Google gets into virtual worlds

Holy cow. I've been too busy bowling, Radio1-virtual-festivaling and watching Deadwood this weekend to concentrate, and this one nearly slipped through. Google are getting into the virtual world business, not so unsurprisingly (although their angle is pretty curious). Currently you can build onto Google Earth using SketchUp, creating buildings and objects, much like in SL, in fact.

The result could be that we'll soon populate a virtual version of planet Earth instead of the made-from-scratch metaverses like online games or Second Life. The main element Google Earth is missing today is avatars, but at least one observer believes those to be added soon.

So no avatars, yet. Hope they hurry up. It'll be too freakywonderful to wander around Google Earth on two animated feet...

Comments

[csven]

"(although their angle is pretty curious)"

How is it curious?

[Cris]

I've been thinking about recreating my old (now shut down) university campus in 3D for a long time now. I could do it in SL, but it would cost me upkeep - maybe i'll look at sketch up, free is great, but it'll be a lot more meaningful if it can be walked around!

Wooo for teh metaverse!

[Alice]

Curious because it's quite homegrown and doesn't have avatars..

[csven]

I understand. Only to me it's not curious because it has something most virtual worlds still don't have: a close tie to real world advertising. And that's what Google is really all about.

If you look at the GE virtual world from a non-gaming perspective, what they're doing makes pretty good sense... especially if/when it's tied into cell phone location-based tracking and targeted advertising.

I suspect MS will follow shortly with their own system, only they might approach it from both sides: the AR and the VR/games. Whatever they do, this should all turn out to be fascinating stuff to observe.

[Cris]

Difference is Microsoft will try and charge a silly price for an inferior product. It sadly seems to be their way...