The Metaverse1 Case: Historical Review of Making one Virtual Worlds Standard (MPEG-V)

This paper takes an historical perspective on the Metaverse1 project. A group of about 30 EU-based organizations totalling about 100 people worked together from 2008 to 2011 to develop a global standard that will connect virtual worlds and real worlds. The project, which was under the Eureka/ITEA2 framework, was one of the key contributors to the MPEG-V 'Media context and control' standard published by ISO/IEC in January 2011. The review includes the need for virtual worlds stadnards, the formation of the research team and plan, internal research results, main outcome (MPEG-V standard). We will conclude with some reflective notes. The ITEA2 Metaverse1 project has developed a standardized global framework enabling interoperability between virtual worlds such as Second Life, IMVU, OpenSim, Active Worlds, Google Earth and with the real world in terms of sensors and actuators, vision and rendering systems, and applications in areas like social and welfare systems, banking, insurance, tourism and real estate. Results of the project drove the MPEG-V 'Media context and control' standard published by ISO/IEC in January 2011.