In the virtual world of Second Life, one can engage in just about every imaginable sort of commerce. Industries spanning from standard retail to prostitution offer the average Second Lifer a veritable cornucopia of possibilities, but it’s the virtual casinos that exist in the online world that are drawing the attention and ire of government agencies in the United States.
Atari To Develop Its Own Virtual World
Second Life has inspired numerous other start-ups looking to take advantage of the hype surrounding the user-generated virtual world phenomenon.
While many companies are looking to make a name for themselves with such aspirations, Atari just wants to reclaim its piece of the video gaming pie.
Just what sort of unmitigated chaos has been wrought in the wake of Second Life’s popularity?
Is Virtual World Marketing Just A Fad?
Anyone believing that online worlds like Second Life have reached the point of saturation had better take a second look at the marketing climate. Current trends point toward even more growth and expansion into virtual environments as the list of Fortune 500 companies launching operations in these online words continues to increase.
Usability and SEM Virtual Education Opportunities
Learn from your living room or heck, just stay in bed. The following are some educational and information opportunties coming up in the user centered design, human factors and search marketing industries.
Human Factors
Virtual Worlds Valued At A Billion
World of Warcraft, Second Life, Final Fantasy Online, Everquest and a whole slew of other online environments are booming as broadband access has continued to proliferate throughout the United States and beyond.
Virtual Earth Watches The Weather Channel
A new tool from The Weather Channel utilizes Microsoft’s Virtual Earth to let visitors drift through the clouds and weather systems from the desktop.
Custom Music From Web Based Virtual Composer
Steeprock Media, an audio production company focusing on broadcast recording and interactive media has launched Orpheus, a Web-based music library. The purpose of the library is to allow media producers to create customized music that will fit the specific needs of their projects.
Nickelodeon Launches Virtual World For Kids
Popular children’s cable network Nickelodeon is venturing into the virtual world with their launch of Nicktropolis today. The site is geared towards children 6 to 14 and allows visitors to enter a virtual world where they can play games, watch video, interact with other kids, and create their own 3D rooms.
Virtual Property Auctions Nixed By eBay
Since the dawn of EverQuest, the godfather of Massively Multiplayer Online Roleplaying Games (MMORPGs), companies have turned a tidy profit from selling virtual items and currency that only exist within the game in exchange for real life cash.
Google To Create Its Own Virtual World?
Google Earth has become a very popular application among users wanting to explore various parts of the glob via satellite imagery. Rumors are now circulation that Google is looking to take its technology a step further and implement facets of Google Earth in a project aimed a creating a virtual environment, much like that of Second Life.