Scobleizer - Latest Comments in Is this the time that 3D sticks?

Re: Is this the time that 3D sticks?

RevDev — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 12:33:45 -0000

An engine this post didn't mention is Unity3D (http://unity3d.com). After doing a lot of work with Adobe Director (horrible) trying to find a good way to create 3D content and games for the browser, I was turned on to Unity.

This is the one to watch people. It's a Mac only development environment right now (but that is soon to change) and games and 3D content can be published to any platform (Windows, OSX, iPhone, Wii, browser). I've been working with it for several months now and have found few downfalls. Amazing workflow, incredibly simple interface, and you don't have to be a game programmer to put together some amazing things. If you know JavaScript, you're good to go. And if you want to get more advanced you can throw in some C# (uses Mono) and Boo (Python), or even develop plugins using C++. To top it off it has an incredible shader pipeline that allows you to create pretty much any shader you can imagine. And the compression of the published files is incredible. A prototype I created in Director was 15mb when it was published and sloooow. I recreated the same prototype with Unity and the published file was only 2mb and the quality was way better than Director!

Some people may disagree, but I think that the web browser is the next big gaming platform. And in my opinion, Unity is THE best solution out there right now. If you're wanting to play around with 3D in the browser, then do yourself a favor and check it out.

Re: Is this the time that 3D sticks?

Nikki — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 14:28:04 -0000

Jamie: Macs have a lot more market share for consumer computers than that.
How much please... Figures numbers to say macs are relevant to the greater majority

And, anyway, all you have to do is attend a few conferences to see how Mac-heavy the early adopter/influencer crowds are.

and early adopters are not always the final say. their numbers aren't indicative of the populous as a whole. They are a small slice as is the late adopters.

They are the ones who decide whether something else is “hot” or “interesting.” If these crowds don’t tell the less tech passionate, they won’t hear about it. Hence, fail.

A small slice of the pie decides for the rest of the pie..interesting analogy but if that had been the case beta would of been the vcr of choice. HD-DVD would be the choice over blu-ray. The case of lcd vs plasma is still being played out. There are lots of things that early adopters have used that come mainstream, but you are making it as everything that early adopters users use are made into mainstream and everyone has to conform or buy into it. Just wont happen that way.

The mac audience has always been a niche audience. Always has. Always will. I owned a Imac G3 and G4 and my first thought of these were "cute" I am a a FPS and virtual world gamer. SL has a large learning curve and for right now because of the way SL's infrastructure is and the current technology is the way it is. The current limit on a private island is 100 and while that wont work for larger companies. I dont see anything of compable program on the horizon anytime soon.

Sure there are plenty of immersive 3d type chat and private messenger programs out and ones that will embed into you web viewer. this is all in its infancy, but to call Virtual worlds irrelevant is not the case. Yes for now its a niche because of the learning curve and limits placed on it by the technology out right now. Give it time and better technology and it will be better, everything grows slowly in this upcoming area. But to say one is better than the other is not correct. Since each program type of 3D serves a slightly different purpose.

Re: Is this the time that 3D sticks?

Jay — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 19:22:00 -0000

Does anyone know how many simaltaneous users can fit into one of the Vivity rooms? I'm curious about brand issues mentioned in the post re: not enough ROI.

Re: Is this the time that 3D sticks?

Russell Campbell — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 12:19:46 -0000

I guess I can't edit my last post. Ya - what len said.

Re: Is this the time that 3D sticks?

Russell Campbell — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 12:18:33 -0000

You guys might want to do your research. Google just started a 3D service a few days ago called Lively. The main use is to embed rooms into webpages - mainly social networking sites. 3D is slowly coming around, and it's evolving quite nicely.

Re: Is this the time that 3D sticks?

len — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 11:05:39 -0000

I tested both Lively and Vivaty last night. Vivaty wins by a considerable amount. The two impressive bits with Lively was the security and the fact that I could drop a world on my blog and it just worked. But for all the features that count in terms of a 3D experience, Vivaty was much much better.

Sometimes the bigCo flops and the startup with the pedigree gets it exactly right. Sometimes business models are not nearly as important as good technology and real media chops. Hesz is exactly right about the echo chamber. The original Vivaty basis in X3D/VRML is vindicated. The A-listers blew it this time.

Re: Is this the time that 3D sticks?

Dario Salvelli — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 07:15:36 -0000

Do u try Google Lively? It's just a 3D live chat rooms.

Re: Is this the time that 3D sticks?

Rick Patterson — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 23:47:32 -0000

Also check out SceneCaster (www.scenecaster.com) and their Facebook app (http://apps.facebook.com/sc.... They have over 1 million users on FB and have a very advanced business model that ties into eCommerce sites like eBay and Amazon as well as brand websites. While they don't have avatars yet, they offer a higher level of customization and personalization of the 3D space.

Re: Is this the time that 3D sticks?

len bullard — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 21:38:49 -0000

Ronald Hesz sez: "Sometimes, just really sometimes we should poke our head out of the echo chamber"

That is the best refutation of the LongTailSuperBlogger myth I've ever read. HA!

Re: Is this the time that 3D sticks?

Elahn — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 21:37:23 -0000

you need to see www.exitreality.com. This is the 3d social site experience that already does the above plus more. And works on firefox and mac. Advertisers are going to love it.

Re: Is this the time that 3D sticks?

len bullard — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 21:19:29 -0000

Macs? Elistist. :-)

Yes, this is the time that 3D sticks because collaboration is integrated by the simultaneity of the gadgets in aggregate. IOW, as a GUI, the fact of worldness means 'the same screen". Collaboration follows. There is a compelling use and it works. It is still awkward. Style will change that.

IBM and Second Life demoed avatars teleporting. Closed? Open? Only the second option is a true metaverse.

So the top questions:

Who owns the standards?

Is an economy required?

How is professional content licensed?

The answer is the same: It depends on who's metaverse you are in.

When that changes, you'll have a real market. But yes, this time it sticks.

Re: Is this the time that 3D sticks?

Brent — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 19:57:22 -0000

I've been doing a bit of reading lately on Vivaty and have posted a couple of questions on various blogs about how this compares to ExitReality (http://www.exitreality.com) which is also hitting the social scene but it looks more flexible with its features??

Does anyone have any iclue about how to create content for Vivaty sites (is it vrml, x3d??) and what potential impact Vivaty's monetized features will have on brands wanting to be on the Vivaty platform? It looks as though they control the hosting and being able to give away free 3d viral items??

It is great to see the development in this space. Personally I don't think this will replace 2d web viewing, rather people will seek content that leverages the 3d space in ways 2d can not.

FYI - I am on a mac platform running bootcamp (Vista) for these platforms. I hate it and am confident that the 1st to offer a Mac plugin will benefit greatly from it. Most designers are on Mac's and they are likely to be very interested in this medium moving forward.

Re: Is this the time that 3D sticks?

Max Tiger — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 19:47:47 -0000

There seems to be a lot of talk around town about 3d worlds, i've been using one for months now called ExitReality (www.exitreality.com) .. seems to be a lot more advanced than Vivaty and ahead of Google's lively.

Allows 3D interaction in all social networks already... I've got about 20-30 friends now conversing with me on my facebook page... in 3D... right now!

Re: Is this the time that 3D sticks?

Erin Anderson — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 18:29:21 -0000

Hi Robert
Which platform will take hold is now the question- with Vitality and Lively just out. And, Lively is on MAC first! Have you heard any comparisons of the two yet?

Re: Is this the time that 3D sticks?

Peter — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 10:29:10 -0000

I can't believe how stuck in the flat internet you are. You need to rethink your opinions on Second Life, which has stuck and dominates the field in 3D internet content. Thank goodness it isn't "web compatible" why would I want to stay moored to flat, dull, lifeless internet technologies.
As far as WoW goes, it's not the same thing at all. It's a role playing game, and its fine for people who want to role play and don't really want to have to create content. The only content in that game is created by someone who works at Blizzard, it'll never be a "platform" where individuals and companies create and publish internet content. I can't believe I took the time to post to this old technology, see you guys in about 4 years as you scramble to catch up.

Re: Is this the time that 3D sticks?

Scott C. — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 08:56:06 -0000

Kaneva looked to be the best of both worlds when it came to Second Life 3D environments meets average end user 2D blgging...

...but, over a year after it officially launched, it's still in Beta and many things about it (blogging ability, integration w/ sites beyond YouTube, etc.) simply don't work...

I think this will only catch on AFTER it can be run 100% within a browser and offers something unique other than being a glorified chat program.

Re: Is this the time that 3D sticks?

Czar — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 07:14:26 -0000

Second Life is one of the 3D MMORPG games that I don't want to play anymore. Though the graphics are outstanding, a lot of difficulties pulls it down away from the top spot.

Indeed, World of Warcraft is far better than this game. Trust me, my fellow gamers!

Re: Is this the time that 3D sticks?

jkth — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 05:35:26 -0000

Gaby Benkwitz (http://scobleizer.com/2008/...,

I completely agree with you. Web offerings SHOULD work everywhere, I don't believe I said anything to the contrary. In fact I said this: "Cross-platform is (obviously) important".

I obviously misled so perhaps I should clarify. I disagree with what Robert alluded to, that being that the lack of a Mac client is Vivaty's biggest achilles heel right now. The argument that "they need a mac client because most people who go to the same conferences as Robert use Macs" also doesn't sit very well with me.

I knew I'd get chastised by stepping into the Mac vs none-Mac debate. I should learn to keep my mouth shut :)

-Jamie (a user of Mac and none-Mac computers)

Re: Is this the time that 3D sticks?

Jim Brock — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 02:47:28 -0000

Isn't "It wasn’t accessible from the Web" more or less the same as early cars which were modelled after horse carriages ?

And with all the socialness around the web going on... when was the last time directly interacted with a group of them ? I mean I can never meet up someplace with all the 'friends' on facebook, 3D Environments can accomplish that and personally I think they'll overshadow the web.

Yes it's been overhyped and please stop comparing SecondLife with WoW. Although they're both software, SecondLife isn't a RPG it's a social virtual environment.

And although one region is maxed at 100 simultaneous people atm, as technology will progress (computing power/bandwith) that bar will be raised. It's the failure of companies to try and adopt to this new culture and shift in marketing approach that made most of them fail. Big bucks and big buildings aren't enough for leading companies to get the same amount of virtual exposure.

Re: Is this the time that 3D sticks?

Frederik — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 01:14:13 -0000

Looks like Google beated them to the finished - like JoeDuck said..

http://googleblog.blogspot....

Re: Is this the time that 3D sticks?

Viveka — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 21:51:56 -0000

Mac matters not because hipsters use them, but because this is a communication technology. @Roland, SMS is hot. But if SMS did not work on 10% of phones then it would be useless. You couldn't text anyone unless you knew what brand of phone they had, so you wouldn't bother. The web works on everything, email works on everything, facebook works on everything. The Microsoft Network (back before it was a website) worked on 90% of computers, but that's just not enough for a communication technology. Vivaty is adding Mac support because they want to be a communications technology. The day it works on everything, then it will have a chance of mass adoption.

Re: Is this the time that 3D sticks?

Connor F. Feldman — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 21:46:55 -0000

I can speak from experience, Second Life is a major disappointment.

Re: Is this the time that 3D sticks?

JoeDuck — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 21:38:33 -0000

Robert I started reading thinking you were talking about Google's Lively, out today and I'm guessing soon to be the virtual world most people use. Vivaty is going to be the victim of very unfortunate timing - they won't have a chance to establish a foothold.

Re: Is this the time that 3D sticks?

Eric Rice — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 21:33:49 -0000

Somewhere in my friendfeed I bookmarked a virtual world made in Flash 9. Flash 10 will be off the hook.

You all really shouldn't be looking at the second life angle, though. Totally wrong place to be focusing now.

Re: Is this the time that 3D sticks?

Tony Fendall — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 19:54:51 -0000

Robert, have you checked out www.smallworlds.com yet?