3Dwalkthroughs.com has predicting for some time now that social networking and 3D virtual worlds will merge to create a more immersive and interactive experience than flat 2D social networking sites. We believe the ability to speak in person, even if through avatars, will take social networking to a much more compelling level.
Start-up company Vivaty of Menlo Park, California, is making our prediction come true. Vivaty is combines social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace with 3D virtual worlds like Second Life. Rather than filling a web page with photos, a list of hobbies and their favourite software applications, as users of Facebook do today, Vivaty users will get access to a virtual room where they can adorn the walls with photos, watch a virtual television that plays YouTube or invite friends over to join them.
Instead of chatting by sending each other messages, Vivaty users will be able to speak “in person” via 3D avatars. Vivaty will be offered to Facebook users this year.
Source: www.technology.newscientist.com
We are certainly going to give Vivaty a thorough test drive to experience this new application first hand. If their hybrid social networking and 3D virtual world platform is as flexible as they say, Vivaty will certainly be a company to watch.
July 8, 2008 at 7:18 pm |
“We believe the ability to speak in person, even if through avatars, will take social networking to a much more compelling level.”
Why do you believe this? Tell me why would anyone want to spend time fussing about within a 3D application when text messaging meets all our needs? Also an avatar is not “in person” any more than a static image of me in your IM client.
I would make a large bet that this software will never catch on. Good luck.