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Going Virtual
The scene is a typical evening at home – mom, dad,
and the kids are sitting on the sofa watching their
favorite TV show. But on closer look the family members
are actually avatars, computer representations of
themselves, and the living room is a computer-based
re-creation of the animated set from The Family Guy.
Housed within Turner Broadcasting’s virtual
TBS headquarters, The Family Guy is just
one of several programs that Turner is
using to further explore virtual worlds, computerbased
simulated, three-dimensional environments
where users inhabit and interact through avatars.
Interaction is the key to the popularity of virtual
worlds such as Second Life, developed by Linden
Research Inc. and launched in 2003, and Kaneva,
a newer entrant developed by Internet Security
System’s founder Christopher Klaus. Interaction
is also one of the reasons some companies, like
Turner, have begun to explore the communities.
According to Blake Lewin, Turner vice president
of product development and innovation, the
company, which has been looking into the use
of virtual worlds since 1996, sees opportunities
to involve viewers in a deeper experience and
further expand its brand.
Late last year Turner launched projects in both
Second Life and Kaneva. CNN built CNNiReport,
a hub where residents of Second Life can report
on news within the community. TNT and TBS elected
to set up shop in Kaneva because it offers the same
virtual environment that Second Life has, but instead
of encouraging anonymity, Kaneva combines the
use of other social networking elements (like MySpace
and Facebook) and encourages users to map their
profiles to who they are in real life.
In addition to Turner, other companies and organizations
including IBM, Sears, and Starwood Hotels
have also begun to explore the virtual space.
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