Reconceptualizing the metaverse: A taxonomy for user experience analysis and insights from real-world platforms

While academia and industry share a common interest in the metaverse, there is a notable lack of consensus on its terminology. To bridge this gap, we propose a more suitable method for user experience analysis by integrating academic insights with real-world services. To this end, we developed a user experience-focused taxonomy by synthesizing academic perspectives and validating it across eight real-world platforms. In addition, we employ word co-occurrence network analysis to identify the primary concerns and opinions of real-world users. Our findings reveal that academia conceptualizes the metaverse through an idealized lens, emphasizing technical and functional aspects. However, real-world services do not necessarily adhere to the requirements outlined in academic definitions. For users, key concerns center on platform-specific characteristics, challenges, reliability, and privacy rather than technical factors. These results provide valuable insights by clarifying the metaverse's definition and advocating for a more user-centered approach to its analysis and development.