Slashdot Mirror
There Inc. Officially Launches Online World
Thanks to Yahoo! for hosting the press release announcing the official opening of There Inc.'s online world. This ambitious PC-based virtual world, created "with over $37 million in funding", is aimed at the 'mainstream market' and highlights socializing and playing, as well as world object creation, since: "70 percent of all objects currently for sale in There are created by members and 80 percent of events in There are organized by members." Real-life money can be converted to in-game currency, and during the Beta, "members... voluntarily spent on average of $7 USD per month purchasing There currency and buying in- world goods." There are even some amusing advertising tie-ins: "Digital versions of Nike's AirMax 2003 and Nike's Zoom Celar have been created... members who buy these Nike shoes for their avatars will find... they can run faster."
If I spend some fraction of a *real* dollar on virtual sneakers, my virtual avatar will virtually run virtually faster? Sounds to me like There Inc. has 1. invented a new way of getting people to pay for advertising - one suspects that the real-world products won't have much if any effect on one's real-world running speed (unless you're an Olympic-class runner, in which case one hopes you'll already know which shoes are best for your job), but the appearance in the virtual world of an increase in speed will "contaminate" the There user's attitude toward the real-world product - and 2. [they have] given themselves a license to print money. After all, the only thing they're selling is a certain configuration of electrons with a remarkably limited use.
Random spotty review follows...
:)
I've been There for awhile now, and while the initial cost outlay is staggering for an online game (I have to pay WHAT just to get voice chat? I have to pay WHAT to get a compass? HOW much just to hear jukeboxes? etc.) once you have a decent set of clothes and a vehicle or two, you're all set for casual play without a need to buy anything else. I think they should've included more of their 'options' as game features in your basic subscription, but that's the only real money dig they get on you if you're not a fashion hound.
While the product placement is amusing, in the end it doesn't really make a huge difference. Nobody buys the overpriced 'speedy sneakers' when you can just get a hoverbike which plows across terrain at insane speeds to begin with for cheaper. It's more fun to submit your own clothing designs and play marketer yourself rather than spend on corporate marketers; I've designed a few shirts and I'm hoping once key bugs are ironed out, I can start using gmax to make new decorative objects like arcade cabinets.
For a more hardcore if rougher around the edges experience with better user extensibility, check out Second Life -- but I checked it out and passed on it, because at the end of the day I just want the program to work so I can relax and chat with folks. There is a very polished, very simple GUI driven chat client aimed at casual users. I'll save the technical tangles for my day job.
I doubt they mean you can get real money by playing online - They don't host a currency, they host a coupon or coin system, perhaps. You can, within their framework, convert from real to vitual, but the only way to convert money out is by working for There.
I wonder what they'll do when people start trading stuff external to the game for real cash?
-Adam
I was reading about There a few days back and since I'm in the middle (actually, finishing off) Snow Crash, I was thinking that this online world is a lot like the Neal Stephenson Metaverse, all the capitalism and stuff.
Ash nazg durbatuluk, ash nazg gimbatul Ash nazg thrakatuluk agh burzum-ishi krimpatul
People with mundane, boring lives play video games to escape, and play as "someone cool." Why would people with mundane, boring lives shell out money just to role-play as themselves?
On one hand, I'd agree with you. I don't like that There has very little social tolerance for playing as something other than what you are; I tried cross-avataring there and it caused some social problems. Nothing on the scale of X-Box Live's verbal abuse, but enough for me to finagle my way through customer support (who are not set up to do this sort of thing, but performed admirably)and get changed to male.
But on the other hand, this isn't a game. It's basically chat, and as such, it's more of an extension of yourself than an RPG would be, where your species, gender, race, class, etc. all play into your stats in some way. Since you're not roleplaying, there's no need to go too far from your norm. For some, it's comforting to be able to drop the layers of abstraction and just TALK to someone, you know?
Found it kind of funny actually. Everywhere I went, I felt like I was in a virtual simulation of a tourist trap, where the only point was to buy items, and for vendors to take your money away.
--- It's not my fault this post looks redundant. I just type too slow.
There has problems, but it's interesting. It is not the Metaverse, it's a commercial product. It's pay for play, but it's probably about 1/2 game (treasure hunts, buggy racing, hoverboard tricks, trivia contests, etc.), 1/2 3-d chat service (with amazing emotes and an incredible amount of avatar customization).
I have fun in There. I thought it was worthwhile to invest a few $ to play around with the cool hoverboards and other stuff and to log on occasionally to chat, explore, and play with no pressure. It's no Evercrack, but that's part of what i like about it. A good way to think of it is that you are creating your own fun with the tools they provide and those tools are good and getting (mostly) better.
Feel free to ask if you have any more specific questions. I'll try to answer honestly with the good and the bad.
The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.