Google launched Lively today, which is basically their effort at Second Life. But it might not be all nerds and emos like Second Life, it actually looks moderately cool. It runs in a browser (doesn’t need any software download), and Google already have about 40 million users using Gmail, which includes Gtalk, which is now part of Lively.
Users can create their own avatars (which are also more comic-book like than Second Life), and then create rooms where they can meet their friends. There’s not one big world where everyone is like in Second Life, but apparently that’s on the way.
Google didn’t just launch this so people could see avatars of the friends they’re talking to, if it does take off it will be a massive advertising platform, and it will be completely controlled by Google (which everyone said about Second Life too, but that’s still just nerds and emos).
Social networking sites are now so many that the term is nearly obselete. As result of the collective success of Facebook, Bebo, Orkut (if you’re Brazilian) and the ‘Space, a generation of people are heading online having never seen the internet without these experience. So interactions like adding buddies, shooting an IM, joining groups and um.. ‘poking’ Facebookers come to them as naturally as sending an email or performing a search. We used to browse content: now we aggregate, rate and tag it.
Now we’re starting to virtual worlds heading the same way. With a 3D game-like user interface, there is a very low barrier to entry for the younguns in attempting to navigate their avatar around a new environment. Of course there are still lag, rendering and other technical issues to resolve in these alpha experiences, but it’s really not a big leap for the Playstation generation to adopt the basic mechanics. So it stands to reason, that as the basics begin to be ingrained, providers of these worlds can start to tailor and personalise these experience to specific segments.
A great example of this is the recently announced (somewhat released) Virtual Lower East Side (think Vice Magazine meets Second Life). Of course there is value in a massively horizontal, user-generated platform of virtual content. But we’re starting to see virtual worlds translated into targeted editions for all sorts of demo- and psychographic audiences. VLES is the realistic virtual depiction of just one corner of Manhattan. When an area has such distinguishable characteristics that define it - live music, seedy past, grungy cafes - it has real potential to come alive in a game-like world. Clearly this is something Rockstar are trading off. But for these immersive, connected spaces, this is just the beginning.
Australians: maybe a virtual Maroubra could be an interesting place to explore from the safety of your own Macbook..
Recently at the Online Game Developers Conference in Seattle, Sony discussed it’s intentions for better extending the consumer relationship and commercial opportunities it has via connected PS3 and PSPs. Currently Playstation 3 owners are able to play online and download a small array of digital content. But Sony has ambitious plans to capitalize on it’s loungeroom presence via a new range of upcoming digital services.
In the near future, Sony will be looking to fill up the PS3’s 60Gb hard drive with full-length video on demand offerings such as movies, television and music. Some of this will integrate with its 3D community space, Home, where users can share media with friends within their own apartment spaces.
SCEA’s director of third-party developer relations, Michael Shorrock, also talked about how the Playstation Network could be seen as an experimental space for new business models. When asked if pavillions within Home would need to be leased or purchased by developers, he said that Sony are looking to “foster activity and flexibility”. This is encouraging for other non-gaming brands looking to be involved. A FMCG brand might be able to run an event launch, shared with a media owner or create an original video or music content offering. Shorrock also talks about providing conduits for people to contribute conten, but so far the specification for Home has been more focussed on business to consumer-type features.
With loungeroom (PS3) and wireless (PSP) distribution coming together, Sony nearly has all the enabling pieces of the puzzle in place. Now the services that overlay this connectivity just need to be captivating enough for people to turn away from their traditional consumption habits. But when you stand back and look at the possibilities of blending gaming, media, advertising and commerce, the ecosystem might actually provide some compelling reasons for engagement.
Coke recently launched a Second Life-based campaign called Virtual Thirst asking residents and the general population to design a virtual experience. It’s more of a social media initiative than a traditional approach by a brand in entering a virtual world, as it has a presence on MySpace, YouTube, FlickR etc as well as Second Life. It harnesses the creativity of the audience but doesn’t leave a massive in-world corporate footprint.
After some questions and complaints the complaints the company has decided to adjust some elements of the competition, including adding a 500,000 linden dollar prize. But more even more interestingly, the project lead at Coke, Michael Donnelly, has just posted a video response on YouTube explaining a few of the issues. This is a great example of a marketer really engaging with his consumers in a conversation, and making a decent attempt at actually listening.
This is pretty big news for those keen to see the aesthetic of Second Life evolve: Linden is testing the introduction of ’sculpted prims’. Prims are the basic shapes used in constructing all kinds of objects within Second Life. Until now, the process of buidling something has been fairly rudimentary and the shapes very basic. But what is a sculpted prim? This from the FAQ:
“A sculpted prim is a prim whose shape is determined by a texture - its “sculpt texture”. Sculpted prims can create organic shapes that are not currently possible with Second Life’s prim system.”
This, together with the new capability to export from professional 3D packages such as 3DS Max and Maya, will mean Second Life will soon be peppered with architectural visuals similar to that of animated films and video games.
An interesting potential effect of this could be that branded (ie better funded) development will begin to look quite different from the user-generated constructs. I am curious to see how the residents react to big companies bringing in their professionally sculptured Maya models. It could create a greater divide between individuals and brands, or maybe the professional developers that make their living within Second Life will take on a new array of modelling skills with much of the development across the board migrating to sculptured prims.
Personally I think it’s a great step forward and may potentially result in more users hanging around to check out Second Life beyond their initiation. Many users expect to see a Grand Theft Auto-style rendering of the virtual world and can feel a little let down when it doesn’t appear as smooth as it appears in still photos. I will post some happy snaps of sculpted constructions in the near future when this capability is released onto the main grid.
Although details are still sketchy, Electronic Arts has announced a partnership with Endemol (producers of Big Brother) intending to combine Second Life-type interactions with reality TV properties. The Guardian (subs required) says:
” Endemol chief creative officer Peter Bazalgette said it represented “a wholly different level” of interaction between viewers and programme makers.
He added that participants would be able to compete in their own “incredibly sophisticated” versions of Big Brother with other people from around the world and that there would be crossovers between the online worlds and the television series”.
The combination makes sense but clearly user-uptake of this kind of ‘converged interactivity’ will depend on its specific uses. EA obviously have access to some high quality avatar-making software (see make your own player options in EA Sports games) but Endemol will still be requiring users to vote with their mobile (for revenue reasons) - the whole TV + plus online avatar + mobile thing is a delicate balancing act. Still, it’s exciting. Branded spaces will be an obvious direction for the online 3D world so happy sponsors will soon see their logos delivered by Endomol into another medium. One question that comes to mind is - how will these Virtual Mes be allowed to interact with the brands?
Calvin Klein recently launched their new ck IN2U fragrances in Second Life so I popped by to take a peek. The launch includes custome animations from the perfume bottles that ‘initiate dialogue’ with my fellow avatars. There’s also a L$1 million competition running - oh what i could do with a cool million - Holden’s empire begins!
Anyway, interestingly, as Lori Singer, Calvin Klein Fragrances’ VP of Global Marketing, puts it in the press release, “ck IN2U speaks the language of a generation connected by technology — the aptly named technosexuals”. What is the language of the technosexual? Probably features quite a few cyber-expletives. She goes on to say: “They are the first generation to be defined more by their means of communication rather than fashion or music.â€
This is kind of an unofficial tenet at St Edmonds Lab - the actual form of the message (amidst the noise!) can be nearly as persuasive as the message, or at least significantly contribute to what you’re trying to communciate. It’s like comms variation of form-meets-function, with potentially startling results in the digital world.
Recently at the SXSW conference in Austin, Texas, Reuters interviewed Jerry Paffendorf from the Electric Sheep Company. There are some very interesting concepts discussed in this 30 minute chat, not the least of which is the idea of how Google Maps might mashup with Second Life. This is where the whole planet might exist in an alternative, mirrored video game format, complete with geo-location aspects tying the real and virtual worlds together. Have a listen, some mind-blowing stuff:
UPDATE: Check out the movie to get a feel for the offering (of particular interest to St Edmonds Lab is the mention of sponsored spaces).
This just in from the GDC: On the surface, it looks like Sony have finally made a good move. They’ve just announced that the previously leaked Playstation Home is indeed real - and coming in just a few months! From the screenshots, this looks like a virtual world rendered in the kinda of detail Second Life can only dream about (actually, it’s a little more like a HD 3D version of Habbo Hotel). You’ll be able to customize your avatar, pimp your own apartment, invite your friends over, earn achievements and get exposed to other Sony properties. Although, knowing Sony, it will probably be quite ‘canned and limited, in a way this could the notion of virtual worlds to a more mainstream audience. For me, this is the only reason so far to get a PS3 (but for $1000 I’d still prefer pimp my own pad).
