Cyberspace was once a dark, unwelcoming place, navigated by text commands and labyrinthine menu systems. Then along came the Graphical User Interface that we have come to know and love as the World Wide Web. A growing number of massively multiplayer online games and virtual worlds, such as Second Life (pictured), now make up the suburbs of the 3D Internet. We are well down the digital path towards creating The Metaverse, as described in Neal Stephenson's novel Snowcrash. A place where people can meet and do business, without leaving a carbon footprint.Cyberspace was once a dark, unwelcoming place, navigated by text commands and labyrinthine menu systems. Then along came the Graphical User Interface that we have come to know and love as the World Wide Web. A growing number of massively multiplayer online games and virtual worlds, such as Second Life (pictured), now make up the suburbs of the 3D Internet. We are well down the digital path towards creating The Metaverse, as described in Neal Stephenson's novel Snowcrash. A place where people can meet and do business, without leaving a carbon footprint.When you first join a virtual world, you need to create an 'Avatar' or 3D model of yourself. Basic garments are free, but you can buy outfits from virtual fashion stores or learn to design your own. The crossover from Virtual into Real World has already happened, as this presentation on Virtual World Economics shows. Virtual spaces are being developed for meetings, education and exhibitions. Virtual designers are selling buildings, hair, clothing, furniture and artworks made purely of pixels and imagination, without ever having to leave the comfort of their own studio.

The three suburbs of The Metaverse I find most interesting right now are Second Life, Entropia Universe and Kaneva. Pete Rive of Launchsite VR, is conducting his PhD on knowledge management and marketing in virtual worlds. He is also teaching the world's first course from within Second Life for the Digital Design School at Victoria University. Pete says:

"When Second Life started in 2003 the virtual world was relatively small. A journalist who was hired by Linden Labs, the company that runs Second Life, found it took him three hours to work from one end of the world to another. The following year it took him nine hours. Now the place is just too big to cover entirely.

There are all sorts of cool places to visit, depending on your interests. I like astronomy so I visit planetariums, and the International Space Museum. There is also a SciFi Museum, some great art galleries that exhibit 3D sculptures, photos and paintings. I am also into Machinima which is making movies using the virtual world and avatars as actors. There are movie theatres and festivals in SL where you can go to watch them."

Launched in 2003, the Entropia Universe runs a Real cash economy, and has issued the world's first Virtual Banking Licenses. The Entropia Universe Guide explains how to navigate and participate in a world set on a planet called Calypso, and an orbiting space station. I'm also tipping Kaneva as one to watch as this Second Life + Facebook/MySpace Hybrid is built on gaming platform and backed by an active community of game developers.

Kaneva was launched in 2007 so it's still very early days, but it has a great 2D interface that allows you to import 3D objects or add your own digital media easily to broadcast in-world. You start out with the basics of clothing and shelter then can buy K-points if you want to upgrade your threads or move to a ritzier address. Kaneva differs from many of the other worlds by encouraging you to connect your real world persona and in-world avatar. It's also made up of a healthy percentage of female members, which at the last count numbered 45%.

The next stage in building the Metaverse is interoperability, with IBM and Linden Labs leading the way in developing an open access, fully integrated 3D Internet. Cross community collaboration has been kicked off by two online millionaires, Anshe Chung from Second Life and NeverDie from Entropia Universe. They have teamed up to form the Virtual Worlds Academy, and virtual artists can now enter their new Virtual World Awards, designed "to help in the promotion of the creative community by recognising various achievements in different fields such as virtual artistry, technology, commerce and culture."

20/12/07

As well as being TBI's strategist, Helen Baxter a.k.a. MsBehaviour runs dance-music label TMet Recordings, 3D animation company Mohawk Media and has a fortnightly slot on National Radio called 'Virtual World'.