Another virtual world - Virtual Tokyo to be more precise - has seen the euhm… virtual light. ‘Meet me’ which was announced in June 2007 is - with a large newspaper, a huge IT & marketing company and a software company joining forces - one of Japan’s biggest ‘Virtual World’ projects and now in alpha testing stage.

Back in June, Transcosmos and Co-Core stated three key features for Meet Me. Although I can’t login* to the alpha version, reading the stories (and a ‘fishy’ one here) and looking at the screenshots, makes me think they had to alter those key principles a bit:

1. Using maps found in GPS car navigation systems to recreate a digitalized Tokyo: I can not really judge on this one. I assume they kept close to real Tokyo-layout, as their map shows street networks and a subway navigation system. If they did import the real life subway routes, this might be a tremendously smart move: Tokyo residents going into Meet Me will be accustomed with the navigation and orientation already. That way they will be able to skip a huge part of the learning process that goes with entering a virtual world. As for the search & travelling in general being a major drawback for people joining Second Life, scaring them away after failed or uninteresting or to ‘mature’ teleports, I think Meet Me may have nailed it down here.
2. Offers ‘common sense’ without taking away from the depiction of the real world: I’m not sure about this one. Looking at the screenshots, and especially the way avatars look, I fear they sacrificed to much ‘human’ to ‘cute game avatar’. I was going to say I would not be able to ‘impersonate’ with such an avie, but then realised I am a cat. So nevermind that remark. They made a smart move enabling people to set their avatar’s hight in centimetres, avoiding the whole population being giants. Meet Me seems to have limited options whereas it comes to avatar personalisation - for instance, you have to pick a skin tone, in stead of a skin - but whom knows what will change in the future? As for know, they are stuck with manga eyes and a crappy nose. Glad I’m almost two meters. ;) As for the ‘atmosphere free of derogatory and adult content‘, as long as they limit user created content, I’m sure it will stay that way. They also could use a dose of WindLight! ;)
3. The system offers a comprehensive and user-friendly design for a pleasurable experience: They should add: ‘for those whom speak Japanese’. Shortly put: it indeed looks intuitive and shiny modern, but a bit childish. For instance, a bright green suitcase represents your inventory and chat window is rounded, like a text balloon. Main colours: orange and green. For me it’s all to cute, and upon seeing this I would not stay in the game for long, guessing I’m not the targeted age. Yet, I assume that here - actually that goes for the avatar looks too - cultural differences may play a huge role.

I do have many unanswered questions left: How much user created content will Transcosmos allow in Meet Me? What’s their exchange rate? And as soon as I know that, is clothing cheaper there? Will there be English, Korean and Chinese version as promised anywhere soon? Where do I go to meet the cute lady-android from the Ghost in the Shell movie?

Information I did find:

1. Meet Me’s in-world currency is the Cocore, named after Co-Core, the joined company that is responsible for Meet Me. Highly comparable to Second Life’s currency the Linden. Although I would pronounce Co-Core the English way, it seems that much more logical to pronounce ‘Cocore’ with the stress on the first syllable. Don’t ask me why. =d
2. You get 2000 Cocore to start with. Does anybody remember how much L$ we started out with? Yet again, I wonder about the exchange rate.
3. If I understand correctly, there is no ability to sit in Meet Me (yet).
4. Transportation goes by train & bus. No flying? Teleporting only between specific locations, sort of like our old hub-system.
5. It is possible to ‘buy’ land. (Which tremendously confused me, with the apartment.)
6. It is possible to buy pre-fab goods such as furniture and clothing.
7. It is possible to buy a pre-fab house. (Not prim based, but a complete, slightly adjustable house.)
8. First in-world activity possible is fishing.
9. No user-picked time zones/atmosphere. Day time and night time are fixed on Tokyo-time.
10. In-world chrismas decoration and tries are set up until the 26th of December. I hope I get in timely to stand in front of the giant christmas tree at Hachi’s Shibuya station.

All this reminds me though, whatever happened to in-world - in Second Life that is - Virtual Tokyo that was to be designed by Tetsuya Mizughi?

*Any Japanese whom speaks English or Dutch wishes to guide me through the login progress by using Skype? Ow, and point me to the alpha client download link? :d

Update: ‘Some people say Second Life’ isn’t that fun for Japanese, who tend to be group-oriented and passive, although it works for aggressive personalities‘, more impressive quotes, LL’s take on this and SL vs. Meet Me comparison on azcentral.com.

Tags: 3D, japan, meet me, metaverse
Categories: Exploring
15 Comments »

Yeah, yeah. I’m rather silent here. Lot’s of - according to me - good, mostly RL - excuses. And as they advise using lists on the internet:

• The Big Move - Apparently, one needs to fill out papers, get insurances, furniture, a refrigerator, a ‘diftar’ capable garbage bin and a lawn mower. Also one needs to pick paint or wallpaper, a victim to apply those, fill out even more paperwork and spend ages describing the new place to people.
• Work II - They can surely use a pair of extra paws hands, I can surely use the extra money (see insurances, refrigerator, garbage bin, lawn mower, paint, etc.)
• RL partying - Is still fun. I did not make my self-set curfew. Duh. But how often does one get to hear Lesbian Vampires from Outer Space, Tales of Taboo and Athamay on the same evening in extremely good company? ;) Ow, add RL friends to that to. It’s a great combination! ;)
• Different Light at the Cannery, the book - Yeah. Whom ever claimed it was easy to get +10 persons to hand in all files and info necessary was a huge liar.
• My precious - A 10-20mm EF-S Canon lens and the discovering, testing and learning that goes with it.
• Work I - Maybe does not really count. As that is a ‘fixed time expense’. ;)

Besides, I do not really have something to add to the ‘news of the week’. He’s gone - or will be leaving. Change is inevitable, either way. LL was not stearing in an obvious way anyway, so, what’s the difference, we are still left ‘in the blank’. ;)

PS. For those interested, me auctioning off Veyron ends in 24 hours.  Currently Miss Nicole Rotunno is winning. =)

Tags: vint falken
Categories: Vint Falken
2 Comments »

1. No Touching Before Verification - Living in the Metaverse - Dandellion on the restrictions that come with not age-verificating. I wonder, does the age verification stuff actually has a use?!
2. Second Life Content Creators’ Lawsuit Against Thomas Simon (aka Avatar ‘Rase Kenzo’) Settles; Signed Consent Judgment Filed - Virtually Blind -Virtual Law - For the legal talk, read Benjamin Duranske’s blogpost. ;)
3. Rock Rebel Clothing - Sinful Wings Women’s Jeans - Wishful thinking. Probably never going to buy it, but it sure would look good on my butt. *sobs a bit*

Categories: Links
4 Comments »

I was very pleased last week, when I finally got to hold my two RL prints from the shoot I did with hawt avatar Veyron Supercharge. With their 40×60cm - 15×23″ - at 300dpi size they each look shiny, classical and utterly majestic. I ordered two, one for me to hang - number 2/2 engraved in the tree - and one to put up for sale on vintfalken.com. So it’s number 1/2 that will be for sale here.

Both details of the photograph shown here are ‘true size’, reverting the 300dpi to 72dpi. It’s not framed as else postal fees would be enormous and I’ve noticed taste may differ as it comes to framing. (I want to put mine in a nice old, baroque like frame, but my RL auntie said that’s ugly and does not do the print any justice. :/)

Some Rules for auctioning off Veyron:

1. Bidding will be done in L$. Why so? Doesn’t it sound better something sold for a few K than for a few dollards? ;) I prefer in-world payment, but paying me using paypal is also possible, with the following exchange rate: 1USD = 265L$ = 0.68 euro.
2. Postal fees are NOT included in the bidding. For the Benelux & Europe those are 2300L$. For the USA and the rest of the world those are 3400L$.
3. Starting bid is 7500L$, postal costs not included. If I don’t reach that amount, ah well, it may function as thingie to put the beers on or smth. (I have number 2/2 to hang up already.)
4. Bidding will end on Monday December 17th at midnight my time. Which is 3PM PST.
5. If the person who won the auction retreats for any reason, the photograph will go to the runner up at the price that person specified.
6. Bidding goes as follows: In the comments, say ‘I bid 8000L$ + 2300L$ (Benelux) which totals at 10300L$’. It is the 8000L$ that counts. So if someone bids 7500L$ + 3400LS (USA) which totals at 10900L$, the person from the Benelux still wins. Use your full avatar name and leave behind a valid e-mail address.
7. I’m sorry, but I will need a RL address to ship to. I do promise to just send the photograph and then remove the address from my inbox, chatlogs and memory without telling someone. ;)
8. If the amount it sells for would exceed 15k L$, I’ll buy Veyron Supercharge a new outfit. If it would exceed 20k L$, she’ll get a pair of shoes to go with that. ;)

Veyron Supercharge - super model in this photograph - ’sweetens’ the stakes:

Yes you can now own Veyron. Well, at least a photo of Veyron from that uber photographer, Vint Falken. It’s a real life high quality photo Vint took of yours truly. But that’s not all, I’ll sweeten the pot by offering an in world shot of me with the winner of the auction. But that’s not all! I’ll wear whatever you want in my inventory, or if you have something in mind, whatever you want to supply…. Think of the possibilities here…. Hmmm….

I think that also means you can ask her to wear the outfit you supply, even when it’s only a tattoo? *tempted to bid herself* =D

Tags: for sale, photography, portrait, real life, veyron supercharge, vintlabs
Categories: VintLabs
24 Comments »

I wish things would have turned out different. I wish I would have had a choice. But she left me none: that ******* Bitch refuses to take it down. We had such a nice thing going on there, with the Cannery. But because of her stubborn, inconsiderate and arrogant behaviour, that’s all gone now. If only she would have reacted different. If only she would have deleted it from Flickr. But no, she even dedicates a whole blog post to it! She tries to kill my reputation with this! I’m sorry, but I sure as hell can not curate together with such a mean spirited person. I did not want to do this, but she leaves me no other choice. I asked her nicely to take it down. She stood strong and firm and mean and refused. :( Please, guy and girl and dragon and elven and neko and child avies, support me on this one. Help me! I don’t know if I can wage this battle alone. She has that many connections. She’s older. And her photograph archives are that much bigger than mine. I _need_ incriminating photographs on Sho. I _need_ to make her look bad. I have no other option left, with the path that she has chosen. She started all this! I’m only trying to defend myself. ^^

Vint Falken zegt: Sho! You are mean! And evil! Which means I may be mean and evil
Shoshana Epsilon zegt: Thank you. Give it your best, girl.
Vint Falken zegt: I suggest you take the photograph down. Or I show your nipplegate one!
Shoshana Epsilon zegt: You don’t have a nipple gate one! Empty threats will get you no where.
Vint Falken zegt: Hun, you do. Did you have any booze last night?!
Shoshana Epsilon zegt: Um …. not much.
Vint Falken zegt: Now, it was not clear on this print if you had a mifty (of miffy?) nipple piercing or something else rediculous. But i’m sure it will be clear on the bigger one. Maybe the piercing even say ‘I heart Prok’
Shoshana Epsilon zegt: Eeep!
Vint Falken zegt: :D
Shoshana Epsilon zegt: How did you get that? You PAINTED that. You are a rat.
Vint Falken zegt: Not true
Shoshana Epsilon zegt: That’s not my nipple.
Vint Falken zegt: When you crashed. You came back all greyish. And then for a brief moment this happened.
Shoshana Epsilon considers which is worse, the ruth or the nipple. I think I rather like the nipple. Yes. I’ve decided I like it.
Vint Falken zegt: Ok. You’ve got it. This will be SL photography wars like never behold before!
Shoshana Epsilon is nervous, but stands firm.
Vint Falken zegt: I’ll cut you off any picture where you look good, upsample you, blur you, solarise you and worse that you can’t even imagine!

Tags: nipplegate, ruth, shoshana epsilon
Categories: Vint Falken
20 Comments »

Really, after seeing Andro like this on the A Different Light SL photography exhibition opening, I can’t help but think - and hope - that ‘Demo’ will become the next best fashion thing in Second Life.

Let’s throw out the skins that cost thousands of dollars, let’s celebrate badly done seaming, let’s dig into our inventories and wear stuff from when we were young, let’s go out shopping at discount. Because, hell, who needs perfection anyway as imperfection looks this neat!

Tags: andromega volare, demo, fashion
Categories: Fashion, Portrait
6 Comments »

Yep. Yesterday was the the big the huge day: A Different Light - SLart at the Cannery’s 2nd Second Life photography exhibition - officially opened its doors. As usual, it was a stressy few days before that, and I want to thank all who’s helped and put up with me during that period. Ow, and the person that sedated me with whisky. :p

Things I regret:

• Merchandise & RL art book not finished in time. But we’re working on that!
• The opening party being held at Toxic and not on the Cannery gallery roof. Although I like the looks of the toxic ladies hanging out there - they make amazingly interesting models - I prefer the Cannery Roof as party location: being able to party and alt-camming the art at the same time is way nicer. Now the party ’split up’ to early, half the crowd went to see the art, the other half stayed to party.
• 
• Focussing on the joy of snapshotting to much. That lead to me not participating in the conversation(s) all to much. But I did have some interesting ones, for instance about Little Venkman’s future art school career. But I did get some kick-ass photographs.
• That I decided to do the smart thing and went to bed on time. Missed most of the party, that means. :(
• Being ‘caught red handed ruthed’. But we’re working on that. I’ll force Sho to take down the photograph. Else I’ll post her Nipplegate one for the whole of virtual worlds to behold!!! Yes, Sho, that’s a treath!

Nah well, what would a SLart at the Cannery party be without a snapshotting Vint?

Tags: a different light, cannery, photography, rezzable, SLart
Categories: Art, Photography
13 Comments »

Jeey! What we’re all been waiting for - or at least, what I have been looking forward too - the SLart at the Cannery exhibition ‘A Different Light’ will open tonight!

At 4PM SLT - 1AM Belgian time that is - we’ll start partying admiring top notch Second Life photography SLart and the partying.

Featured artists for this show

Andromega Volare - Isolde Flamand - Kimberly Mirabeau - Marianne McCann - Mylena Aquitaine

SLartist that submitted work for Shadow Play, Childhood Dreams, Red Dawn and What’s your Angle?

Codebastard Redgrave, GM Nikolaidis, Jazss Saiman, Kim Dench, Loki Popinjay, Luna Zolnir, Raul Crimson, Ryker Beck, Shoshana Epsilon, Stephen Venkman, Vint Falken

See you there on the 5th of December? And on the 6th? And on the 7th? And on the 15th? ;)

Tags: a different light, cannery, rezzable, SLart
Categories: Art, Photography
6 Comments »

Just some wishful thinking: wouldn’t it be nice if we could ‘tag’ stuff in our inventory? Each inventory item would allow up to 10 tags. And maybe I’d finally succeed at managing my inventory.

An example:

I have

1. a pair of silver shoes bought on Veyron’s advice.
2. a silver dagger that’s just for decoration purposes and attaches to left upper leg. Dandellion likes it.
3. a notecard on Veyron’s secret affair with Dandellion.
4. a freebie pair of jeans.

I could tag

1. the shoes: silver, shoe, Veyron, november 2007, outfit A, outfit B, outfit C, creator name
2. the silver dagger: left upper leg, decoration, outfit B, outfit D, arms, role play
3. the notecard: Dandellion, Veyron, gossip, to blog about, CodeBastard Redgrave
4. the jeans: blue, jeans, pants, freebie, outfit A, outfit Z, august 2007, creator name

Of course, one could choose to ONLY search the invent for tags. So if I have a left-over attachment spot on the leg, I would search for ‘left upper leg’. Needing shoe’s, I’d go with ’shoe’. Wanting to see all I have involving Veyron, I’d type ‘Veyron’. Feeling dangerous I’d go with ‘arms’. No?

Tags: inventory management, SLinovation
Categories: Rant
16 Comments »

Guess what? I was one of the eight SL bloggers tagged by Timothy Lilliehook to give out 8 random more or less interesting facts. Now, I’m just a Second Life avatar. I am an average one. I’m not making ‘the bug bucks’, neither am I a hot shot escort or a great builder & scripter. So I was not sure if I could find 8 random more or less interesting facts about little old - more than one year now! - Second Life me. At least not 8 really worth writing about. So I’ll give you 4 about the human for free. Not sure if she looks at it the same way as I do, though. Well, I don’t think it’s a bad thing for her, to look at her Humanish Highness through my virtual eyes once in a while.

4 random facts about Vint

My inventory is a mess. Really. I’ve lost two pairs of shoe’s, just because I can’t remember their names. If someone promises to send me something, I beg to send it by mail, just because I’m sure that I will loose it when it goes into my invent.

I’ve never slept with a girl-avie. Somewhere - after kissing the breasts, to be more precise - it became icky. Although, I did promise my Princess, that if I would ever feel the urge, she would be the first.

I only learned how to decently land after I was 6 months old. Before that I just ’stopped flying’ which lead to horrible landings. Only after I discovered to press ‘page down’, I’ve learned to land more or less smooth & elegant.

I have 191 persons in my Second Life friend list. (Should clean.)

4 random facts gossip stories about my human

The human, she’s going to move soon: she signed a contract and will be allowed to move her basket into the new place starting Januari 1st. We agree that the place will need cable access, but are still debating on the amount of montly bandwith she’s willing to give me. She says I will have to settle with 12GB upstream & downstream, I demand at least 35GB. Ow, and in the mean time she has a car that’s total loss. And then she says I can’t park!

She is negelecting me lately, saying she needs sleep. I did some counting, the Humanish Highness totals at more or less 42.5 hours sleep a week - 6.07 hours of ZzZ-ing / night on average - of which 20 hours during weekends. My owner is a real sissy, I say.

Saying glass is more important than a decent body, my human’s ranting lately. Making sounds that normally only come with total sexual satisfaction even, when she spends to much time on a certain webpage. The owner would settle with EF-S. Geeh, don’t you have any moral or standards to uphold, babe?

She is constantly claiming I’m a drama queen. Well, she should first look at human self! She has worn real fur when starring as queen Titania in A Midsummer Night’s dream. At least my fur is pixelated and can be photo sourced from live life animals! And let us not even mention the affair she had with Puck!

Ow, and as it has been to long since we’ve last seen a not a meme, I’m not tagging anyone. Feel free to tag yourself! And let me know if you did!

Tags: real life, vint falken
Categories: Vint Falken
12 Comments »