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Zwinky avatars come to life with Zazzle

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zwinky.jpgZwinky,a wholly-owned business of IAC and home to more than 12 million avatars, has launched Zazzle Kiosk within the Zwinky virtual world. The Zazzle Kiosk will enable Zwinky users to purchase customizable merchandise on-demand including t-shirts, mugs, posters, postage stamps, and more, all branded with their personalized Zwinky avatar.

The Zazzle Kiosk makes Zwinky one of the first virtual worlds to give users the opportunity to customize and purchase merchandise for the real world. All merchandise can be created and shipped to the user within 24 hours.

Users who visit the Zazzle Kiosk inside Zwinky’s virtual world can see their avatar automatically displayed on various merchandise items. The user can then choose from saved avatar outfits that they have previously created to display on their merchandise.

Originally posted on January 30, 2008 @ 11:56 am

WWE stars rumble in Habbo’s virtual world

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wwe.pngWorld Wrestling Entertainment is taking their annual Royal Rumble to Habbo’s virtual world. Though the actual Royal Rumble doesn’t take place until January 27, live on pay-per-view, the action on Habbo.com has already begun. And just like the real Rumble, the winner will be going to WrestleMania 24 on March 30 in Orlando.

After being assigned a virtual avatar to one of 59 WWE Superstars, Habbo.com’s 1.6 million online citizens will vote for which of the top 30 WWE Superstars they think will play various roles in the event. Users who correctly predict at least one of the roles will be entered into a sweepstakes, sponsored by Habbo, for a chance to win a trip for two to WrestleMania 24 in Orlando, Fla. on March 30.

Originally posted on January 23, 2008 @ 12:16 pm

Second Life CTO out of the company

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cory lindenfSecond Life developer Cory Ondrejka has left Linden Lab due to irreconcilable differences with the founder and CEO Philip Rosedale.

While it is not quite clear whether he resigned or was fired, the bigger concern now is the future of Second Life.

Massively was able to get a copy of the farewell e-mail sent by Rosedale to the staff of Linden Lab. This is a portion of the said e-mail:

Cory and I have differences in how we think Linden should be run, differences that in the past few months have become irreconcilable. These are tensions that were more manageable when we were smaller, and there have been times that they have helped us do great work together. But now, as we change and grow as a company, I feel that we need a different set of strengths in engineering leadership. I strongly believe that this is the right decision, although not without pain, for both LL and Cory.

In the absence of any official statement and just by reading between the lines, I would suspect this as a termination and not a resignation. You can also read Ondrejka’s farewell e-mail in Massively.

However, it is very difficult to claim this issue will spell the downfall of Second Life. On the contrary, Linden Lab is confident this will bring a dramatic change to the virtual world.

Currently, Second Life is notorious for being unstable, slow, frequently crashing, and very buggy.

Via InformationWeek

Originally posted on December 13, 2007 @ 11:48 am

New Coca-Cola virtual world launches in There.com

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mycoke.png

Beginning this week, when people visit MyCoke.com they will find themselves in a whole new virtual environment created by Makena Technologies, creator of There.com.

The new community, dubbed, ‘CC Metro,’ is designed to offer visitors a completely new experience rooted in the uplifting, optimistic attitude of the ‘Coke Side of Life.’ The new environment will provide activities that are fun, engaging and varied to help connect people within CC Metro. MyCoke.com members will find options focused on music, gaming, sports and entertainment, including a skate park where they can test their ‘hoverboard’ skills and a theater featuring exclusive videos presented by Coca-Cola. Members will also be able to develop their own music through the ‘music mixer,’ socialize with other members via chat and voiceover IP, and explore other parts of There.com. CC Metro will replace the current ‘Coke Studios’ virtual environment located at MyCoke.com.

Through CC Metro’s 3-D virtual environment, which is located on a new Coca-Cola contour bottle-shaped ‘continent’ in There.com, users can enjoy social networking and exclusive content not found anywhere else. Coca-Cola associations like American Idol, NASCAR and the Olympic Games will be part of the CC Metro experience. My Coke Rewards, the popular online rewards program, will be integrated into CC Metro, allowing users to obtain virtual merchandise through a My Coke Rewards store. Members can also purchase Therebucks, the There.com virtual currency, to buy clothes and accessories for their avatar, as well as property, pets and vehicles.

Originally posted on December 6, 2007 @ 3:25 pm

MapleStory to feature retail giants in game

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maplestory.pngNexon America Inc., the U.S. division of Asia’s online entertainment company Nexon Group, whose Game Cards are available at retail giants such as Target, Best Buy, and 7-Eleven, Inc., plans to integrate its mega store partners into MapleStory, its most popular game. Nexon America is educating their players on the availability of the Nexon Game Cards through outlets such as Best Buy, CVS, Duane Reade and 7-Eleven, by bringing the stores to the players virtually.

Nexon America will send its millions of MapleStory players to the virtual markets with themed quests that will promote both the retailers and the availability of Nexon Game Cards in these stores. The special quests will prompt users to complete various tasks and visit any of these chains to earn their own virtual Nexon Game Card, which will provide Maple Points, the in-game currency of MapleStory.

Nexon America is an attractive partner for retailers because it provides a dedicated and entertained community. Special events are ongoing throughout the holiday season to promote the spirit and culture of MapleStory. Players are not only immersed within the game, but can take part in real-world events, too. Such events include a photo submission contest of a Maple Story-themed holiday meal and an upcoming poetry contest awarding the winner a custom poster and original concept art. These contests offer a creative venue to showcase the real-life talents of Maplers for the enjoyment of the entire Nexon community.

Originally posted on December 4, 2007 @ 12:10 pm