Client
- Mastercard
Services
Secure
Environmentally Conscious
Promoting Recycling
Accurate Visible Counter
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There is much conversation around the Metaverse, and many believe that we could be years away from truly experiencing an immersive, synchronised global digital experience. However, this has not stopped brands from speculating and experimenting with the concept. After all, no brand wants to be late to the future, and Mastercard is one such company that is taking the lead in this area.
The Challenge
As part of our ongoing support of the Mastercard Bond Room, Mastercard Cyber Security Division approached us to explore how we could create a tangible experience of how Mastercard could play a part in the much-anticipated Metaverse in terms of payment security. Our challenge was to create a slice of the metaverse or ‘proto-verse’ concept that would demonstrate how Mastercard’s secure solutions could be integrated into this new digital space. The goal was to showcase the potential hazards and solutions that Mastercard has put in place to ensure that customers can make secure purchases in the metaverse.
The Solutions
We decided to expand the Bond Room by allowing customers to explore segments and solutions within virtual spaces. After theorising what a customer’s virtual freedom and safety should look like, we created the MetaBond.
The MetaBond is a ‘proto-verse’ that allows users to explore what the metaverse could look like in the future. It enables users to explore three completely different worlds and make unique purchases in each, demonstrating the potential hazards and Mastercard’s secure solutions.
Security and Safeguarding
Within this concept, we put safeguarding at the forefront of its showcase, creating an accessible way that would allow users to quickly assess if vendors or purchases are trustworthy. The system would reduce the chances of identity theft without outright blocking users from this metaverse scenario.
We need to create an easy-to-understand framework to educate users about this new realm of experience and payments. We ideated and created two main elements:
Meta ID: This is your core private identity, which you can think of as your personal data (full name, address, credit card details, and passwords).
MetaGuardian: This is the Mastercard-powered barrier between your private Meta ID and the “outside world” of the metaverse, allowing only public data to be visible to others. The only public data would be your avatar, nickname, and trust scores.
The Results
Results
Three Worlds to Explore
The visual experience of the metaverse is a highly debated topic, with many differing opinions on what it should look like. To create an unbiased experience and aid in the exploration of the metaverse for Bondroom visitors, we constructed a protoverse for Mastercard that was broken down into three distinct visual styles. Each visual style was carefully crafted to provide a unique and immersive experience for users while also showcasing the potential hazards and solutions that Mastercard has put in place.
Toon Town
Theme: A fun experience designed to resemble existing popular online games which are, in fact, early protoverse experiences.
Purchase Opportunity: Showcases how users can buy real-world physical items delivered straight to their door.
Customer Simplicity: In this example, we have the user’s address & CC details provided automatically to the vendor by their Meta ID.
Gaia
Theme: Fantastical theme of world and avatars.
Purchase Opportunity: This concept grants users to buy a multi-use ticket for an entertainment show that may be hosted in both the real and virtual world.
Customer Simplicity: This is the first time the Meta Guardian system has kicked in to protect you from a known scammer, allowing customers to see the safety measure enabled to protect their personal details.
Future Town
Theme: Futuristic city with realistic, customizable avatars.
Purchase Opportunity: No Meta Guardian protection. Part of the demo is teaching the user to heed the warnings put in place by the system; the user’s behaviour will trigger severe warnings, and the demo will show potential consequences if the user chooses to continue with the purchase.
Customer Simplicity: When users select their avatar, the metahuman mimics users’ facial expressions.
Fully Playable Demo
All of this culminates in a fully playable demo using a games controller, allowing you to navigate each of these worlds and make purchases. This fully immersive experience gives you a glimpse into the potential future of the metaverse and how Mastercard is by your side each step of the way.
Summary
Mastercard’s MetaBond concept is a significant step forward in the exploration of the metaverse and how brands can create secure and safe virtual spaces for their customers. By showcasing the potential hazards and the solutions that Mastercard has put in place, the MetaBond concept provides a glimpse into the future of the metaverse and how it can be a safe and secure space for everyone.
