April 25, 2008

Big Media Muscles In on Virtual Worlds

Viacom's MTV and Paramount get real about avatars and such.

By Amy Novak

Despite talk that virtual worlds are a short-lived fad, several media companies have already announced their arrival in the virtual arena, anticipating that it will eventually replace social networking. So far, strong brands rather than products are more of a draw to virtual worlds, which is why big media companies starting to consider their virtual options.
 
MTV Networks’ Virtual MTV (vMTV) and Vice magazine, for instance, have created vLES, a virtual replica of the Lower East Side right down to the interiors of bars, drunks roaming the streets at bar close and the local band scene. Visitors to vLES can get a band together with their friends, rehearse, play at the Cake Shop or Arlene’s Grocery, invite friends to the bar and get asked to play more gigs depending on the popularity of their show. Even real bands seeking another way to gain exposure are present in the world.
 
Paramount Digital Entertainment, in partnership with vMTV and Makena Technology’s There.com, became the first movie studio to enter the virtual world by releasing video clips from Paramount Pictures’ library. Using an application called VooZoo, the members of vMTV and There.com can send each other video emoticons called “Voohoos,” which consist of video clips containing famous one-liners or short scenes. The clips cost about $1 each.

The home page of MTV and Vice's vLES.

Virtual Advertising
Because of the newness of the medium, advertisers are still trying to figure out how work with the metaverse. Both traditional advertising agencies and new virtual agencies are experimenting with several platforms to find out if traditional advertising will work in such a nontraditional setting. Antony van Zyl of the virtual advertising agency Slippcat says that the key factor in successful virtual advertising is choice. “We want to make sure the ads are transferable and viral, shared between friends,” he says. “Instead of someone behind one of these products telling kids what’s cool, they tell each other. We just provide the options.” Slippcat hopes its non-invasive advertising model—with which, for example, avatar salespeople can be created to pitch everyday items—will be adopted across the entire metaverse.

Typical Virtual Visitors
The majority of visitors of virtual worlds are between the ages of 8-12 and are visiting children’s worlds such as Barbiegirls and Webkinz. Second Life is still a huge draw, though now considered to be outdated and too broad and generalized. According to Jack Myers, president of Myers Publishing, business/professional applications of virtual worlds are still uncommon.