3D worlds: other virtual worlds and technologies
Virtual Worlds map, 2009
The IEEE Virtual Worlds Standards Working Group publishes a categorised list of popular virtual environment,”Virtual Worlds: Types and Definitions”, at:
» http://www.metaversestandards.org/index.php?title=Virtual_Worlds
The listings below are in no particular order, other than that those that have been discontinued are relegated to the bottom of the page.
Azivia
“Azivia is a cutting edge 3D web based Virtual World Platform that runs on your browser. It is fully customized with a huge range of high quality avatars, environments and simulations to meet your specific meeting, training and educational needs. Each program is completely unique and designed with your specifications and input to allow realistic, incredibly lifelike simulations, virtual meeting capabilities, and educational material delivery.”
» http://www.azivia.com
There
‘There’ closed down in the Spring of 2010, a victim of the recession.
» http://www.there.com
Summary page at VWR:
» http://www.virtualworldsreview.com/there/
There Frisky (a There blog)
» http://www.therefrisky.com
[Link verified on 31 Jan 2006, and both link and world last viewed, on 01 Dec 2006]
VastPark 3C
“The VastPark platform enables you to build multiuser virtual worlds online and immersive media applications that can run online, offline and behind a firewall. The platform includes a set of technologies and tools that create the equivalent of the Web and enable you to create and run immersive virtual worlds & interactive social media events.”
» http://www.vastpark.com
Forterra OLIVE
“Technology innovation, demand for real-time decision making, and rising energy costs are all major forces driving companies and federal agencies to look for new ways to collaborate, train and connect. Virtual environments are not just another layer of communication…they are immersive worlds that bring all of your communication methods together – physical presence, voice, data, media – into a realistic, familiar environment. It solves many of the challenges that companies face in terms of connecting distributed organizations without costly and environmentally disruptive travel.
We’ve all heard the old standard that ‘life’s best lessons are learned from our mistakes’. At Forterra, we know how true that is. Our private, secure virtual worlds allow you to plan, rehearse and train in a safe realistic environment. You make your mistakes in the virtual world, so you can avoid them in the real one.”
» http://www.forterrainc.com
Kaneva
» http://www.kaneva.com
[Link verified on 31 April 2007]
Blue Mars
Still in beta at the time of writing (20 April 2009)
» http://www.bluemarsonline.com
Moondus
“Moondus is an open, high quality, 3d platform with all of the standard functionality of established virtual worlds – reproduction of real environments, simulations, textual and vocal chat – integrating them with the web and existing media, with the addition of collaborative sharing of documents.”
» http://www.moondus.com
IMVU
» http://www.imvu.com
[Link verified on 31 Jan 2006, and both link and world last viewed, on 01 Dec 2006]
Moove
» http://www.moove.com
Summary page at VWR:
» http://www.virtualworldsreview.com/moove/
VMTV (from MTV)
“A virtual world where you can live the show right alongside friends and fans – via a persona that you craft from head to toe. It’s the whole Laguna experience in a parallel online universe – including special events, exclusive prizes, cool groups, shopping, and more.” Quite frankly, this is truly crass … but the ‘Big Brother’ generation will love it.
» http://www.vmtv.com
3DExplorer
Java-based platform enabling the embedding of dynamic multi-user 3D environments in web pages.
“3DXPlorer is an online platform for designing interactive 3D web pages and virtual worlds including 3D spaces and 3D objects, in which web visitors can walk, visualize objects and interact as easily as they navigate through HTML pages, but in a 3D immersive mode.
Targeted to a wide range of users including creators, web designers, webmasters, application developers and even simple users, 3DXplorer helps creating 3D content that can be either a 3D window embedded inside a traditional website or full screen 3D immersive websites.
Designed for a wide range of applications, it can be used simply as a virtual show room in which visitors can visualize an interior design and feel an atmosphere, or in more sophisticated cases, used as an online interactive e-commerce tool, such as a sales configurator or an online collaborative platform to review product development.”
» http://www.3dxplorer.com
For example …
GoWeb3D
“GoWeb3D is dedicated to the development of technologies that revolutionize the way that people interact with the world and with each other. For us, two key technologies that enable this are augmented reality and virtual worlds.
[…]
a pioneer in virtual worlds, GoWeb3D designs and develops award winning 3D environments that bring people together regardless of their physical locations for work, play, and effective learning. Our virtual environments facilitate interaction and information exchange between people and businesses who would otherwise never have the opportunity to meet. Industries and individuals alike are continuing to capitalize on virtual worlds’ unique and effective ability to educate employees, gain tremendous marketing exposure, and socialize in comfortable settings.”
» http://www.goweb3d.com
Hipihi
One of three recent virtual worlds coming out of China
» http://hipihi.com
Frenzoo
Another from China, primarily directed at teenage girls. “Frenzoo is a free 3D avatar fashion and dress up games community where you can make your own avatar, mix and match and design and sell your own virtual fashions! In this online game you can create stunning outfits with cosmetics and accessories and join competitions for fun, fame and coins! If you and are into everything fashion this is a great place to chat and make friends. Whatever your unique style- teen girl, elegant, gothic, emo, elegant… you’ll find it here.”
» http://www.frenzoo.net
Novoking
Yet another from China
» http://www.novoking.com
Project Wonderland
» https://lg3d-wonderland.dev.java.net/
[Link verified on 11 April 2008]
Worlds Inc
» http://www.worlds.com
[Link verified and viewed 23 Feb 2005]
LivePlace
Not very much I can say about this one at the time of writing (11th March 2009) since the project home page is almsot blank. They’d posted a video last year (removed since), however, that suggests this may be the most photorealistic world yet.
See video at:
» http://blip.tv/file/1165390/
» http://www.liveplace.com
» http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/08/20/the-truth-behind-liveplaces-photo-realistic-3d-world-and-otoys-rendering-engine/
Multiverse
Still in beta when I first viewed this back in 2006, it looked then, and looks all the more so now, immensely promising.
“Multiverse’s unique technology platform will change the economics of virtual world development by empowering independent game developers to create high-quality, Massively Multiplayer Online Games (MMOGs) and non-game virtual worlds for less money and in less time than ever before. Multiverse solves the prohibitive challenges of game creation by providing developers with a comprehensive, pre-coded client-server infrastructure and tools, a wide range of free content—including a complete game for modification—and a built-in market of consumers. The Multiverse Network will give video game players a single program—the Multiverse Client—that lets them play all of the MMOGs and visit all of the non-game virtual worlds built on the Multiverse platform.”
» http://www.multiverse.net
» http://www.mv-places.com
[Link last verified and viewed 26 September 2008]
Entropia Universe [Windows 2000 or later]
» http://www.entropiauniverse.com
[Link verified and viewed 01 Dec 2006]
Cybertown
» http://www.cybertown.com
[Link verified and viewed 23 Feb 2005]
DigitalSpace Traveler (was: OnLive! Traveler)
» http://traveler.onlive.com/community/trav2dest.html
3DChat Virtual Universe (Java; platform-independent)
» http://www.3d-chat.com
Lively
Google’s brief foray into MUVEs.
“Lively was a network of avatars and virtual rooms created and decorated by its users. Google launched Lively on July 8, 2008 as an experiment in providing people with more ways to express themselves on the Web.
Lively’s users created thousands of cafes, bars, discos, tropical islands, treehouses, space stations, galleries, bedrooms and more. Lively’s users shared their rooms with people from all over the real world, meeting and chatting with each other via their customized avatars.
The experiment ended December 31, 2008.”
» http://www.lively.com
Muse
(I loved this one … but for some time the server has been down, and I fear that it may be yet another project that has been discontinued. The installer may still be downloaded from the web site where you will also glean a fair idea of what this world was like.)
» http://www.musecorp.com
Summary page at VWR:
» http://www.virtualworldsreview.com/muse/
[Web links verified and last viewed 2 February 2006]
InterSpace
… regrettably the project seems to have been terminated — see news items at:
» http://home.zdnet.com/anchordesk/story/story_2163.html
and
» http://www.ntts.co.jp/ENGLISH/wn/991220.html
GalaxyLife
Alas, another that bit the dust in July 2008
» http://www.galaxylife.com
[Link verified on 31 April 2007]
Outback Online
Though much hyped two years ago, this seems to be another project that has bit the dust.
» http://www.outbackonline.com
[Link verified on 31 April 2007]
LearningWorks 
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