Virtual Tokyo ‘Meet Me’ goes into alpha stage
December 19, 2007 12:02 am
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:
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.
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! ;)
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:
- 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
- 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.
- If I understand correctly, there is no ability to sit in Meet Me (yet).
- Transportation goes by train & bus. No flying? Teleporting only between specific locations, sort of like our old hub-system.
- It is possible to ‘buy’ land. (Which tremendously confused me, with the apartment.)
- It is possible to buy pre-fab goods such as furniture and clothing.
- It is possible to buy a pre-fab house. (Not prim based, but a complete, slightly adjustable house.)
- First in-world activity possible is fishing.
- No user-picked time zones/atmosphere. Day time and night time are fixed on Tokyo-time.
- 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.
15 Responses to “Virtual Tokyo ‘Meet Me’ goes into alpha stage”
I actually known some big japanese areas in SL… They even have their own dating areas from the english speakers. Much like alot of americans/europians it ends up being a bit more naughty and not as main stream as other online communities…
I am interested in seeing Tokyo. Also, I gotta ask… I understand this is a world controlled by the company and not by users?
Day, then we’ll search for the download page together? And you’re not going to kid me into believing you still trust us to own ours? :D
http://www.meet-me.jp/register
I got to step 4 where it told me:
meet-meへの仮登録、誠にありがとうございます。
利用規約のご確認ページでご案内させていただきました通り、
本α版オープン期間の12月25日までに『本登録用アドレス』を
お送りすることが出来ない場合がございます。
『本登録用アドレス』が25日までにお手元に届かない場合は、
誠に申し訳ございませんが、次回サービス開始以降にお送りいたします。
本登録をご希望のお客様方にはご迷惑をお掛けいたしますが、
ご理解の程、よろしくお願い申し上げます。
The provisional registration to meet-me, thank you truly. Making guide in the verification page of Condition of Use, as received, to December 25th of book α edition open period ‘ address for high grade registry ‘ there are times when it is not possible to send. When ‘ address for high grade registry ‘ to 25 days it does not reach in labor assistant, there is no excuse truly, but we send after the starting the next service. High grade registry it does to bet annoyance to on desired customer one, but about understanding, we ask may.
Day, the mail said, So many peoples eager to join meet-me alpha stage test service. So if you will not got “Registration completed” mail before 25 Dec, it means that you lose registration at this time, and your request will be postpone till next release.
And Vint, the download link is not on https area, but even if you downloads it, You can’t login to the system till you got valid id… FIY, the application is 30 or 40MB, but update data which you must download before login is 1.4GB large!! Even with 100Mbps line, it took me about 30mins. sigh.
Answering some questions.
User creation:
unable, at least alpha stage. They planing it, but still not implemented.
Exchange rate:
none available yet. RMT is not allowed. To earn virtual points, you need to watch some CF or advertise, or win some games. So at this time, the price is mean nothing. (You’ll have 2,000 points at start).
Other languages:
Chinese version is on their plan.
I received a registration finalization url in my email… how’s your progress, Vint? (:
Does it say something about being allowed to pass on account & account passwords? *looks sheepishly to you*
Ok, me too now, on the registration confirmation email. So I’m registered. Only the go to ‘my page’ and then login and download the client, which button on the site is that? Google translation does not do buttons. :(
And I could not register ‘Vint Falken’, so had to register VintFalken. That and I live in Nagasaki. Did not accept ‘BEL’ as first three letters for zip code. ;)
That and I took the wrong birth date, although months were English numbers. Geeh! *slaps herself*
お名前 ann wuyts
お名前(カナ) ann wuyts
性別 女性
誕生日 1984年 10月 07日
メールアドレス info@vintfalken.com
郵便番号 958-2440
都道府県 北海道
Cana => Avatar name? I thought it would be related to the latin ‘canus’ (dog) but can’t really see the connection with Meet Me. :d
Ow and I have installed and dl’ing the second batch of data now. Although it seems I like Japanese language support on my PC? I see mostly squares.
It’s syllabary. Kanji has some sounds to read, so we japanese need to know how to pronounce especially person’s name. カナ(Kana) -> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katakana .
Batch of update data you have to download are about 1.4GB! And You need to install DirectX9 before viewer runnning. It’s long way…
Nock, so you have to write down your name twice? Once for writing and once for pronouncing?
And I dl’d the directX9, which stopped the dll error. I downloaded also the 1.4GB. Now if I want to start it, it checks for updates, finds there are none left, and then crashes. :(
yeah, without pronoucing info we can’t sort. It’s mostly for DB things :)
The FAQ page said: If you got something related dll, Update d3dx9_35.dll to the latest one. There are so many same results when I googling”meet-me dll”, lol.
[…] one”. By now, this must be a whole lot more, as Toyota presents - in cooperation with Co-core’s MeetMe - their own virtual […]
i keep trying to register, but keep being told that i am not imputting a correct address. i know almost no japanese, so this is a little frustrating :/ does anyone know a way around this?
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