Twinity: Europe's Play for Virtual World Dominance?

I just requested to participate for the beta of Twinity, a new virtual world going online in about 3 months promising to be "just not so virtual".  Not the traditional exercise in digital escapism, the idea is that the world will act as a virtual extension of your own life in which "even your avatar will look pretty familiar".

We haven't got much information on Twinity yet, but based on what we learned from Metaversed (who got to see the alpha) the German project does sound pretty promising.  In addition to a different way of structuring itself (using existing "cities" as a place where you can virtually live), Twinity also aims to establish an escrow agent for in- and out of world transactions.  Depending on how this looks, this could create interesting trial opportunities for brands seeking to bridge the gap between the physical and the virtual.

Virtual World Advertising Dollars Poised to Tenfold

Whether and how the numbers make sense is hard to estimate, yet Park Associates has just released a study claiming that the US Virtual World Advertising spend is poised to tenfold from $15 million in 2006 to $150 million in 2012.  According to the researchers this is only "advertising in existing worlds" and the amounts exclude virtual worlds set up by brands themselves.

This would take virtual worlds to about 4% of the overall spend advertising in video games (which the group combines as one category).

Call for Interest: It's Time European Brands Got Serious about Virtual Worlds

In America, brands experiment in Second Life and There, hang out on Laguna Beach or even set up their own not-so-little universe.  Korea has Cyworld  and China is building one of the most ambitious virtual worlds on the planet (or should I call it an e-commerce enabled mass-customisation system with virtual world storefront?) 

And meanwhile, Europe sleeps.

Sure, we've got Habbo, Entropia and a few others which are doing impressively well. And we all have high hopes for Twinity. But beyond them I'm not feeling any real "buzz" around virtual worlds and what they could mean for brands, businesses and the people who pay their salary (i.e. the customer).

This while more than half of the Second Life residents hold European passports and World of Warcraft left the European one million mark behind them almost 2 years ago

I think this should change.  That is why - at Futurelab - we want to see whether there are European brands, businesses, universities or even governments out there who would like to have a serious look at launching a branded virtual world for European audiences in 2008. 

The deal would be simple.  We organise a round table where we all get together for a serious chat (over 2 or 3 days).  From our side, we'll bring along our best research and thinkers, a bag of cutting edge ideas and the project management expertise of Stefan Weiss from our virtual world outpost in Germany (which just cloned the city of Munich).  You bring along the money and commercial fire-power to support the things that you like.

If we jointly come to a concept you believe in, we hit the gaspedal and those who were there from the start get a priority seat at the table for years to come.  If we don't, you walk away and we all learned a lot.

So, drop myself or Stefan Kolle a line if you'd like to hear more about our plans to put Europe on the virtual map of the world.  We think it can be done. Do you?

Post Scriptum
To truly focus the minds on having a productive meeting, the cover charge for participating in the round table is € 5,000 for the first participant of a brand, and € 2,500 for any additional person after that. 

Participation is limited to maximum 3 principals per brand in which we recommend to include your marketing and your HR leader.  Agency representatives are also welcome to accompany the brand they represent (at the rates mentioned above).

Sony Home ... Why Can't I Make My Own Stuff?

When looking at part 1 and part 2 of the unveiling of Sony Home for the PS3, I was dazzled by what I can only describe as a cool combo of an über-interface to the Sony media-world and a hi-res version of Second Life for my living room TV.  Even my wife started saying she wanted a PS3.

The message -even though not explicitly mentioned- is that Sony wants to:

• slay a few TV stations by embedding movies and TV-shows into Home
• disintermediate a few retailers by making games downloadable
• take on Second Life and There by offering a hi-res living room experience, featuring "premium" virtual clothing, furniture and what more.

And in the process of course make the guys in Seattle sweat on about how they will counter that move.

Whether Sony will pull all of this off, only the future can tell, yet the most interesting feature which I missed in Home was the ability to "make my own things".  But then I wondered, is that actually something which the majority of people actually want? 

If Sony are going to include "sponsored environments" anyway, wouldn't a virtual IKEA be more convenient for the average punter who just wants to hang out with his in-world friends.  But then the next question forms in my mind, who do I call to open my shop?

I don't know … what do you think?