We’re live blogging each session, adding to the summary of each company direct from the floor of TechCrunch 40. Click Refresh to view.
FlowPlay
FlowPlay is a virtual world community built around browser-based casual games. Users play casual games as their own created anime-like avatar, earning virtual goods for their character including clothing, refrigerators and other virtual store items. The site wants to provide the option to play casual games or interact with people in the virtual world (or both).
Animation virtual world product, anime style 2.5D visuals
strong privacy features to protect the kiddies
similar to Hobbo Hotel, Cyworld, Club Penguin, but with casual games emphasis.
Pitched a girls…well it appears to be, you can win dresses and stuff.
Unfortunately the time was used to show a demo video, not the best use of their time on stage. Will appeal to kids.
Metaplace
Areae’s Metaplace platform aims to revolutionize the virtual worlds space with a platform that will provide an open, easy-to-use interface which will allow users to create virtual worlds that can run anywhere. Metaplace-created virtual worlds will allow user to play games, socialize, create content and conduct commerce. Metaplace-created virtual worlds can be embedded into external sites, including Facebook, MySpace or a blog. Virtual worlds in the Metaplace network can be easily linked together.
Virtual world product, market still growing.
Virtual worlds are like AOL in 94, walled gardens etc, not a good thing according to them.
Has Facebook, MySpace widget, blog widgets, 30k embed.
Generic virtual world platform, can have Sim’s style games, shooters, even an Amazon store front.
Virtual world can also import XML: content, services etc can be imported.
Users can set up their own world from scratch, each world communicates with each other.
“virtual worlds for everyone”
Woome
WooMe brings speed dating online and extends it to let users meet new people live in speed sessions that are “fast, fun and free.” WooMe doesn’t require long forms or lengthy profile descriptions, users simply find a session that interests them and meet five people in five minutes. Users can also create their own session based on their interests and can invite people they want to get a know or friends.
Speed dating product.
Good presentation, talk to people quickly via webcam, both parties must agree to hookup
Zivity
Zivity offers a social networking platform focused on “sexy models and beautiful photography.” With a $10 subscription, members receive five votes that they can cast for models and photography they find appealing, with 80c out of every $1 vote cast being distributed to the model and photographer. There is no limit on the amount of money that a photographer or model can make; as long as a photo remains popular, models and photographers will share in ongoing royalties whilst retaining full ownership of the pictures.
Lots of warnings prior to this demo about it including porn…so far all we have is clothed model…false advertising perhaps?
User gen content makers aren’t making money, Zivity wants to change this…well at least for “sexy pics.”
Demo has PG rating…seriously, complete with the PG on the screen.
Ahhh…breasts. PG obviously different in the US to Australia
Kaltura
Kaltura is a collaborative Media startup that allows groups of users to do with video, audio, and animation what wiki platforms enable them to do with text. Think of it as YouTube meets Wikipedia. See our full post here.
Expert Panel: Caterina Fake likes Woome, Sarah Lacey hates it, says it’s not a stand alone company. Loic like Woome as well + likes Metaplace, says its trying to Second Life Facebook. Brad Garlinghouse likes the peoples choice Kaltura, hates Metaplace, says that the train has already left the platform, we already have Second Life.
Hammer likes Kaltura because he likes video, the creativity aspect is taking off.
Discussion about Zivity, Michael turns prudish and says there was too much nudity in the presentation. Sarah Lacey said the nudity was great and it was her favorite. Hammer thinks 16 year old girls will end up on the service, with a word demonstration..lots of laughter. Zivity says they are bound by laws about id, over 18 Hammer says haven’t they heard of fake id’s, gets a round of applause. Loic suggests there should be a merged service between Zivity and Woome.
Discussion about Zivity’s revenue distribution model, evlolves into a discussion as to whether it would be a challenge to Flickr. A: no, different market, but thinks the site will go really well, best model but Yahoo doesn’t endorse the content 
Q to Metaplace: is this like Second Life? A: SL comparison isn’t valid, SL is not a generic platform
Sarah Lacey doesn’t like Flowplay, seems condescending to girls. Discussion about the model, Hammer suggests it’s a good model that will work well with 13 year old girls.
Q: Woome asked what will stop people holding up a card with their number on it via webcam, bypassing the revenue model A: If 10% game it, no problems, if 50% game it they’ll address it.
Q for Flowplay, are they developing more games, and opening up for 3rd party developers? A: they are licensing 3rd party games.
By the way, BOTH links for Areae are wrong. The crunchbase link tries to go to metaplace instead of areae, and the Areae site link tries to hit .com instead of .net.
Areae must be loving all the money it is making from that parked page being featured. Whoops!
It’s not their parked page…
Areae, Inc. only registered areae.net, metaplace.com, and metaplace.org
Lots of talk from the panel about Zivity’s success being a given. One thing they never made clear was: what’s the motivation to vote (and hence everyone in the chain getting paid)?
I was impressed by WooMe, mainly because of the huge potential for users to start using the site in totally new, unintended ways.
Don’t really understand the Metaplace thing. Who is the intended audience? Is it a toolkit for developers to build virtual worlds (mostly in 2D and 2.5D a la Habbo, Cyworld, Gaia) or is it a gathering place and community for end-users or both? Frankly, I expected a lot more from Areae (worst name ever; thank god they changed it) given all of Ralph’s posturing over the past year. Disappointed….
You can’t write “Ahhh…breasts.” on blog. Some people here might find it very offensive. You can ask anyone in upper class or middle class families.
It’s like saying “N” word to blacks.
Anyways, I never seen an wealthy actor say “Ahhh…breasts” on TV. I remember how NBC reject howard stern for saying such word like “b*tch, breast, penis, etc”.
Flowplay is pretty cool and I am going to look into it further, but while we are on the topic of virtual worlds, has anyone had a chance to look at http://www.citypixel.com lately? Very interesting stuff going on there.
Areae is the company’s name.
Metaplace is the product’s name.
I wonder how long the buzz for community/social networking is gonna lots. With so many new good startups entering the market share, it is going to be a tough market in coming years.
Most of the judges liked WooMe best - I agreed. It was by far the most impressive company in this group - very impressive and I agree that people will use the speed session platform well beyond dating.
uhh… is that a nipple peaking through her fingers? Shame on you Duncan!