Metaversum and Twinity has been elected a Red Herring 100 Europe Winner 2009

With its 3D online world Twinity.com, Metaversum is one of the 100 most promising private technology companies in Europe

Singapore, April 8, 2009 – Red Herring announced that the company Metaversum has been elected a Red Herring 100 Europe Winner for its 3D online world Twinity. This award is given annually to the top 100 private technology enterprises headquartered in Europe, the Middle East, or Africa.

“We feel honored to receive the Red Herring 100 Europe award. This clearly confirms our vision of a 3D world based on real cities, allowing real people to interact and communicate with each other.” says Metaversum CEO Jochen Hummel. “Twinity is coming alive through our partners, including Cinestar, Berlin.de, Zitty, Be.Berlin, Bigpoint, Sony Pictures, the city of Singapore, Geek Terminal Singapore, The Digital Movement (TDM) and many others. Together with our users, they are filling our vision of a real 3D world with life.”

This nomination as one of the top 100 ground-breaking technology companies proves that, with its innovative concept of real 3D cities inhabited by a real 3D community, Metaversum offers a trend-setting contribution towards the three-dimensional web: Twinity’s realistic 3D replicas of international metropolises enable internet user from all over the world to communicate and interact with each other in a whole new way. It’s a place for real people to share experiences online in a familiar environment.

Red Herring’s list of top private businesses is an important guide to identifying new and innovative technology companies. In their early years, enterprises such as Google, eBay, and Skype were recognized by Red Herring editors as significant concepts, likely to alter the way we live and work. To pick the winners, Red Herring’s editorial staff evaluated several hundred enterprises according to strict standards, including thorough analysis of financial data and subjective criteria such as management quality, implementation of strategies, and effort in the area of research and development. The virtual world of Twinity is currently in the open Beta phase. At http://www.twinity.com, you can register for free and explore the 3D world.

About Red Herring:

Red Herring is a global media enterprise that provides a network for the world’s foremost developers, investors and economic decision makers through various platforms: a market-leading magazine presenting new developments, daily online news from the hi-tech sector, newsletters, and major events for executive managers from all over the world. Red Herring offers insider knowledge regarding the global innovation economy, with a unique outlook on up-and-coming technologies. For further information, please visit www.redherring.com.

About Metaversum and Twinity:

Metaversum develops and operates the 3D online world of Twinity, pursuing the vision of closely connecting the real world with the virtual one. The most exciting metropolises of our planet, starting with Berlin, are being replicated to scale and made virtually accessible. Other cities will follow soon. With their personal avatar, Twinity members get to virtually explore real cities, move into their own 3D homes, communicate, work, and get creative with friends, or simply have fun! Twinity offers enterprises innovative opportunities for market presence in virtual real cities with genuine people. Direct and emotional digital dialog with target groups will be possible through virtual shops, real 3D representation, in-world advertising campaigns, or product placement at virtual events. Twinity is currently in the open Beta phase. Metaversum, founded in July 2006, and financed by leading VCs, has offices in Berlin, Kiev, and Singapore. For more information, please visit www.metaversum.com and www.twinity.com.

Travel Industry Seeks Socially Responsible Second Life

In 2007, I met with Management at Suntec Exhibition Centre in Singapore regarding virtual worlds and the opportunity for Real & Virtual World events to be run in Unison with each other. Singapore recently held the IT Show at Suntec, 770,000 people packed the centre and SGD58.5 million was spent in four days – how much more could have been spent if they held a virtual event for those unable to make it to Singapore over the 4 stipulated days – i wonder ?

Excerpt from Travel Industry Article below:

At the ITM’s 37th annual conference in Liverpool this week, the people responsible for spending an annual £34bn ferrying business executives and staff around the world will hear that physical attendance is not always the ideal way to convene conferences and confabs. Instead, the technology of online virtual worlds can bring delegates together in an equally productive, immersive, businesslike environment which is also socially responsible, greatly reducing the impact of corporate travel on the environment.

Alan Haymes, director of London-based New Business Horizons – which provides Second Life offices, meeting and conference facilities for other clients as diverse as Universal Music Group and the London Chamber of Commerce – will be leading the ‘Meeting in Cyberspace’ session at the ITM conference, explaining the business benefits of events that take place in a virtual world and comparing the experience not only to physical meetings but to the ‘traditional’ virtual option of teleconferencing.

Haymes comments: “Virtual world conferencing is a more complete experience than the webcam or teleconferencing suite, which means that the ITM’s initiative extends beyond saving money and improving CSR. In a virtual world, delegates can immerse themselves fully in the conference environment and truly feel part of a big event. Breakout and one to one sessions can be easily incorporated, there’s less pressure on performance and appearance … and it can be more fun.”

via Travel Industry Seeks Socially Responsible Second Life.

I also shared this idea with Twinity management….

Life On Line – Twitter twouble, Twinity, twaumas and twibutes

Twitter twouble, Twinity, twaumas and twibutes:

Guests include co-founder of the virtual world Twinity, Jeremy Snyder, about the exciting new gothic machinima contest there and plans for more virtual cities to be released onto the internet in 2009.

Social Networks guru Andrew Peters looks at the changing face of Twitter and reports on US Military plans to use holograms to keep service personnel in touch with their families while stationed overseas.

Newsman Sigmund Leominster reports on a new virtual world, based on European Football, how Manchester Business School is using virtual worlds to train their senior executives, how Everquest can trigger depression – and the safest way to experience the running of the bulls in Spain – virtually.

On a more serious note, we take a look at a moving tribute in music and pictures by some Second Lifers to the victims of the devastating bush fires in Australia with their song, ‘Too Many Tears’.

And American singer/song writer Dann Russo performs ‘Parking Lot Kings’.

Visit Life On Line at: http://life-on-line.tv

social networks new GOLD – market research

Now will people become more PRIVATE in facebook !!

Gay or straight, your Facebook is their fortune

FACEBOOK is planning to exploit the vast amount of personal information it holds on its 150 million members by creating one of the world’s largest market research databases.

In an attempt to finally cash in on the social networking site, once valued at $US15 billion ($23.6 billion), it will soon allow multinational companies to selectively target its members in order to research the appeal of new products. Companies will be able to pose questions to specially selected members based on such intimate details as whether they are single or married and even whether they are gay or straight.

The company, which has struggled to make money from advertising, has been demonstrating the benefits of its new instant polling tool to business leaders at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

read more: http://www.smh.com.au/news/technology/biztech/gay-or-straight-your-facebook-is-their-fortune/2009/02/01/1233423097811.html

Twinity Exclusive: THE SPIRIT enters Twinity

Sony Pictures and CineStar have teamed up to bring THE SPIRIT to Twinity, the 3D online world developed and operated by Metaversum. From 2 February, before the official movie release of this comic strip adaptation, Twinity’s community can look forward to a host of themed events, a competition, and the chance to win some exclusive prizes. A particular highlight is a THE SPIRIT mask, which enables its wearer to see virtual Berlin in the look of the movie.

Make sure you sign up for a FREE account in twinity – http://www.twinity.com

Berlin, 29 January 2009 – It’s the turn of a new masked superhero to enter the 3D online world Twinity: THE SPIRIT, the latest movie to be promoted by Sony Pictures and CineStar in Twinity’s virtual CUBIX cinema before the official movie release.

For the very first time, the Twinity 3D community can get into the spirit of the movie outside the cinema as part of the THE SPIRIT promotion. Wearing a THE SPIRIT mask transforms the entire online world into the look of the comic strip adaptation – in black-and-white and brilliant red. Twinity is inviting all its masked members to take part in a screenshot and machinima competition. The most creative photos or movies shot in THE SPIRIT look and submitted to contest@twinity.com by 28 February have the chance to win exciting themed prizes.

Movie Trailer The Spirit : 1 million + views – launching in Twinity, 3D online world Feb 2nd 2009

event: Doing Business in Virtual Worlds

For high resolution version, click here.

Date: 20th January 2009, Tuesday
Time: 14:00-16:00
Venue: LT18, NUS Business School
Map: http://www.cit.nus.edu.sg/nusfacilities/map/business_map.htm

———————————————————-

Multiple Worlds; Multiple Lives; Multiple Identities; Multiple ways to making money.

In conjunction with NUS Entrepreneurship Week, TDM brings to you “Doing Business in Virtual Worlds”. Step forward on 20 January 2009 to find out more about TDM and how you can be a part of it, as we present to you a quick overview of the organization AND a little preview of what it means to do business in Virtual Worlds.

Programme Details:

14:00-14:30 TDM Welcome Address
14:30-14:50 Social Networking versus Virtual Worlds by Aroon Tan, Magma Studios
14:50-15:30 Panel Discussion: Doing Business in Virtual Worlds
– Aileen Sim (First Meta)
– Ho Chee Yue (Association of Machinima Arts & Sciences (AMAS)
– Jeremy Snyder(Twinity)
– Walter Lim (National Heritage Board)

15:30-15:50 Question and Answer Session
15:50-16:00 Ending Remarks and Competition Details

RSVP visit: http://www.thedigitalmovement.org/doing-business-in-virtual-worlds-tdm-in-nus-entrepreneurship-week/

click to join twinity - powered by real life

Top 10 predictions for virtual worlds 2009 -itsReal

From: The Metaverse Journal – Australia’s Leading Virtual World News Service

Now that we’ve reviewed our 2008 predictions, it’s on to 2009. For the coming year, we’re going to get a little bit more specific in our predictions. It may lower our chances of success but will be more fun. So here we go:

1. OpenSim grids will bleed Second Life users – this may seem a very obvious prediction given the growth of OpenSim grids, but what I mean here is that the exodus will be obvious. It won’t be a migration that will affect Second Life’s viability (other issues may achieve that), but there will be a solid, committed population of OpenSim users choosing those grids over Second Life’s one. Put another way, new users will see OpenSim grids as an equal option to signing up to Second Life.

2. Virtual worlds will appear as normal daily life in TV / Movies – To date, most appearances of virtual worlds in TV and film are either documentaries or as a central part of an action / geek film. US comedy The Office and CSI have both featured Second Life but essentially in a sensationalistic way. 2009 will see more insertions of virtual worlds into daily life scenes in shows. A disclosure here: I’m particularly confident on this one as I’ve had the pleasure of helping out on a film project that features a virtual world in a day-to-day context. More on that in the first few months of next year.

3. There will be a net increase in Australian business in virtual worlds – Second Life won’t see any significant growth in Australian businesses entering Second Life and there may actually be a decrease. The gains will come in worlds like Twinity, customised worlds created on platforms like VastPark and possibly even some entry into enterprise worlds offered by entities like IBM and Forterra. Any increase will be driven by the increasing awareness of virtual worlds as a cost-effective business collaboration tool.

click to join twinity - powered by real life

4. Virtual worlds will remain a political no-go zone – Australian political parties have had zero presence to date and it’s extremely unlikely to change in 2009. Any planning being done by the major parties for the 2010 Federal Election is unlikely to extend beyond services like YouTube and Twitter. Things may stretch to sites like Barack Obama’s Change site, but forget anything 3D.

5. Metaplace will be a game-changer – Metaplace’s simple, web-based interface combined with some impressive content creation tools will ensure a launch with impact and significant growth. There’ll be some obvious poaching of users from services like Habbo Hotel but also from content-creation havens like Second Life.

6. Virtual sex will lead to legislation – Linden Lab’s gambling, ageplay and banking clamp-downs were an early start to the reality of increased regulation and governments worldwide are increasingly scrutinising virtual world activities. Sexual exploits (aside from ageplay) have remained unregulated. For better or worse, this won’t remain.

Read the remaining predictions at Metaverse Journal

via Ten virtual worlds predictions for 2009 : The Metaverse Journal – Australia’s Virtual World News Service.

Minding My Own Business : The Metaverse Journal – Australia’s Virtual World News Service

Minding My Own Business

December 16, 2008

Today, a guest post from an Australian business owner in Second Life, Seshat Czeret. One of her major goals is to run a sustainable business in SL – one which she can continue to run, and which sustains itself financially. Anyone looking to run a small business in SL for pleasure, rather than for mega bucks, should check out what Seshat has to say about building and running a business.

seshat

I’m Seshat Czeret, and I run a business in Second Life. It’s a small business, just me handling it, but it’s bringing in the Lindenbucks.

It started almost by accident. I was in SL to help my friend Tateru Nino with her columns, doing some of the groundwork. I ran into a role-playing environment that I thought I’d enjoy, and made myself a couple of things to help myself with that. Some clothing, and a curtsey animation. Friends suggested I put them up for sale, and Tateru offered me a bit of space at her shop. So I did.

Read more: PS: All this will be possible in Twinity soon

via Minding My Own Business : The Metaverse Journal – Australia’s Virtual World News Service.

TidalBlog: Did Second Life and OpenSim just eat Google’s lunch?

The answer is probably “no” but it is interesting to expore precisely why.

There is a widely held belief that Google and Microsoft could easily turn their geospatial products into mass market virtual worlds containing avatars. While virtual world products such as Twinity have indeed focused on replicating real-life locations, neither of the major players has, as far as I know, stated this as a near-term goal. Moreover, I am reminded of Cory Ondrejka’s observation that the now-defunct Google Lively was room-based to facilitate balancing resource requirements, something that may well prove challenging on the scale of Google Earth. This seems to be borne out in a recent interview with Popcha!, one of the Lively third-party developers, who suggest it was a combination of economic climate, technical scaling issues and uncertain business model that ultimately did for Lively.

Read more at:

via TidalBlog: Did Second Life and OpenSim just eat Google’s lunch?.

Review – Virtual Dating Tourism & You – twinity

An introduction & in-depth review of twinity by Dan Simmons of the BBC program CLICK

Virtual Dating, Virtual Friends, Virtual Tourism, Virtual Collaboration, Virtual Shopping, Virtual Families & Virtual YOU – all in twinity

Video Courtesy of CLICK – BBC