Rumors of a Google powered virtual world based on Google Earth surfaced in January; today there is word that Google may be testing their virtual world at Arizona State University (ASU).
According to Google Operating System, ASU students have the opportunity to test a new product “that will be publicly launched later this year” by “a major Internet company” that is related to social networking, 3D modeling and video games. The questionnaire attached to the application process asks would be testers if they have a Gmail account, and if not would they be willing to get one. The product’s name is shown as “My World.”
Google’s Sketchup service already provides the tech to do 3D modeling and could also be used to create avatars.
We know for certain now that Google has big plans for social networking, from SocialStream to Google’s planned November 5 launch of the mother of all open social networking platforms. Whether the planned service will be a true Second Life competitor is still to be seen, however I suspect that if Google is prepping a virtual world it will be closer to IBM’s Virtual World chat platform than Second Life. To deliver a full UGC world is a not an easy step where a basic 3D world which builds on Google Earth, SketchUp, and existing Google social networking platforms including Orkut would seem more likely.
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Google is going all out to woo all age groups.
It’s interesting that Google’s getting into this market now (if in fact they are). A month or two back Wired did an article on Second Life being empty now- after all the media hype. Wired talked about technical faults, things like Linden Labs’ servers not being able to handle as many avatars at a time as is actually needed for business.
If anyone can pull this off- of course- google can. Especially when the problem is something like processing power, which google have already spent valuable time and money investing thought into.
That said, do the childish characters (especially the one on the right) look exactly the opposite of what I’d want my avatar to look like- or is it just me?
A virtual world like Second Life has greater monetizing power than a plain Gen Next Social network website. I think Google has too many liabilities in orkut, Youtube, Reader, etc. Hope this turns the tables…
EJ Fox
Second Life isn’t empty, indeed they’ve been doing record concurrent user numbers in the last month; it’s not perfect, but I’m seeing a big changes there, more substance now that the hype has gone.
Anything rumoured about google seems to be true. It just seems like google has no breaks as it just heads full speed on every direction
Interesting becuase Google has the power to integrate services better than anyone out there. One thing SL is missing smooth integration with the web, now content exists in one space or the other and seldom both.
I hope those images above are not avatars though, talk about “teh cheezy”.
This is really cool, Google moving into the virtual world … this would definitely raise the stakes for linden labs … and more over gives them a bigger valuation due to direct competition from goog
“Anything rumoured about google seems to be true. It just seems like google has no breaks as it just heads full speed on every direction”
google browser, google phone, google OS, google space station
“Building on Google Earth” is fairly unlikely, as GE has said they want to remain true to the real world (no fictional content, as with SL).
Using the GE platform as a more generic 3D browser is more in the realm of possibilities, but it would be distinct from the Earth, Moon, and Sky modes. But much more likely is something using Flash or Java3D in traditional browsers, with a heavy dose of Web 2.0 stuff gluing everything together.
Let’s hope Google take the virtual world economy and UI on to the next level. SL/Linden Labs have proved themselves the pioneers, but don’t seem to have the finance or direction to take the virtual operating system beyond it’s current buggy first iteration. Much press about this over the past 12 months, but little real developments - what we need is the pairing of technology, which perhaps only Google can deliver and design which will really spark a developers gold rush in this arena.
I would really like to see on of the big boys do something with Croquet !
yea, the avatars are not really my thing. i hope we can chose avatars that don’t look like pre-teens.
Flipside of thinking, a virtual world is a game without the objective. Microsoft et al., have a few of those game things.
Virtual worlds over the last four years have been running in parallel with the Web 2, user-gen evolution. Gaming is a walled garden, and SL, regardless of whether you like it or hate it or don’t get it or mock it (it’s the easy unthinking man’s thing to do), represents two things: a challenge to the gaming walled gardens and the introduction of all that is held dear to democraticized media: social places as a MODE to normal games. Singly player, multi-player, world mode, sandbox mode (Virtual worlds can be broken into two categories, pure sandboxes or social spaces– sometimes both, like SL, which causes tech problems).
It’s too late for coverage of Google Earth to NOT be compared to SL, but I’d offer the challenge to Duncan, et al, look at Google Earth in the gaming perspective, mixed with the social read and writeability that makes us have and keep our jobs.
Beats being uninformed. Heh.
google is going to take the wolrd
learn the lesson of warcraft - give people something to do, even if it is contrived.
warcraft is indeed a social network - a task-oriented network. by any measure it is more successful than any other network - myspace, facebook, secondlife, etc. people come back to warcraft every day because they have a (very contrived) task to complete.
Connecting the dots, “a full UGC world” is well within reach.
Google hosted the “Build Your Campus in 3D Competition” earlier this year. They now have a stable of campuses that would allow college students to walk around, engage with familiar ground, and experience a virtual version of their stomping grounds. Combining this with Orkut and the social layer “Google seems to be planning to add … on top of the entire suite of Google services,” (^), and you get a virtual college network where students can hang out, interact, hold meetings, etc. Imagine a student’s wall posts, literally written on a wall.
Like Facebook, they begin with a targeted audience, work out the kinks, and then open it up within 6-12 weeks to an eager audience, which has, in the meantime, continued to develop buildings and structures that mimic the real world in the “social” layer of GE.
Using Orkut as the gatekeeper to this world allows Google to A) reward Orkut users, and B) compel non-Orkut users to sign up with yet another social network (that could use some added membership).
Advertising would, of course, be throughout the world. Billboards, via a “radio” playing their favorite music (?), etc.
Telephones in the virtual world could be used to call long-distance numbers for free, using VOIP / Grand Central to allow users to obviate their landlines, to simply use their service in-world.
Virtual computer terminals in hub locations would allow users to enter real queries into the real Google search engine, via their avatars.
Stores that, in Second Life, failed, as they were allowing people to only buy virtual clothing and hair and whatnot, will thrive, as, using Google Checkout, they’ll allow real people to buy real goods that will then be shipped to their real house. All transactions can be handled in real time, with real money.
If this all comes to pass, not only will they out-Facebook Facebook, they’ll out-do everyone in the entire social networking space.
Google is doing way to much in my opinion. Granted, they have top talent but still. They seem to have the strategy of ‘do everything and see what sticks’. Rather than pick certain fields they wish to focus their engineering resources on, they’re spreading out everywhere. I dunno if this is a winning strategy. I would also think with so many new and developing products it becomes impossible to manage the company.
This makes total sense to me. I hope their interface is semantically better than Second Life. That is key.
Disclosure: The content of this comment may be taken as SPAM. To some extent it is, but … last night I wrote a post on my blog about Virtual Worlds As A Commerce Platform. Just click on my name above.
And those who will crucify me for connecting my blog to readers here!! Well .. what can I say, there is not stopping you from doing it
This makes sense as that is a perfect platform for delivering localized 3D Adwords.
Saw it coming a year ago : http://kingsley2.com/archives/.....ion-google
I am starting to get tired of Google getting into every single area…
This already exists. See our website, it allows every web surfer to own two square parcels for free - first-come, first-served.
We are now working on image upload and more.
If you want more lands you can refer your friends to the game, or, er…, pay.
Full disclosure: already said it, but the poster works for the website.
anyone know a way for non-ASU students to get an invite? There has got to be a way….
Google can’t replace Second Life. Google sucks at almost everything except search and advertising. Most of their other products have been lying in beta stage for years now.
http://vidsonly.blogspot.com
Charlie Park seems to be on the button here (alongside me!)
Google already has the components, and the silly fan-boys have or will already do some of the hard work for them.
Google keep launching products because they want to use every opportunity to keep exclusive attention of users, without needing to leave somewhere where its adverts are playing (inc. adsense).
Google has ip-based telephone, video, currency, office, broadcast advertising et al products which are already bunched together in the real world, and would be simple to drag into the virtual/mixed/meta-world.
Google must have liked Shenmue.
Google also owns an in-game interactive advertising agency and network.
Google want to be at every opportunity for advertising and commerce, and reduce the friction between [product] knowledge to aquisition [delivery].
However, All I’m seeing is Google following the road of the experts in this: the games companies -whether that be Microsofts XB-Live (+ labs), Sony Home (already beta-available), Sega (the whole dreamcast network/shenmue) or the work of Maxis in the early 90’s for SimEarth, or even the pioneering work of VR company called Virtuality (now sbg labs).
Yours kindly,
Shakir Razak
Hey Now,
I hope it doesn’t need a great video card. I can’t use second life since my video card isn’t good enough.
Thx 4 the info,
Catto
They should buy out Rubies of Eventide. It’s way more stable than second life and uses Touchdown Entertainments’s graphics engine.
Google, and linden labs should team up, with Google’s money and server power it would make second life much more enjoyable. Possibly get mono inserted into the game faster
I have always been interested in virtual worlds, so I will definitely check it out when it is available. For the time being though, I will stick with http://www.citypixel.com/ for my virtual world fix. Very cool, if you haven’t visited yet.
A request to Google: INTEL graphics chipsets are not supported by Second Life (you can’t use the site). And SL does not yet support Windows Vista. There are a lot of people out there who can not use SL and have perfectly good PCs or laptops. (And their manufacturers better start talking to Intel about this before it starts to hit their profit margins.)
I am not alone in finding an irony in the growing presence of Intel in SL; they recently opened a site with a conference center there. No help or hope for a solution to this problem from INTEL (a few of us have been on their blog).
I guess they don’t use their own chips :-).
A request to Google: INTEL graphics chipsets are not supported by Second Life (you can’t use the site). And SL does not yet support Windows Vista. Can you please fix it folks? We know you’re clever.
There are a lot of people out there who can not use SL and have perfectly good PCs or laptops. (And their manufacturers better start talking to Intel about this before it starts to hit their profit margins.)
I am not alone in finding an irony in the growing presence of Intel in SL; they recently opened a site with a conference center there. No help or hope for a solution to this problem from INTEL (a few of us have been on their blog).
I guess they don’t use their own chips :-).
If the avatars look as crappy as that e-mail… I’ll stick with Second Life ;p
Enough google love. What about Microsoft and their xBox live/msn messenger plus live spaces with their 3d earth, that would rock
or the 3d yahoo 360 virtual world http://www.dailymotion.com/off.....th-ms_tech