Archive for Sony

Virtual World Futures

June 20, 2007 at 8:29 pm · Filed under Google, IBM, Second Life, Sony

In the next 3-9 months, at least two major players (Google, IBM, Microsoft, etc.), in addition to Sony Home, will launch their own virtual worlds to compete with Second Life. They will differ from one another, but each will be a walled garden in the sense that they will not interoperate with one another or other worlds.

Christian Renaud’s Weblog: Look into the ball and tell me what you see…….

This is an interesting post and comments for folks wondering how the evolution of the meshverse will play out. Encountered this in commentary on Second Life’s evolving architecture on my more tech oriented blog.

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A Cambrian Explosion For Avatars

March 19, 2007 at 4:53 pm · Filed under A Quick Link, Business, Companies, Nintendo, Second Life, Sony

Although somewhat uneven in it’s accuracy, a recent BusinessWeek article points out the enormous growth taking place in use of avatars:

Suddenly it looks as if Second Life, that 3D virtual world that last year became a favorite hangout for hard-core techies and trend-watching corporations, has competition. A new crop of online multiplayer games is coming, targeting a broader audience with simpler navigation and customization than Second Life. These games also rule out lewd behavior. The companies behind them have a novel way of making money, selling digital goods such as avatars and their outfits. The games themselves are free.

The story also notes that Nintendo and Sony are entering the marketplace. Many discussion boards and blogs support the use of avatar. One vendor that provides a popular 2D, globally recognized avatar states:

Today, an avatar. Tomorrow, Your Identity—Online.

Gravatar

Currently Gravatars are primarily visual, but in games and virtual worlds like Second Life, they have limited kinds of behavior. That is changing and sooner than most think, avatars will become agents which allow your identity to participate online 24/7.

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