Avatar-Based Virtual Worlds

Online Life

Online Life is a massive site including a multiplayer 3d virtual world, chat rooms, forums, games, blogs, and more. Earn gOLd by creating and selling virtual items in your own online store, playing free arcade games or multiplayer chess, playing in a text-based online RPG game, or competing in custom trivia quizzes. Your account gives you your own custom avatar, custom room, custom house, virtual land, virtual pet and profile, including updates from your other social network accounts in one place. You can even start your own club or blog.

Publisher: Loh Enterprises Pty Ltd
Status: defunct
Links:
Online Life

Onverse

The Onverse is an online virtual universe full of people who like to hang out and play games. The action starts with a social networking site where you fill out your web profile, then you are ready to enter the ever-expanding online 3D virtual world to explore and find new friends. Meet up with your friends for a dance party or head out and explore for points. Use your points to buy new clothes for your avatar or furniture for your pad.

Publisher: Onverse
Status: active
Links:
Onverse

OpenVerse

OpenVerse is a visual chat program written in TCL/Tk. The program connects to any OpenVerse server.

Publisher: OpenVerse
Status: active
Links:
http://www.openverse.com

Outerworlds

Outerworlds includes games, a mall, and the Virtual Reality Radio Station, WVRR.

Publisher: Outerworlds.com, Inc.
Status: active
Links:
http://www.outerworlds.com/

Oz Virtual

This system is no longer available, and the website is down.

Publisher: Oz Interactive
Status: defunct
Links:
http://www.oz-inc.com/

Roblox

Definitely the most surreal 3D chat world out there, Roblox is a live interactive environment peopled by extruded rectangles and bizarre 3D imagery. This free online environment is supported by dozens of new object releases every month, and features its own currency, gear, catalog, forums, stats, badges and explosions. Yes, explosions. In addition, you can create your own art and import it into the Roblox world. Check it out on YouTube:

Publisher: ROBLOX Corporation
Status: active
Links:
Roblox, ROBLOX Corporation

Second Life

Currently the most popular 3D virtual world online, SecondLife has gotten so much press I don't need to tell you about it.

Publisher: Linden Research, Inc
Status: active
Links:
http://secondlife.com/

SwitchIn

Switch In is a free virtual world including a browser-based chat program and full 3D. Dress up your character in a variety of fun ways, walk around the world and explore a variety of fun locations. Goof off with silly animations, and change your outfit as many times as you like. Macromedia Shockwave required.

Thanks, Joey!

Publisher:
Status: defunct
Links:
SwitchIn

The Manor

The Manor's creator, Scotsman, writes: "The Manor is my personal statement to the world that the lone coder is alive and well, and still writing programs that count. You can build your own world here, customize the experience to your hearts content, or yes, just chat with new and old friends. It's a 2D visual chat experience that runs on almost any personal computer. And it offers everyone a choice of virtual online worlds, where you can be anyone -- or anything -- at all."

Publisher: MadWolf Software
Status: active
Links:
http://www.madwolfsw.com/

The Palace

Arguably the first 2D graphical chat world on the internet, The Palace was owned at one time by Time-Warner, then by Intel, and finally by Electric Communities, after which it failed as a commercial product. At one time there were hundreds of personal Palaces and several dozen large-scale commercial Palaces online, including KoRn KoRner and The World of South Park, both designed and programmed by As If Productions.

Publisher: The Palace Inc.
Status: active
Links:
http://www.thepalace.com

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