A Study on the Metaverse: Focused on the Application of News Big Data Service and Case Study

메타버스에 관한 연구: 뉴스 빅데이터 서비스 활용과 사례 연구를 중심으로

This study aims to gain insight through understanding the Metaverse, which has recently become a hot topic. The study utilizes the methods of case study and News Bigdata Analysis Services. The Metaverse can be defined as a world with no separation between the virtual and real worlds. Currently, the Metaverse is dominated mainly by the MZ generation, but just like smartphones have quickly entered our lives, the Metaverse will soon, too, become a part of our lives. To follow up on this change, all companies, including global companies, are going after the Metaverse. Today, the Metaverse is successfully being used in all types of fields, including gaming, performing arts, business, etc., and its essential technologies include VR/AR/MR/XR and AI. This study intends to help understand the Metaverse through a case analysis of Zepeto, which has 200 million users worldwide. On Zepeto, users can decorate their own avatars, hang out with friends, go to art galleries and performances, and create and sell items. Of these users, 90% are from outside of South Korea, and 80% are teenagers. With most of the users being underage, many legal and social problems also follow. Nevertheless, who will be the first to conquer the new world of the Metaverse will continue to be a big issue. This study also analyzes domestic news articles about the Metaverse by utilizing the BigKinds system. Starting in 1996, the number of articles about the Metaverse each year remains single digit, until in 2020 when the number sharply rises to 86 news. As of June 2021, there are 1,663 articles on the Metaverse. This study suggests that the Metaverse should now be carefully examined and closely followed.