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SydSim – is that progress?

December 3, 2007 by 10 Comments

We covered Telstra’s new islands a month ago, but I thought it was worth paying another visit to see what progress had been made on what had been touted as a Sydney CBD replica. Here’s what I saw:

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I think the pictures pretty much speak for themselves. Telstra deserve plaudits for their work to date in Second Life, but SydSim is looking increasingly like an exception to that rule. There’s a real risk of failing in any sort of engagement with the Second Life community when you have a maze of virtual roadways and tall skyscrapers to navigate. Telstra’s own building on SydSim is the pick of the small bunch but even it is nothing more than a promotional shopfront. Obviously, the whole build is far from complete – I’m unsure why the two islands are even open to the public given the state they’re in.

Have you had a look and what do you think? My impression so far is that SydSim is an extremely poor competitor to its Melbourne counterpart.

Filed Under: Australian News, Virtual Worlds Tagged With: , ,

SydSim is on its way

November 1, 2007 by 3 Comments

Telstra have announced the development of a replica of the Sydney CBD on their suite of islands. It’s a development with business firmly in mind:

“At SydSim, real world businesses will soon be able to explore the commercial opportunities available in the virtual world, by renting an office or shopfront at the virtual location of their existing real world premises.

This is an opportunity to secure top-notch locations in a 3D virtual skyscape of Sydney’s CBD, and see what sales, marketing and employee collaboration opportunities are available, without the fuss of setting up their own island.”

When we contacted Telstra and asked when SydSim would be a reality, we were told it was already live. All I could find this evening was the start of a build on two new sims: Martin Place and Loftus:

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There’s never been any doubts about Telstra’s commercial focus within Second Life – this is an obvious evolution from the successful land rentals and the recent expansion of two more sims. I’d imagine there’ll be no problems selling the SydSim real estate – the real challenge will be managing lag issues on what is already a popular neck of the woods.

What’s not in doubt is Telstra’s committment to SL – the other Australian Telcos have some major catching up to do in the virtual world sphere.

Check it out in-world

Filed Under: Australian News, Business, Virtual Worlds Tagged With: , , ,

2008 predictions review

December 23, 2008 by 1 Comment

A year ago we made some predictions on virtual worlds from an Australian perspective, and it’s time to review them:

2008 – how did we go?

Prediction 1: Australia will see its first legal action in regards to a virtual world – Second Life is likely to be the battlefield and it’s likely to involve an intellectual property dispute or financial regulation issues.

Fail – there was no shortage of legal action internationally but Australia wasn’t front and centre in any of it.

Prediction 2: Second Life viability will remain under question – there’s not likely to be a sudden improvement in the technical issues confronting the platform. The reality for Australian users of Second Life is at least another 6 months of laggy virtual world experience. There’s been rumours of a deal between Linden Lab and Telstra to locate Second Life servers locally – we can only hope. Expect lots of negative mainstream and Second Life blogosphere press if the status quo remains.

Pass – things have remained pretty much unchanged in this regard, with no local servers likely.

Prediction 3: VastPark will flourish – we’ve covered the VastPark virtual world platform a few times and its evolution has been promising. If the platform delivers what it promises during 2008, much interest should be garnered. I wouldn’t be surprised to see VastPark acquired by one of the bigger players. Vastpark’s Australian operations make this one we’ll be watching closely.

Pass – VastPark is still in beta but has continued to flourish development-wise. It remains one of the stronger prospects in the market.

Prediction 4: Google will not launch a virtual world – they may have launched OpenSocial and continued to develop Google Earth but 2008 will not be the year of Google truly entering the virtual world domain.

Fail – Google Lively well and truly killed this prediction but didn’t survive long.

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Prediction 5: There’ll be failures aplenty – World of Warcraft will remain the dominant gaming MMO and of the swathe of launches touted, some will obviously fail. Claims are being made about the Conan and Warhammer franchises making some serious inroads. I’m not convinced that either will be enormously successful although neither lack significant backing and associated marketing power. And it’s not as if Blizzard will be sitting on their hands – the Wrath of the Lich King expansion for World of Warcraft is on its way.

Pass – World of Warcraft maintained its dominance in gaming worlds. Age of Conan and Warhammer Online performed under expectations and the Wrath of the Lich King expansion sold very well.

Prediction 6: Australian business will remain conservative – 2007 saw the entrance of corporations like Telstra, the ABC and the REA Group into Second Life. I doubt there’ll be as many large presences launched in 2008. There’s still major skepticism out there about virtual worlds as a business tool – it remains only a research and development option in the eyes of business and 2008 is unlikely to change that. One disclaimer – if Google do launch a virtual world product, then all bets are off. On a related note – I predict Telstra’s SydSim development in Second Life will not cut the mustard for larger businesses and for those that do set up in that location, there’ll be consternation of how little traffic is generated.

Pass – no large business launches amongst ongoing conservatism. Telstra’s momentum continued, with fresh content and activities, although SydSim still struggles compared to other aspects of Telstra’s presence. The REA Group’s presence didn’t manage to gain significant traction and ABC Island has had some challenges but a dedicated, community-driven group continues to look at keeping things fresh.

Prediction 7: Mainstream media will continue to get it wrong – aside from some of the more savvy technology journalists, mainstream media reporting on virtual world developments will remain hit and miss. 2007 had some real clangers and you can expect that to continue.

Pass – this was always an easy prediction. Thankfully there weren’t stories as bad as the 2007 clanger from News Limited but there was still no shortage of misinformed reporting.

Five out of seven isn’t too bad. As always we’re keen to hear if you disagree on any of the points. Our 2009 predictions are on the way in the coming days.

Filed Under: Australian News, Op-ed, Virtual Worlds Tagged With:

Telstra responds on first anniversary in Second Life

March 18, 2008 by 1 Comment

Today I was contacted by Craig Middleton, BigPond’s Group Manager, Corporate Affairs, after seeing our story on Telstra’s first anniversary in Second Life. He’s provided his list of Telstra BigPond’s achievements in Second Life:

“ACHIEVEMENTS
~~~~~~~~~~~~
* We have built and maintained a leading position as the most popular real life brand presence in SL in the world, which has continued to reach record levels in early 2008.

* Approximately 85,000 registered users through the BigPond.com registration process.

* We have continued to grow the estate creating the opportunity for the community to take up residence and have recently added a further residential island called ‘Pondune’ which will be available for rental shortly.

* We hosted an in world extension of the Samsung advertising campaign for their new mp3 player during November 2007 (also reported in B&T)

* We have moved from a limited in-world support model to a more organic model made up of volunteers from the community. The community is now monitored 24hours and there is always help at hand. Further, a User Forum was launched on March 10 providing community members the opportunity to share knowledge between themselves and other members of the BigPond and Second Life community.

* We launched SydSIM – a virtual Sydney CBD – in late 2007.”

It’s now over to you – what would you add as far as further achievements or other observations on Telstra’s first year?

Filed Under: Australian News, Business, Virtual Worlds Tagged With: ,

Telstra in Second Life: one year on

March 17, 2008 by 2 Comments

It’s actually just past a year since Telstra launched its Second Life presence. The reason we haven’t covered the anniversary until now is due to having a request for a comment in to Telstra on the first anniversary. There’s been no response, so I’ll reply on my observations and hopefully your comments on Telstra in Second Life.

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The first theme that comes to mind is expansion – the initial eleven sims was significant but there are now sixteen in total plus the two Telstra Experience sims. Aside from geographical expansion, evolution in what’s offered on those sims has also changed, with the opening of rentals for individuals one landmark event. The SydSim virtual Sydney CBD expansion was also launched with some fanfare but is yet to be completed.

The second theme is learning – mostly on the part of Telstra. In the initial couple of weeks after its launch, The Pond sims were inundated with new and excited Australian Second Life users – the trouble was they weren’t getting any guidance. Not long after that, volunteer and paid staff started giving support in-world and that support is still pretty much in place. Another key learning was around what an effective social space was. The Pond sims have numerous activities and spaces – clubs, pubs, sport activities and sandboxes. And what’s the most popular? A bunch of wooden boxes out the front of the Billabong Bar. There’s nothing fancy – just the boxes to sit on and a campfire. And no matter what time of day or night it is, you’ll usually find a handful of people there chatting whilst the nearby club is deserted.

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There’s no doubt Telstra have succeeded in Second Life – their traffic is considered one of the best for a corporate presence. They’ve been responsive to feedback and have had the resources to implement changes where needed. Whether they’ve succeeded in engaging the wider Second Life community is something to be judged by you. If you’re a regular Pond frequenter, what is it that keeps you coming back?

Filed Under: Australian News, Business, Virtual Worlds Tagged With: ,

Virtual Sydney CBD slowly taking shape

February 27, 2008 by 1 Comment

As we’ve previously mentioned, SydSim is Telstra’s replica Sydney CBD that started development in November 2007. In December I was critical of the build’s nature.

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I dropped in again this week and there’s been some significant progress i.e. a lot more buildings and other objects. It’s starting to show some potential although I’m still uncertain as to how engaging it’ll be. That will probably depend on the rental aspect – if the right sort of tenants move in then a momentum of its own will develop.

I contacted BigPond’s media contact for comment on the build’s progress but haven’t received a response as yet. What are your thoughts – is SydSim something you’d like to be part of or is it too much like a mirror world?

Filed Under: Australian News, Business, Virtual Worlds Tagged With: , , ,

Australia and Virtual Worlds – 2008 predictions

December 28, 2007 by 4 Comments

It wouldn’t be the end of a calendar year without making some predictions for the coming twelve months. Here’s a handful of predictions – some are fairly safe, others push the envelope a little:

1. Australia will see its first legal action in regards to a virtual world – Second Life is likely to be the battlefield and it’s likely to involve an intellectual property dispute or financial regulation issues.

2. Second Life viability will remain under question – there’s not likely to be a sudden improvement in the technical issues confronting the platform. The reality for Australian users of Second Life is at least another 6 months of laggy virtual world experience. There’s been rumours of a deal between Linden Lab and Telstra to locate Second Life servers locally – we can only hope. Expect lots of negative mainstream and Second Life blogosphere press if the status quo remains.

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3. VastPark will flourish – we’ve covered the VastPark virtual world platform a few times and its evolution has been promising. If the platform delivers what it promises during 2008, much interest should be garnered. I wouldn’t be surprised to see VastPark acquired by one of the bigger players. Vastpark’s Australian operations make this one we’ll be watching closely.

4. Google will not launch a virtual world – they may have launched OpenSocial and continued to develop Google Earth but 2008 will not be the year of Google truly entering the virtual world domain.

5. There’ll be failures aplenty – World of Warcraft will remain the dominant gaming MMO and of the swathe of launches touted, some will obviously fail. Claims are being made about the Conan and Warhammer franchises making some serious inroads. I’m not convinced that either will be enormously successful although neither lack significant backing and associated marketing power. And it’s not as if Blizzard will be sitting on their hands – the Wrath of the Lich King expansion for World of Warcraft is on its way.

6. Australian business will remain conservative – 2007 saw the entrance of corporations like Telstra, the ABC and the REA Group into Second Life. I doubt there’ll be as many large presences launched in 2008. There’s still major skepticism out there about virtual worlds as a business tool – it remains only a research and development option in the eyes of business and 2008 is unlikely to change that. One disclaimer – if Google do launch a virtual world product, then all bets are off. On a related note – I predict Telstra’s SydSim development in Second Life will not cut the mustard for larger businesses and for those that do set up in that location, there’ll be consternation of how little traffic is generated.

7. Mainstream media will continue to get it wrong – aside from some of the more savvy technology journalists, mainstream media reporting on virtual world developments will remain hit and miss. 2007 had some real clangers and you can expect that to continue.

Most importantly, what are your predictions for the coming year? Make a comment here and see how right or wring you are when we revisit the predictions in a year’s time.

Filed Under: Australian News, Op-ed, Virtual Worlds Tagged With: ,

Virtual Worlds and Australia 2007 Part 2

December 23, 2007 by Leave a Comment

Following on from Part 1 of our 2007 roundup, let’s look at the second half of 2007.

July 2007

– Garden for the Missing was featured.
– we discussed the Australian Federal Police’s monitoring of virtual worlds.
– we interviewed the person who manages Hilary Clinton’s (unofficial) Second Life presence.
– active Australian users of Second Life climbed to nearly thirteen thousand.
– an OECD report confirmed how badly Australia lags in broadband speed.

– we stumbled across The Greenies
– the second Traffic Index was published – due to time constraints we haven’t continued this and no-one seems to have missed it 😉
– Telstra offered land rentals on its suite of Second Life island sims.
– Thursday’s Fictions launched – another interesting Australian collaboration.
– Second Life poker machines were blown up.
– we started our regular Friday Weekend Whimsy posts.
– one of the worst ever pieces of mainstream journalism on Second Life received a little criticism.

August 2007

– the Gold Coast arrived in Second Life
– we went a second round with the World Stock Exchange’s Luke Connell.
– stability issues in Second kept biting.
– VastPark continued its promising evolution

– educator Kim Flintoff was profiled.
– Second Life residents could now get their real life face into Second Life.
– Victoria University joined the growing number of Australian universities in Second Life.
– the number of active Australian users of Second Life rose past 15 thousand.

September 2007

– the AIIA hosted a forum on Second Life and business.
– the CSIRO commenced education sessions on ABC Island.
– VastPark previewed their Worlds Collide upgrade.

– we paid Rezzable’s Toxic Garden a visit.
– a new virtual world, Metaplace, entered the marketplace.
– the number of active Australian Second Life users fell more than a thousand to under 14 thousand.

October 2007

– we discussed furries in-depth with Australian furry, Wolfie Rankin.
– the Melbourne Laneways presence launched in Second Life.
– the much hyped virtual world Project Outback bit the dust.
– we had a walk around La Trobe University Island.
– another significant drop in active Australian Second Life users occurred with the grand total under 12 thousand.

– the REA Group, best known for its realestate.com.au site, entered Second Life.
– the Australian Internet Industry Association also launched in Second Life.
– we documented the impact our ageplay stories had on our website.
– Linden Lab’s new search functionality in its Second Life viewer showed promise.

November 2007

– the Wonderland saga drew a lot of mainstream media attention.
– development of a replica Sydney CBD in Second Life was announced.
– Second Life’s first political party was profiled.
– veteran metaverse writer, Tateru Nino, was profiled.

– Australian musician in real life and Second Life, Dexter Moore, was also interviewed.
– an interesting 2007 Federal Election night was spent on ABC Island in Second Life.
– we celebrated a year reporting on virtual worlds.

December 2007

– age verification in Second Life began.
– ASIC makes a call on the operations of virtual stock exchanges.
– Anglicans in Second Life are led by a passionate New Zealander.
– an Australian company launched a Facebook-based MMOG.

– we profiled Rezzable’s Pavig Lok.
– active Australian users of Second Life stabilised at just under 12 thousand.

Every year contains chains of significant events and the microcosm of virtual worlds have been no different. There’ll be no shortage of predictions for 2008 and we’ll add to the queue in that respect in coming weeks. What is certain is we’ll be around to bring the latest news to you.

Filed Under: Australian News, Op-ed, Virtual Worlds

Australian business interest growing in Second Life?

November 10, 2007 by 4 Comments

In the next two weeks I’m involved in two separate events that have the same purpose – to raise awareness of the opportunities that Second Life presents. The first has a corporate focus and the panel discussion involves key people from Telstra, REA and the ABC involved in their respective Second Life presences. The second one is also business orientated with a communications flavour.

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In both cases, there’ll be up to a hundred representatives from Australian businesses, most of them medium to large operations with varying understanding of virtual worlds. A while back we wrote about Australian business taking a ‘wait and see’ approach – this may still be the case but there’s certainly no shortage of forums where SL is being presented as an innovation option.

Filed Under: Australian News, Business, Virtual Worlds Tagged With: , , , , ,

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