Blue Mars, a Virtual World Made in Hawaii, Has Starter Avatars Which Resemble Hawaii's Ethnic Melting Pot

My latest post from the Blue Mars blog (which I'm developing as a consultant): "The starting avatars in Blue Mars look strikingly different from those of any virtual world I've ever played. In fact, originally being from Oahu myself, I'd say that many or most of the starting avatars look like Hawaii locals -- that is, various blends of Asian, white, and Polynesian. (Interracial marriage in Hawaii is extremely common; nearly 55 percent of the resident marriages in 2007 were inter-ethnic or interracial.) Did the Hawaii-based developers of Blue Mars intentionally create beginning avatars who look like they're from Hawaii? I put that question to Koji Nagashima, the Avatar Reality engineer who developed them." Read the rest here.

Comments

[Adeon Writer]

How varied can you get avatars age-wise? Are you stuck being a 30-something or can you get older? (without painting wrinkles on a 30 year old's face, of course)

Those avatars are so much better from a photorealism stance, I'll admit it, I just... which they could get out of that dang valley.

[Ignatius Onomatopoeia]

Put a shirt on, mister, or Timothy will be after you for the Herald's next Post Six Guy.

I want to be Jack Lord. I know he wasn't born in Hawai'i but that hair could deflect a tactical nuclear blast.

[Hamlet Au]

Hahaha!

Good question, Adeon, I'll investigate that.