secondary market for items encourages users to buy
more within the metaverse; these items not only allow for engagement,
and support creators, but may also have a future monetary value.
Users also love being able to receive free wearables from ‘drops’ atevents or locations. The feeling of being rewarded for being part of thecommunity is meaningful. If those items don’t have monetary value, theymight have sentimental value; a keepsake or souvenir from a memorable
occasion. Items they own provide utility; opening doors to places or
events that they wouldn’t normally be able to attend - this is seen as
another benefit to ownership.
Owning their assets means that users have autonomy to make decisions
about the things they own. They like that they have this ability in reallife and feel it’s important in the metaverse too. They get to decide whothey show it to, what they do with it, and when or if they sell it.

“I own my assets. It’s in my wallet, it’s mine. I can sell it. I can wear it.
I can do whatever I want with it. In other games you can buy stuff
but you don’t own those. You just have the right to use them. But by
owning something early in the metaverse, I could be rewarded, and it
could change my life just by being an early supporter. For my own work,
I reward people with wearables. That’s just amazing because you’resaying to them, ‘Hey, I just like your vibe, here is something for you’ and ifthey like it, they will wear it - or not, it’s not my business. But maybe they
will come to one of my shows. It just starts with a small act of kindness.
And nowadays with today’s world we’re living in, I think that’s
something healthy.”

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06.4

Ownership of NFTs and wearables in web3 metaverse platforms is
working well for engagement. In addition to ownership, portability was
also seen as an important aspect to add value to assets within the
metaverse. Participants felt that if they could move their assets around
it would open up opportunities and increase their value. If an item canonly be used in one place then it has limited value and utility.

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Chapter 07

Is decentralization
important?

07.1

When survey respondents were asked about what they find mostimpressive/exciting about the metaverse (see chart on page 30),
“Decentralization” came joint top of the list alongside “Social
interactions and communities”. When users own the things they use
in the metaverse, decentralization becomes very important; users do
not want to lose what they have spent time building due to a server
error, or due to a platform shutting down. For one user this mindset
informed which platform to use, and they decided on Decentraland,as they were going to be committing time and money into buying landand building properties, so did not want any server exploit to jeopardize
their position. For a small number of users, decentralization of metaverse
infrastructure is very important to them. Some rail against censorship onsocial media platforms like Facebeook and Instagram. These users don’t
like restrictions on their creativity, and some are looking for powerfulbuilder tools.

“I looked into the code of Cryptovoxels, it was just running off someguy’s server - maybe a few steps from that, but pretty close. I haven’t
tried The Sandbox, it’s the most marketed one, but they had no SDK. So
I can’t even build anything there. I was always looking forward to tryingout more Sandbox stuff, but upon finding out how locked up everythingis and how there’s been no tools for developers yet, I haven’t tried it.”

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07.1

Additionally, many web3 users are privacy conscious people. One user
who was deep into web3 prior to experiencing the metaverse gauged
what platforms they might try on whether they were required to createan account or connect a wallet. The ability to play as a guest on some
platforms is an effective onboarding opportunity, as it allows users whoare extremely privacy conscious to try a platform out before committing
to connect a wallet. This also theoretically allows non-web3 onboarded
users to experience the metaverse without knowing anything else
about web3 (but whether non-web3 people are using these platforms
is unknown). Our research would suggest that the guest login feature in
Decentraland is frequently used by web3 users.
“The thing I don’t like about The Sandbox is it asks me for my login
before I can play. If it had a guest login I would definitely consider it,
but they asked for my Metamask to connect. I don’t want to do that…
There’s an element of tracking that goes on. I value my privacy a lot. If
I’m not engaging with a platform for a very long period of time, I don’t
want to have to log in. But if I’ve explored and think ‘okay, this is the onethat I want to have my digital assets on or buy a piece of land in’ thenconnecting my Metamask makes sense”

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07.2

Portability is a coolconcept but only
important to some users
For users who spend most of their time on one metaverse platform(the majority of people we spoke to) being able to port items fromone platform to another is not a dealbreaker or high priority, but it isappealing as a future development. They see how these concepts may
be beneficial in providing opportunities, particularly for those who workin the metaverse (e.g. increase brand awareness, opportunities to growtheir businesses and not duplicate efforts). Portability might include
their creations (buildings, wearables) or their avatar (their identity).

“Transporting my avatar from one metaverse platform to another issomething I would pay handsomely for. And also being able to bring myreal life into the metaverse. Buy land and build a house in Decentraland,and be able to expose my real home to the house in the metaverse,
giving me that whole immersive experience.”

Some believe that portability is essential for allowing the metaverse tointegrate more into real life - if they will be using it daily then they wantto have one cohesive experience. There were, however, some instances
when users might not want to take items or avatars to different
metaverse platforms. For example, certain avatars might not be suitable
for metaverses that are more tailored to work. As such, portability may
need to allow for users to be selective in what they take, show or use
within different platforms.

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07.3

Skepticism about
achieving portability
We heard a lot of skepticism from users about how portability mightwork in practice. Currently there is no code or graphical standardization
across metaverse platforms. In order for assets and items to be portable,
there needs to be collaboration across companies and developers tobuild platforms that allow for this. As metaverse platforms currently workin competition with one another, users don’t expect portability to beachievable right now.

“I think portability is something I initially say is very important, but
obviously when I’m in Decentraland, most of the assets I use are there.
So I think it’s somewhat important to me. It’s not a deal breaker, but it’ssomething that I think is going to be an end goal. So I would hope thatthe platform I’m using in the meantime is going in the direction ofthat goal.”

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Chapter 08

Components ofMetaverse Identity

08.1

What is important about
real life identity?
Participants thought that there were a range of components that madeup their real life identity. Not only did they think of their physical self andhow they look but also, values and roles that they hold.

What interview participants told us was important about their real life
identity.

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08.2

How is identity expressedin the metaverse?
Similarly to their real life identity, participants thought their metaverse
identity consisted of a combination of factors that share information
about their character. These components were:• Their avatar, how it looks and interacts• Their username• The values they hold
• Where they go and what they do within the metaverse• What they say in the chat and in conversations• The NFTs they own

How is identity expressed in the metaverse?

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08.3

How important is their
Metaverse identity?
How participants felt about the importance of their metaverse identity
usually depends on what they are doing in the metaverse. Identity is
usually more important to those who are motivated to connect, network,and build relationships within the metaverse. Having a consistentidentity is important for social interaction as it allows for others torecognise them and connect with them. It was also extremely important
for those working or creating in the metaverse; they were often trying
to build a brand and having a recognisable identity allows for continuous
engagement and extending work opportunities. There is a pleasurable
aspect to the process of creating a metaverse identity. When the avatar
creation process is enjoyable, people spend more time playing withavatar options and then spend more time in the metaverse.

“I would always refer to my real persona when creating my avatar, but I
would just make it more fun. I would make it different from how I’m seenin the real world; it would have a mohawk and green sunglasses. Thatwouldn’t be something I would do in the real world, but in web3
that’s cool.”

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08.3

Identity is less important for those who don’t spend much time in the
metaverse, or are visiting without a clear goal or purpose. They don’t feellike they need to invest time into their avatar or identity as they don’t
have social connections within the metaverse. For these users, a “goodenough” avatar does the job.

Consideration
How might platforms encourage new users to create ameaningful avatar to them?

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08.4

Identity is often
expressed throughwearables
Due to avatar customization limitations on many of these platforms,
wearables become very important in the expression of an individual’s
identity. Wearables become expressions of someone’s cultural interests,
affiliation with a specific community, or show support for particular
creators. Like buying branded clothing, wearables can signify a level ofprestige or provide an indication of whether someone might be an early
adopter of web3.

“There is a sentimental dimension. When you’re proud to wear a special
bracelet, something that someone offered you, even if it is worth
nothing, it’s symbolic. And if you have expensive items from a brand,
you want to show them off - exactly like in real life. But wearing things in
the metaverse is being supportive to others, I try to make my avatar an
expression of other artists”.

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08.4

As wearables are currently the main method of avatar customisation
within the metaverse, they become a talking point between users;
metaverse players don’t have to engage in “small talk’’ when meetingsomeone for the first time, and can chat specifically about their choiceof avatar or wearable. As such, how users represent themselves with
their avatar may impact the interactions they have in the metaverse, whoapproaches them, and the conversations they have. Wearables support
users in finding others or communities with similar interests.

“Wearables are an icebreaker in a way. And that’s like going to parties inreal life too. Sometimes just wearing something goofy can be like a great
way to not have to make really awkward small talk.”

Consideration
How might platforms better support user discovery of others
based on wearable choices?

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08.5

Improvements to avatar
customization
During the interviews, participants shared ways in which they felt theywould like to better express their identity in the metaverse. Users often
mentioned wanting to be able to make more customisations to theiravatars. Whilst they can currently customize using wearables, they wantmore detailed customisation of the avatar itself such as a more diverse
skin tone palette, or more gestures and expressions. Many felt limited
in how the current avatars move and behave - it’s hard to navigate or
express yourself fully in the metaverse with the current limitations inavatar movement. Specifically, users mentioned wanting to have morefacial expressions and gestures. These were considered important for
expressing their identity.
Participants wanted to express their values and interests more clearly
within the metaverse, such as being able to display them or add themto their profile. Being able to express themselves in this way would help
people to understand each other, start conversations, help users decide
who they want to interact with, and hopefully create more meaningfulconnections. Currently interactions are often limited to the visual
identity of someone’s avatar and the wearables they have.

Consideration
How might platforms support users in establishing a stronger
identity around their avatar?

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08.6

Username is a key partof any identity
In addition to their avatar, another key component of identity in the
metaverse is a person’s username. Participants often pick a name thatthey already use somewhere else; for gaming or on social platforms.
A username was considered an important part of their identity andappeared to remain unchanged in the metaverse; this helps recognitionof who they are (unlike with wearables and aspects of their avatars
which might be changed often). For those working in the metaverse
space, their name is their brand.

“Is how I look more important or is it my name? I would say name. If I haveclaimed my name, I own it. It’s me, more than accessories. It’s mine. It’s me.”Some use a pseudonym to protect their privacy. Participants typically
don’t use their full name as part of their identity unless they use it forbusiness; pseudonyms feel less risky and provide a degree of privacy,
allowing them to choose which parts of themselves they expose toothers. For example, those who have less mainstream or less socially/
culturally accepted opinions may be able to share what they believe inand meet similar people without fear of backlash and consequence inreal life.

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08.6

There are, however, challenges with maintaining separation between
online identity and real life identity which may become more prevalent
as we move to a more integrated metaverse world. Some users have apseudonym that they use for work and have built a brand around thatname. These users may feel cautious about relating that pseudonym
back to their real life name and identity, even though they might get
additional work opportunities and benefit from taking ownership ofthat brand. Users might have to make choices about whether they use
separate identities for work and non-work activities. They might decideto have multiple identities, one with more anonymity and increased
privacy, and another which better represents their real life orwork identity.
“I use my real name in the metaverse. I use my real name in every situation.
Part of me feels like in the next 10 years there will be a blur between these
two worlds. So would I want to be addressed in the future as a random
username? I don’t think so. I really like my name. I think it’s quite unique andI’ve just kind of stuck with it as my metaverse name.”

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08.7

Types of Metaverse
Identity
In our survey, we asked respondents to tell us how their metaverse
identity differs from, or is similar to, their real world identity on a numberof factors. How gender is expressed and the way they behave wereusually consistent across the metaverse and real life, whereas things likethe look of their avatar, clothing and name were more often different.
Quant Survey: How the real life identity of respondents is similar ordifferent to their metaverse identity, based on multiple factors (n=83)

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08.8

Many users create aweb3 version of their reallife identity
A number of interview participants mentioned that their identity in the
metaverse was similar to their real life identity, in both how they look andtheir characteristics or traits.
This allows them to more easily relate to their avatar (choosing similarskin tones, gender, clothing styles and hair), but also provides them withcreative options. A metaverse identity gives them the opportunity toredefine or improve upon aspects of their real life identity.
Users who were trying to recreate their real life identity in the metaverse
were typically users who are happy in their sense of self, or users who
work within the metaverse and use aspects of their identity as
their brand.

“Sometimes I change my avatar if there are updated looks, definitely. I
like to switch it out for sure. I get bored easily. But it’s just new clothes.
I definitely keep the physical elements of my avatar close to what I look
like in real life. If I need to be recognized as myself, I would always makemoderate changes.”

It’s important for users to maintain the core aspects of their personality
and traits that they like about themselves but they also feel thatthe metaverse provides an opportunity to be a “better” version ofthemselves (e.g. nicer, friendlier, more creative, more extraverted, or morelaid back). There were also suggestions that perhaps people who are lessconfident or feel less comfortable in their real life identity might be more
likely to experiment with who they can be.

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08.9

Some users prefer toexperiment with brandnew identities
Although the metaverse allows a person to “improve” on their reallife identity, it also allows users to create completely new ones. For
these users, the metaverse was viewed as an opportunity to try out
something new - users felt that they didn’t have to be confined to theirreal life identity, they could be anyone, with no restrictions. Exploringnew identities was viewed as a means to gain new experiences, newperspectives, new interactions with people - to sample life as
someone new.

“I feel like if you’re taking the effort to get this immersive experienceof completely different words, then you might as well change youridentity. In your real life, you might be shy of certain things, you might bescared. So all of those regrets, all of those inhibitions, you should sort of
explore them. And the metaverse is a good place to start. What if you try
something new and you like it, and that becomes very impactful to you?”

The metaverse allows some users to have more freedom than in real
life, gives them more opportunities, with less restrictions as a result ofcultural or societal expectations. The metaverse was also considered aplace in which people didn’t need to be shy or scared, they could stepoutside their comfort zone, lose their inhibitions and do things theywouldn’t normally do. Participants generally thought there was freedom
to break norms, felt less stigma, and were less concerned about mocking
and judgment.

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08.9

With the ability to create an entirely new identity, there are someconcerns around authenticity and catfishing. Some users who werebeing genuine to their real life identity would like to see more users
being open about who they are, and they feel uncomfortable that there
are users who are not genuine. There were also concerns about what is
acceptable; whether someone should be appropriating another identity(for example should a white man be using an avatar of a black woman), or
whether the metaverse should be a place to escape controversy aroundrace and gender, letting people have the freedom to identify in the way
they wish to and escaping the restrictions of real life.

“There was a white man who was appropriating a black woman’s
appearance… Is this right? Is this ethical? Where do we draw the lines?
In the real world those things wouldn’t be acceptable, would they? Sowhat rules do we have in the metaverse? Is the essence of the metaverse
to get rid of all of the racial, societal, class and political affiliations andmove into this new world where you can be anybody? For me [as a black
woman] I want to be represented in my real likeness in the metaverse, it’s
so important to me. Why would I want to be anyone else? So that’s where I
see a bit of a conflict.”

Metaverse user
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Learn more at
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Lead Researchers
Georgia Rakusen
Rhiannon Barrington

Publisher