Now that I’ve given explained my feelings on the year as a whole, here is a short look at some of the things that either excited me or fell flat on their face during this year.
Proof That Philadelphia is Really the Center of the Metaverse
Philadelphia has a thriving virtual worlds community, and many enthusiasts live in the area, yet it typically isn’t thought of as a place where things are happening. Hopefully, that will change now: Peregrine Salon is proudly located in Philadelphia, as are some up and coming VW start ups, and some of them are doing some very cool things.
A shot down of down town Philadelphia.
Enter GeoSim, a company based in both Israel and Philadelphia, who has recently launched GeoSimPhilly. Philadelphia is the first American city to be fully virtualized, and the amount of detail is absolutely amazing. The textures are incredibly well done, the buses match the ones in town, and public art is even re-created. It is a free download – check it out! The folks at GeoSim have told me that a multi-user community version is going to be released soon; it will be interesting to see how regional virtual worlds with ties to first life fare!
Take into account that CyberExtruder is just across the bridge in New Jersey, and Philadelphia is quickly becoming a very interesting place to live for a virtual worlds enthusiast!
Close up of some shops; notice the texture detail!
Continue reading Virtual World Highlights (and Lowlights) of 2008: Part 2, the Players