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Virtual Worlds Weekly - Volume 1, Issue 5
March 16, 2007
http://www.VirtualWorldsWeekly.com
Feel free to distribute if left whole.
John Hanke
Talks Google Earth Stats and Numbers + iPhone
Qwaq Unveils Virtual Spaces Software For Secure Enterprise Collaboration
An introduction to
Ogoglio and Ogoglio City
Sophos enables
Companies to Block Second Life
Mind mapping virtual worlds
Simutronics' HeroEngine
Gets Three Licensees
Puzzle Pirates Launches Whirled
Nintendo's Wii Sparks Secondary Industry as Users Create Mii's
Second Life Japan beta opens
Kaneva Enters Open Beta
Multiverse Network Unveils Prototype Games and Virtual Worlds
Derrick
Morton Founds FlowPlay With $500,000 in Angel Funding
CCP Games
Launches Voice Communication In EVE Online
Who's New in Second Life
H&R Block
Launches Virtual Tax Experience in Second Life
Telstra's ISP,
BigPond, makes a splash on Second Life
MySpace's
Tila Tequila To Become Second Life Avatar
Second Life, Second EU?
Saxo Bank Sets Up Shop in
Second Life
PA will
report 2007 Budget in Second Life and on Twitter
Second Life Galleries
Launches New Website
Gabetti Joins Virtual
Land Rush in Second Life
SubmarineChannel Presents the Entirely Shot Online Within Second Life
Tuscany Comes to Second Life
on March 30
Dean Koontz Gave virtual reading of upcoming novel in Second Life
Virtual Worlds Weekly Contact Information
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John Hanke Talks Google Earth Stats and Numbers + iPhone
Rumors have run long and hard about what Google may be doing in the virtual worlds space with its Google Earth and Sketchup products. Virtual World Times attended South by Southwest (SXSW) yesterday and sat in on the "Living in a Spatial Reality" panel. John Hanke, Product Director, Earth/Maps/Sketchup, Google sat on the panel and gave some Google Earth stats and details. While he didn't reveal any virtual worlds expansion plans for Google Earth specifically, he did shed some light on what they've built to date or actually - more importantly - what users have built on top of Google Earth to date and some other interesting details - including the fact that Google Earth will be on the Apple's iPhone. Given that published reports say the iPhone will be a closed system but Google Earth could be considered an open system it begs the question as to whether Google Earth holds an opportunity for developers to develop with the iPhone in mind. 30,000 developers are creating mashups and other stuff on top of Google Earth, says Hanke - more details here.
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Qwaq Unveils Virtual Spaces Software For Secure Enterprise Collaboration
Qwaq is creating virtual spaces for the enterprise that enable collaboration in ways that weren't possible before. Qwaq Forums, the company's first product, is a secure virtual workspace application that significantly increases the productivity of distributed teams by bringing critical resources together in virtual places, as if they were in an actual physical location. informationweek.com has an article that takes a look at the company which emerged from stealth today with the press release here
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An introduction to Ogoglio and Ogoglio City
Ogoglio and Ogoglio City sound interesting. Transmutable Founder Trevor F. Smith talks about Ogoglio on his personal blog. The Ogoglio project will provide community workspaces with the planning and coordination tools which have proven to be effective in multiplayer online games. Think of Second Life is a product, while Ogoglio is a project, he says. Think of the Ogoglio project in the same way that you think of the Apache project. They both produce technologies and have large scale goals beyond those technologies, but they're not terribly interesting until a person or company takes their output and creates a service on top.
The first service providing 3D workspaces will be Ogoglio City, an online business district for creative professionals who grew up with the Internet. Unlike existing platforms like Second Life or World of Warcraft, Ogoglio's platforms are open and "web native." They're designed to integrate with existing work practices, desktop applications, and web services. People will access Ogoglio workspaces through their web browsers, eliminating the need for the rollout and support of a proprietary client. The development page provides more detail about the current platform.
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Sophos enables Companies to Block Second Life
That's if your employer uses security software from Sophos and is keen on getting you to do work, rather than hang out in a virtual world. Sophos is adding an application control feature to its antivirus products that will let businesses block Second Life According to Sophos, a lot of system administrators want to put a lock on games. In an online Sophos poll, 90.4 percent of participants wanted the ability to block games at work, 62 percent said it was even essential. The poll had 450 participants, Sophos said. Cnet has a summary and Infoworld has additional details.
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VTOR has been using using Mindomo to develop a mind map of different virtual worlds (MMO and MMORPG). Mindomo allows you to make up to seven private mind maps and an unlimited number of public maps for free. A pro version is coming later for a few bucks a month that will allow unlimited private maps and better security. VTOR readers and fellow authors interested in adding to the map, it's available publicly here.
http://www.vtoreality.com/2007/mind-mapping-virtual-worlds/740/
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Simutronics' HeroEngine Gets Three Licensees
Simutronics has announced three new licensees for its HeroEngine, a platform for the development of MMOs. Publisher Virgin Games UK, in partnership with Germany's Trianit have announced that Virgin's new virtual island portal A World of My Own is being developed using HeroEngine. Texas developer Stray Bullet Games, and California's Colony studios have both announced their licensing of HeroEngine as well, according to Gamasutra.com
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Puzzle Pirates Launches Whirled
Puzzle Pirates and Bang! Howdy developers Three Rings have unveiled their latest game, Whirled, a web-based virtual world where players can play and create not just their own avatars and accessories, but games themselves. Players, say Three Rings, are encouraged to create their own content "at every point," using a combination of Adobe's Flash and Whirled's creation and remixing tools, but the game's customization isn't merely cosmetic - it can earn its creators money, reports gamasutra.com.
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Nintendo's Wii Sparks Secondary Industry as Users Create Mii's
The Wall Street Journal has an article on how Nintendo's Wii game system has sparks Secondary Industry around users created Mii's - or user generated Wii-based avatars. Web-based service called Mii Station will create Mii's for peopel for $5. Fabjectory sells statuettes of virtual objects, and has recently started offering five-inch customized Mii figures for $100. Jeff Silvestris, a Boston-based Web developer, recently set up Mii Plaza (www.miiplaza.net), one of the largest Web sites that collect and share Miis with a database of over 8,000 characters, including nonhuman characters such as butterflies and the Eiffel Tower. The Miis are now moving beyond the electronic realm. Paul Thiel, a New York sculpture artist, has offered a limited number of hand-crafted, clay Mii figures coated in acrylic paint on eBay that sold for about $250 each to people in the U.S., France and Australia. Others, like Mii Ware offer T-shirts and sweat shirts with their Miis emblazoned on them, according to the article (subscription required)
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Even without a Japanese-language client, Japanese residents made up 1.29 percent of Second Life's active users in January, according to Linden Lab data, putting the country in a tie with Switzerland for 12th place, according to a hSecond Life Reuters report. Advertising giant Dentsu is getting ready with the founding of a Second Life Study Association and research lab (PDF). There is some survey data on Japanese knowledge of and attitudes toward Second Life here. And apparently the drumbeat of warnings about Second Life's addictiveness has already begun.
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As of today March 15, 2007 Kaneva Beta is open to all Kaneva members and the Non disclosure agreement is tossed out the window, reports VTOR - Virtual TO Reality. According to the post I am now free to tell you that if you want to step (in a way) back into history to a time that 3D avatars of Second Life were so basically cartoonish, wobbled when they walked, but the scene was considerably less crowded? go sign up for Kaneva and head straight into the 3D world. Oh, prepare to be disappointed! You will find you are unable to create any content other than texturing you walls and floors, the clothes for sale really suck, how you are able to change the features of your avatar are very limited, chatting is a pain if you are wanting to move around any, and there is not very much to see. BUT, this is a new world to participate in and be a part of the growth and expansion, and will be interesting to watch grow. more here
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Multiverse Network Unveils Prototype Games and Virtual Worlds
The Multiverse Network, Inc., a company building the world's leading network of massively multiplayer online games (MMOGs) and 3D virtual worlds, at GDC last week demonstrated for the first time six prototype games and worlds built by independent development teams on the Multiverse Platform. Since December 2005, over 9,000 developers, ranging from garage teams to Fortune 100 companies to Hollywood legends, have registered to use the Multiverse Platform. In addition, more than one hundred pre-qualified customers have already begun building MMOGs and non-game virtual worlds with the Multiverse Platform. Presently in beta, Multiverse will release version 1.0 of its platform later this year. During the conference, Multiverse demonstrated the following projects currently in development by a range of unique teams, including university-led groups, a professional game development studio and small team efforts.
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Derrick Morton Founds FlowPlay With $500,000 in Angel Funding
Seattle PI has an article on Derrick Morton's FlowPlay, a startup that he describes as a "virtual world platform powered by casual gaming." which will launch in Summer 2007. Morton has raised about $500,000 in angel financing for the new company, with about one quarter of that coming from the founders. Angel investors include Michael Schutzler, the former senior vice president of games at RealNetworks, and Greg Fischbach, the founder of Acclaim Entertainment. The company has dozen employees. Morton is now focusing on raising VC funding. Morton left RealNetworks in September where he worked in the casual games business. Morton said he is basing FlowPlay on the success of ClubPenguin.com, a virtual world for youths between the ages of 8 and 14. FlowPlay by contrast will focus on older teenagers. ClubPenguin.com allows youngsters to sign up for free, but also charges monthly subscription fees of $5.95, reports the PI. FlowPlay also is investigating whether to adopt a one-time membership fee, which would allow members to set up virtual homes to store their virtual merchandise. It plans to derive additional revenue by allowing members who don't have enough virtual currency to buy items with a credit card or PayPal account. As in Second Life, users in FlowPlay will create avatars. In the FlowPlay world, players are rewarded with virtual currency based on how they perform in selected games.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/venture/307631_vc16.html
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CCP Games Launches Voice Communication In EVE Online
CCP Games, a game developer, today announced the integration of voice communication into Sci-Fi Massively Multiplayer Online Game (MMOG), EVE Online. Players will now be able to speak to each other for better coordination, negotiation, socializing and planning. The addition of voice adds a new dimension to the game used by over 160,000 active players. EVE Voice gives players the ability to communicate with each other directly from within the game without the use of third party communication applications. This will enhance coordination of players during intense gameplay such as battles, improve inter-player negotiations, enrich planning and bring a new facet to social interaction, as it will now be an integrated part of the game.
Who's New in Second Life this Week
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H&R Block Launches Virtual Tax Experience in Second Life
H&R Block, the world's largest tax preparation company, has opened up shop in Second Life. "We look for ways to connect with our customers anytime, anywhere, and with that in mind, we chose to be the first to build a presence on another 'block' within the Second Life world," said Tom Allanson, senior vice president and general manager, H&R Block Digital Tax Solutions. "As we develop products to make tax preparation fun and engaging, such as our innovative new tax preparation experience called Tango, we also look to connect and communicate with clients in a new space -- Second Life. The inhabitants of Second Life are revolutionizing how people interact in a virtual world. As we engage these Second Lifers in a conversation in a new space, we believe our digital tax services will appeal to them."
more details on the service offering
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Telstra's ISP, BigPond, makes a splash on Second Life
Telstra's ISP, BigPond, has created an experimental group of 11 islands in the online virtual world of Second Life, claiming the move represents "Australia's first major corporate presence in the online virtual world.", according to the company. Telstra's presence on Second Life, known as 'The Pond' features islands "with uniquely Australian themes and recreations of iconic Australian landmarks such as the Sydney Harbour Bridge, the Sydney Opera House, the Outback and Uluru." more here.
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MySpace's Tila Tequila To Become Second Life Avatar
To promote her latest video, the Internet celebrity who rose to fame almost entirely through her insanely popular MySpace page is becoming a Second Life avatar next week. This according to an announcement Giggagamez just got from Endemol, the Dutch television company who'll be co-producing the video and the Second Life site. "On Monday," the Endemol rep promises me, "you will receive a press release about the Tila Tequila Mansion in Second Life." details here
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Right on time for the 5oth anniversary of the Treaty of Rome, the European Union's Communications Department, is thinking seriously about establishing a digital "embassy" in the (currently more hyped than) popular virtual reality Second Life. According to a pressetext.at (in German) report, EU spokesperson Mikolaj Dowgielewicz explained that an EU office in Second Life was intended to reach out, get closer, and communicate better with individual European citizens, since 54% of the alleged 4.4m virtual inhabitants of Second Life are European nationals, according to Second Life operator Linden Labs. more details here
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Saxo Bank Sets Up Shop in Second Life
The Copenhagen-based online investment bank Saxo announced the other day that it has set up an office in Second Life. Saxo plans to offer residents the ability to manage real-life portfolios from within the virtual world, and the bank may eventually create a market to trade virtual Linden dollars against real world currencies. So far, Saxo's virtual office has a meeting space with links to the bank's website, a live trading game for visitors and an auditorium that will be used for symposia and training modules. Wallstreetandtech.com has the details
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PA will report 2007 Budget in Second Life and on Twitter
The Press Association has become the latest media organization to set up shop in the virtual world Second Life with a "Budget Info-Station" that will provide coverage of the 2007 Budget. A new PA service will give residents of the virtual world live updates from the House of Commons as Gordon Brown announces details of what is likely to be his final Budget as Chancellor of the Exchequer. The news agency will also be using the SMS social network platform Twitter to deliver news of the Budget. Details here
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Second Life Galleries Launches New Website
Second Life Galleries introduces the new Website www.secondlifegalleries.com, a site created for residents of Second Life ® 3-D virtual world to post and share images. Second Life Galleries also introduces a Forum page for residents of Second Life to communicate with each other and post items for sale.
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Gabetti Joins Virtual Land Rush in Second Life
Italy's Gabetti Property Solutions has joined the Second Life land rush, laying claim to being the first real-life property company in the booming virtual world. Joining dozens of companies that have set up shop on Second Life, Gabetti aims to put its name before the site's millions of registered users and explore a new market, Chief Executive Maurizio Monteverdi said on Thursday. Gabetti is investing about 100,000 euros ($131,700) in Second Life, with five agents working from home, Monteverdi said in an baselinemag.com article
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SubmarineChannel Presents the Entirely Shot Online Within Second Life
Several documentaries have been made about Second Life, but now there's a film that actually takes place inside the virtual world. In the film 'My Second Life' the main character sets out on a journey and the viewer tags along. In January 2007, a man named Molotov Alva disappeared from his California home. Recently, a series of seven video dispatches by a Traveller of the same name have appeared within a popular online world called Second Life. In these dispatches Molotov Alva encounters everything from Furries to Cyberpunks to Neo-Luddites to Sex Slaves to the King of the Hobos, Orhalla Zander, who becomes Molotov's guide as he searches for the creator of their brave new world. Filmmaker Douglas Gayeton came across these video dispatches and assembled a documentary in seven episodes, with a total length of 35 minutes.
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Tuscany Comes to Second Life on March 30
Fondazione Sistema Toscana, the official tourism foundation of Tuscany, Italy announced today: a new way of living Tuscany, of knowing its territory and beauties: Tuscany is now born on Second Life., reports Business Communicators of Second Life. The construction is underway, with the official opening of Toscana Island slated for March 30. Details here.
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Dean Koontz Gave virtual reading of upcoming novel in Second Life
A virtual version of New York Times bestselling author Dean Koontz gave a virtual reading of his upcoming novel "The Good Guy" in Second Life. The virtual reading will take place in Bantam Dell Publishing's new virtual store in Second Life, the Bantam Dell Book Shop and Cafe. Koontz's avatar will be assisted by two Bantam Dell employee avatars, one of which is Betsy Hulsebosch, senior vice president and director of creative marketing for Bantam Dell. According to Bloomberg, she will field audience questions via instant and text messaging and relay them to the author, who will answer in his real voice via an audio feed. We're thinking that the other employee avatar will be there to field flying appendages or something.
http://mmorpg.qj.net/tags/dean-koontz/13312
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Editor: Christopher V. Sherman
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