Tateru begins a new journey through mixed reality
Below the fold are 139 Mixed Reality sites, real world corporate and non-profit organizations, that currently exist in Second Life. Over the next, well... however many weeks it's going to take, I'll conduct a survey of all known Mixed Reality
sites in SL, describing what they do, who they serve, and how active they are. (Or not.)
All the sites I'm aware of, that is, with some sourced from NB Horizons. Many Mixed Reality installations aren't easy to locate, sometimes by the owner's choice. And by necessity, this list excludes perhaps hundreds of university/college sites, except for a handful of the very most prominent and/or active.
That's where you come in, dear reader. If you know of a Mixed Reality site/sim that isn't listed here, email me and let me know! There are a lot of must-see sites that just don't get seen-- and others which deserve their obscurity. Over the next few months, I'll be visiting a number of them each week and surveying them for your convenience. Stay tuned for the big roundup!
Existing mixed reality sites, as of July 3, 2007:
That's great Tateru! And you've included the SLURLs the bane of many a SL researcher.
I know Novartis have a SL presence, but it's only accessible by staff, so I'm not sure if there's any point adding it.
Posted by: nick | Tuesday, July 03, 2007 at 02:01 AM
Hello - I like following this blog but you pushed one of my buttons. :)
'Mixed Reality' is a confusing term in this context, for me anyway. Mixed reality to me would be like the recent DestroyTV exhibit where real life and virtual reality are truly mixed together in real time interactions. (Wikipedia presents a similar definition.)
Under the NWN definition, it seems that only the virtual reality component is necessary. Isn't mixed reality more than just simply having an SL presence?
Just my thoughts anyway.
Posted by: HatHead Rickenbacker | Tuesday, July 03, 2007 at 05:44 AM
Depends a lot on how you slice the definition. In one sense, everything in SL is mixed-reality, since we're all on the outside to begin with, right?
I'm more looking at organizations and businesses that have an existence that is independent of SL, and did not start within it. That's not the only definition there is, certainly, but it's the one I'm using here.
Posted by: Tateru Nino | Tuesday, July 03, 2007 at 07:25 AM
http://www.secondlife.crowneplaza.com/
Posted by: Keenan Torok | Tuesday, July 03, 2007 at 10:36 AM
"Isn't mixed reality more than just simply having an SL presence?"
In my opinion yes, but I like mixed reality as a catch-all term; Tat's list is a "Mixed Reality Organizations", while stuff like DestroyTV would be Mixed Reality Culture, I think. Maybe we should change the title to reflect this distinction more-- Tat?
Posted by: Hamlet Au | Tuesday, July 03, 2007 at 11:29 AM
I think you have the same slurl for both Starwood hotels (which would actually be aloft) and STA Travel.
Amazing how many corps have come into this space in such a short period of time.
Posted by: Rez | Tuesday, July 03, 2007 at 06:49 PM
Oops. Well, spotted, Rez. Must have had a small copy/paste failure.
Posted by: Tateru Nino | Tuesday, July 03, 2007 at 09:19 PM
however you slice the definition, why not advertise that you're creating a Mixed Reality Directory and have the sites come to you? unless owners would rather not be located, it would be in their interest to advertise themselves in your directory. (or, would it take just as much effort to get the word out that you're making a directory as it would to actually make it? ;)
Posted by: Stephanie Gerson | Thursday, July 05, 2007 at 08:41 AM
You should also include CareerBuilder and IMAX in the list. They're on the same island that 1-800-Flowers is on.
Posted by: Justin Gardner | Sunday, July 08, 2007 at 08:40 PM
Tateru - great item except for one word - 'some' which should really read 'most'. I don't mind you linking to my list at www.nbhorizons.com or replicating it in your blog with proper accreditation. Most of the names are of course in the public domain but it does take time each week to research the slurls inworld after seeing mention of companies coming into SL in the press. As your first commenter Nick pointed out - "...you've included the SLURLs the bane of many a SL researcher."
As regards 'Mixed Reality' - the companies creating a presence in the Blue Horizon business park do see it as an extension of their existing internet marketing and communication strategy. For them it is not a 'mixed reality' but a practical way of reaching more people or of using SL as a low cost alternative to telephone or video conferencing.
A problem for many companies though is they bought into the hype of 'mixed reality' and ended up with a very expensive but fantastic looking island but with no visitors - a ghost town.
The essence of Second Life Business is about community, collaboration and sharing resources hence the emergence of a new type of business community, the virtual business park of which Blue Horizon Business Park from New Business Horizons is an example.
Posted by: Alan Haymes, London | Saturday, July 14, 2007 at 01:49 AM
I think you missed the first European HR Company which is hiring for real since may in SL : expectra -http://slurl.com/secondlife/Limitless%20Central/115/55/25
Posted by: Vazkor Hax | Sunday, July 15, 2007 at 09:31 AM
Quite a few new ones to add - too many to include slurls....
Acura
Armani
BCV
BNP Paribas
Bruna
Cecile
Costa Cruises
Credit Agricole
Crown Plaza
Fujitsu
Grundfos
H&R Block
Hublot
IWOOT
Keytrade
Level 3
Manpower
Nesquik
Netherlands Tourist Board
Osmoz
Phils Supermarket
Rixos
Sapphire
Suruga
Telecom Italia
TUI
Visit Maldives
Yves Saint Laurent
SLurl hunters will find some joy here:
http://www.kzero.co.uk/blog/?page_id=1046
Posted by: nic mitham | Monday, November 19, 2007 at 06:17 AM
Hi if you want you can add the SLurl (http://slurl.com/secondlife/EnelPark4/234/20/29) of The ENEL PARK. Starlife, with a great field experience, has created and now is managing the Enel Island in Second Life. Enel is the Italian most important electric society and the second European listed utility for installed capacity. The company strongly wanted a different SL approach from the solutions of the other societies: users participation is essential for success. Enel Park was realized on an island about 260.000 mq and face the communication through edutainment tools that SL offers. Guided visits into the next generation powers, events and contests about the uses of any type of energy, engaging games, product and business RL exhibitions are now awarded by a large, vital and growing community. On the Island all users can visits the power plants, drive a Ducati bike with the real sound of the engine, taste an energy drink, see the Enel Digital Contest movie clips, take a tour on board of Adriatica boat around the island, also join the events and contests inside it.
Enel Park can show how is used power today and how will be the energy world in a near future within the power plants inside it, from production side to final users. All avatars of the island can see the prospective of a real sustainable development.
BYE BYE
Ely
Posted by: Elisa | Tuesday, April 01, 2008 at 02:01 AM