Tateru's Mixed Reality Directory

Tateru's weekly look at recent real world incursions into Second Life

Major companies and organizations keep bringing official sites and branded locations into Second Life. Last week, we compiled a by-no-means exhaustive list.  Starting today, we'll be looking at ten of these sites each week, and giving you a summary, so that you can figure out which is worth your time and attention.

This week, we check out Adidas, AMD, AOL/Time Warner, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Calvin Klein, Comcast, Circuit City, Reebok, Reuters and the Weather Channel. What, if anything, do they offer you, the Resident? Join us after the fold for our bite-sized overview of these ten sites.

 

Company: Adidas Category: Replica Store Location(s): Adidas Island Activities: Shoes Commercial Vendors Static Video Marketing and Promotional Activity level: Unstaffed Unaltered Negligible traffic Rating: Even if you're interested in visiting Adidas outlets in the physical world, this is unlikely to excite you.
Notes: Sells two kinds of Adidas branded shoes, and has a little video and poster advertising. There's not really anything else to see here.

 

Company: AMD Category: Information Center Location(s): AMD Dev Central Island Activities: Interactive Kiosks Non-Interactive Kiosks Marketing and Promotional Static Environment Freebies Internal/Corporate Use Static Video Web links Scavenger hunt & trivia game Activity level: Unstaffed Unaltered Occasional events  Negligible traffic Rating: Very informative for software developers, but others won't find much of interest here.

Notes: AMD Dev Central provides informational videos, notecards, and web links for software developers interested in AMD technologies. Attractive, high-quality build. Includes auditorium set up for video presentations, as well as two skybox areas for smaller-group presentations/discussions.

 

Company: AOL/Time Warner Category: Theme Park (Video/Music)  Theater Location(s): AOL Pointe Activities: Games (including L$) Interactive Kiosks Static Environment Scheduled Video/Music On Demand Video/Music Marketing and Promotional Freebies Commercial Vendors Activity level: Rarely staffed Rare events Unaltered Low traffic (<1,000/w) Rating: Fun for a while. Nice to visit occasionally.
Notes: Covered in New World Notes. Originally, plans were to continually adapt the site in an effort to improve appeal and engagement to the Second Life community, but it appears the team that was responsible for the island was let go around the time the island opened, leaving it largely unmaintaned. Electric Sheep Corp runs rare events at the site.

 

Company: Australian Broadcasting Corporation Category: Social Hub Media Center Location(s): ABC Island Activities: Interactive Kiosks On Demand Video/Audio Interactive Environment Text news feeds (RSS) Sandbox area for building Building contests Dancing Activity level: Staffed Regularly updated Low to medium traffic (~2k/w) Rating: Good place to hang out with friends. Wide variety of activities. Recommended.

Notes: ABC Island (Australian Broadcastic Company) provides news and entertainment information and media, building contests and tutorial notecards, as well as other activities. ABC Island has an authentic Second Life feel to it, a rare achievement for a Mixed Reality site.

 

Company: Calvin Klein Category: Promotional Media Location(s): Small site on Avalon Island. Activities: Non-Interactive Kiosks Marketing and Promotional Static Environment Freebies Static Video Activity level: Unstaffed Unaltered Negligible traffic. Rating: Visit once. Not much to do except see the pictures and watch the advertisements.
Notes: Covered in New World Notes. Calvin Klein provides promotional advertising for their ckIN2U fragrances. Very attractive build, but rather sparse on activities.

 

Company: Comcast Category: Theme Park (Racing) Function center Location(s): "Comcastic! Island" (map name: Comcast) Activities: Interactive Kiosks Non-Interactive Kiosks Static Environment Limited Freebies  Marketing and Promotional Activity level: Unstaffed Unaltered Low traffic (<500/w) Rating: Visit once.
Notes: Covered in New World Notes. Comcastic! Island is a well-built, attractive, but ultimately not-engaging theme park, whose marketing message is diluted by scattershot delivery at an inappropriate demographic. As for use as a function center, there appears to be no contact information to arrange bookings.

 

Company: Circuit City Category: Weblinked Store Replica Store Location(s): Single store in IBM 10 on the IBM continent. Activities: Marketing and Promotional Web Links Activity level: Unstaffed Unaltered Very low traffic (<50/w) Rating: Don't bother.
Notes: Resembles a physical world store. The products on display are supposed to hotlink to the website, but in the main the products are unresponsive, or provide broken links. An interactive couch-distance/screen-size display is entertaining for less than a minute.

 

Company: Reebok Category: Replica Store Location(s): Reebok Activities: Custom Shoes Commercial Vendors Marketing and Promotional Activity level: Unstaffed Updated recently  Negligible traffic Rating: Worth a visit after a store update. Only one update has taken place to-date.
Notes: Set in the middle of a warped and surreal cityscape, this store may or may not thrill you. You can obtain a shoe blank and customize the colors for a small fee, or purchase from a range of branded women's athletic clothing at moderate SL prices. Aimed at a generally young demographic.

 

Company: Reuters Category: News/Events Location(s): Reuters Island Activities: Live Video Static Environment Freebies Marketing and Promotional Activity level: Occasionally staffed. Occasional events. Unaltered Very low (<100/w) Rating: Especially interesting when an interview is taking place, or when staffed. Not an interesting visit otherwise, unless you are visiting for the streams.
Notes: Reuters provides a news HUD freebie, and cycling video streams of top stories. Audio-streamed interviews are held in the auditorium between Station Chief Adam Reuters and notable physical world personalities. In between times, the audio stream runs past interviews.

 

Company: The Weather Channel Category: Theme Park (Extreme Sports) Location(s): Weather Island Activities: New User Orientation  On Demand Video Static Environment Biking Skiing Surfing Freebies Marketing and Promotional Activity level: Unstaffed Unaltered Medium traffic (2k-3k/w) Rating: Good place to ski, bike or surf with like-minded friends. Recommended.
Notes: Weather Island provides three ready-made sports activities (biking, skiing, surfing), plus a choice of three on-demand video programs in their lounge area. Weather Island provides some basic, prepackaged weather-themed fun. Visit with friends.

 

Got a mixed reality site for Tateru?  E-mail her at [email protected].  And visit her blog.