Where in the world is There? On the global server

By Erwin Oliva
INQUIRER.net

FILIPINO subscribers of the free 3D virtual online community There Philippines have moved to a “bigger and better” global version, a top executive said Friday.

“In hindsight, we should have done this from the very beginning. All our members are now very excited,” Greg Kittelson, president of GrooveNet, the publisher of There Philippines, said in a telephone interview.

Kittelson said the migration to the global community was a “mutual decision” made by GrooveNet and Makena Technologies, Inc., the developer of There.

“After a little over a year of service, GrooveNet just migrated all of its members’ avatars from There Philippines to the global version of There. The decision was recently made by both Makena and GrooveNet to integrate its existing Filipino community with There’s dynamic and fast growing community and allow the two to grow together,” added Kittelson in a separate e-mail message.

He said the move will immediately give their Filipino subscribers access to the massive virtual world of There, as well as in-game programs to create virtual items, Kittelson said.

There Philippines now has over 100,000 subscribers, the executive noted.

Asked how big There is, Kittelson said it is a “fully populated virtual world” that competes with the more popular 3D online virtual world of Second Life.

“There and Second Life compete already. We’re the second largest competitor,” he added.

Local subscribers who have become inactive in the past three months will not be part of the migration. But Filipinos can still register and buy in-game currency through GroooveNet.

Kittelson said GrooveNet did not have to make any investment in this recent move.

“They [There] basically reserved a large neighborhood for Filipinos where we can congregate. It’s like we have our own massive neighborhood called the Philippines neighborhood. There’s already a big welcome party waiting for us,” he said.

Online communities, including virtual worlds like There, are still growing.

“There are more people getting involved in online communities, social networking, etc. not only here but globally. We’re in the right place,” said Kittelson.

There is a free-to-play 3D virtual online community that is open to anyone who registers. People interact with other players using 3D avatars (virtual characters). Inside this virtual community, players can chat with friends, meet new people, participate in group activities, buy items using in-game currency, and explore more areas within the massive online world.

Activities in the game include paintball matches, buggy races, trivia and other contests.

Subscribers can customize their avatars to match their appearance. They can also design, trade and sell virtual clothing, vehicles, furniture and any 3D virtual objects.

One of the more interesting features of There is a voice over Internet protocol option, which allows members to literally chat with other avatars. There holds virtual concerts or performances. The Beastie Boys and other famous bands performed inside There last month, Kittelson said.

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