Metaverse Research Landscape Evolution | 2007–2020

A reproducible research-visualization project showing how Metaverse-related semantic structures evolved from 2007 to 2020.

The project is grounded in locally retained analytical reports and connects yearly semantic-network figures, reproducible Python scripts, and two public video summaries.

Project Overview

This project presents one complete research arc in two periods.

Part 1 — 2007–2016: The Virtual Worlds Era

Research centered on:

• virtual worlds
• simulation
• education
• rehabilitation
• virtual reality

Part 2 — 2017–2020: The Infrastructure Transition

Research increasingly shifted toward:

• blockchain
• Internet of Things
• smart contracts
• security
• digital twins
• machine learning
• artificial intelligence

Together, the two periods show a transition from immersive virtual-world applications toward connected, infrastructure-oriented Metaverse research.

Research Foundation

This visualization project is derived from a broader Metaverse research study based on Web of Science records.

The original analytical reports and restricted research objects are retained in a local archive and are not included in this public repository because they contain or depend on licensed Web of Science-derived materials.

The public repository provides reproducible presentation scripts, derived semantic-network figures, videos, and documentation without publishing the underlying bibliographic records or private analytical objects.

See archive/README.md for the archive and data-availability policy.

Purpose

The project transforms bibliographic and semantic-network results into reproducible visual outputs.

Its goals are to:

• document the historical evolution of Metaverse research
• visualize changing semantic structures
• preserve the analytical and interpretive foundation
• provide reproducible Python-based presentation code
• publish period-based video summaries derived from yearly figures
• separate public analytical outputs from restricted source data

Analytical and Visual Workflow

Web of Science research records
        ↓
Text, frequency, correlation, and network analysis
        ↓
Yearly semantic-network figures
        ↓
Python video-generation scripts
        ↓
Two period-based MP4 videos
        ↓
Public research communication

The original research reports preserve the broader analytical context and R-based network workflow.

The Python scripts in this repository use the exported yearly figures to create the final public videos. They add:

• opening title cards
• yearly network frames
• visible year labels
• closing interpretation cards

Repository Structure

metaverse-research-landscape-2007-2020/
├── 2007-2016.py
├── 2017-2020.py
├── README.md
├── pyproject.toml
├── rename_metaverse_figures.ps1
├── archive/
│   └── README.md
├── data/
│   ├── raw/
│   └── processed/
├── docs/
├── notebooks/
├── outputs/
│   ├── figures/
│   │   ├── metaverse_landscape_2007.jpeg
│   │   ├── ...
│   │   └── metaverse_landscape_2020.jpeg
│   ├── networks/
│   └── videos/
│       ├── Metaverse_Landscape_2007_2016.mp4
│       └── Metaverse_Landscape_2017_2020.mp4
└── src/
    └── metaverse_landscape/
        └── __init__.py

The local prev/ directory contains earlier script versions and is intentionally excluded from GitHub through .gitignore.

Requirements

• Python 3.10 or later
• Pillow
• FFmpeg available on the system PATH

Install Pillow:

python -m pip install Pillow

Confirm that FFmpeg is available:

ffmpeg -version

On Windows, FFmpeg can be installed with WinGet:

winget install --id Gyan.FFmpeg -e

After installation, restart the terminal or Positron so the updated PATH is recognized.

Generate the Videos

From the repository root, run:

python .\2007-2016.py
python .\2017-2020.py

The scripts generate:

• outputs/videos/Metaverse_Landscape_2007_2016.mp4
• outputs/videos/Metaverse_Landscape_2017_2020.mp4

Default output specifications:

• resolution: 768 × 768
• frame rate: 30 fps
• 2007–2016 duration: approximately 20.5 seconds
• 2017–2020 duration: approximately 13.5 seconds

Video Structure

Each video contains:

1. an opening title card
2. one semantic-network figure for each year
3. a visible year label on every figure
4. a closing interpretation card

2007–2016

The Virtual Worlds Era

Focus:

• virtual worlds
• simulation
• education
• rehabilitation
• virtual reality

2017–2020

The Infrastructure Transition

Focus:

• blockchain
• Internet of Things
• smart contracts
• security
• digital twins
• machine learning
• artificial intelligence

Interpretation

The yearly networks show that Metaverse research did not begin as a single, unified technical domain.

During the earlier period, its structure was organized mainly around virtual environments, simulation, education, rehabilitation, and VR.

During the later period, the landscape increasingly incorporated blockchain, IoT, smart contracts, security, digital twins, machine learning, and AI.

The videos therefore represent a structural transition in the research landscape rather than only a sequence of annual images.

Data and Publication Policy

The public repository contains:

• archive and data-availability documentation
• reproducible Python scripts
• yearly semantic-network figures
• final MP4 videos
• project documentation

The repository does not contain:

• the original analytical reports retained in the local archive
• the underlying licensed Web of Science records
• private R data objects
• restricted intermediate bibliographic datasets

The public artifacts are derived and aggregated research outputs, figures, videos, documentation, and presentation code produced from the original analysis.

Project Scope

The public visual series intentionally ends in 2020 because it represents the historical period selected for this project.

The wider archived analysis extends through 2022, but the two-video structure is presented as a complete interpretive arc:

Virtual worlds and simulation
        ↓
Education, rehabilitation, and VR
        ↓
Blockchain and IoT
        ↓
Smart contracts and digital twins
        ↓
Machine learning and AI

The project is therefore not an artificially extended timeline. It is a focused visualization of a research transition that can be interpreted with confidence.

Public Video Series

Part 1

Metaverse Research Landscape Evolution 1 | 2007–2016: The Virtual Worlds Era

Part 2

Metaverse Research Landscape Evolution 2 | 2017–2020: The Infrastructure Transition

Series statement:

Part of Metaverse Research Landscape Evolution | 2007–2020, a two-part semantic-network visualization of how Metaverse-related research structures changed over time.

Research-to-Publication Structure

Locally retained research reports
        ↓
Analytical workflow
        ↓
Derived yearly semantic-network figures
        ↓
Reproducible Python scripts
        ↓
Period-based videos
        ↓
Public research visibility