Google has just launched its own 3D Virtual World called Lively. Of course the first thing that would come into our mind upon reading “3D Virtual World” is none other than Second Life, with all its avatars and avatar interactions among members. Although Google’s Lively may look and feel like Second Life, it is no where near its rich 3D environment. But it is understandable though since Lively is still in Google Labs, so we expect more features and enhancements later on.
Currently Google’s Lively allows users to create their own avatars, their avatars’ rooms, customize their avatars with their own photos and videos (yes, it does support YouTube video embedding), and embed their Lively virtual rooms into blogs and websites.
Members can chat with other avatars they see on rooms they visit or visitors to their own room. They can also add these avatars into their contacts as well as keep tracks of their friends through the Lively virtual environment.
Google’s Lively looks to be a promising web product and has the potential for another advertising venue for Google once it becomes viral and attain the same level of popularity and usage as that of Second Life.
As for Second Life, Google Lively is free and that makes it a possible threat.
