My World = Google's World?
It looks like Google might really be planning an avatar space. We noted vague fuzzy hints of something a year ago, but it now seems Arizona State is doing student sign-ups for a prototype test of an avatar/game/social network for a "major internet company" which everyone seems to think is the G-borg. Google isn't talking, no real details are out there that I found, and the beta isn't live yet, but... the cutesy little graphic on the ASU page asks:
"Are you into 3D modeling, videogaming, etc? Do you have a virtual avatar? If so, click here!"
(Note that's a *virtual* avatar, as opposed to a *non-virtual* avatar.)
Anyway, accordingly, and based on past rumors, the speculative chatter seems to be all about somehow linking Orkut social networking & Google Earth/Maps & SketchUp to a Java client (or something like that). Obviously, this won't be the WoW-Killer, but if the guesses are right, it would be fun to see how Google mashes up Facebook, Street View & Club Penguin.
And apparently, all the virtual avatars will be wearing sandwich boards bearing geo-targeted Google AdWords. (Just kidding!)
Related on the "not exactly Second Life" front: Sony's Home, Areae's Metaplace, VLB.
Other details at http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20070924-google-testing-my-world-for-launch-later-this-year.html
Posted by: Dan Hunter | Sep 25, 2007 at 01:39
Ah, the Snow Crashification of our world proceeds apace.
Posted by: The Constructivist | Sep 26, 2007 at 23:01
Its been done already.
www.imvu.com
Posted by: Been done... | Sep 27, 2007 at 02:48
I've talked to two people in the past month or so who were in job discussions with our favorite Lindens. Both of them were being pitched that the company was on a path to a Google acquisition. At least one of them was getting that pitch from someone actually at the company, not from the headhunter.
It appears that the "work here because we're the next billion dollar Google buyout" spiel isn't restricted to the silly real world, but also extends into the silly virtual one.
Posted by: randolfe_ | Sep 28, 2007 at 09:59
Here is a great project based on Croquet that the readers may also find interesting (Its called Edusim). The demo video shows how Croque and an interactive whiteboard can be used in the K-12 environment for 3D direct manipulation of virtual objects:
Part 1:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etBpUcNGVlU
Part 2:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9txgyhz1sDo
Edusim main project page:
http://Edusim.greenbush.us
Posted by: Rich White | Sep 30, 2007 at 12:09