Company touts potential of Second Life to Filipinos

By Alex Villafania INQUIRER.net AVATRIAN LLC, a US company focused on creating virtual items, said Filipino firms must tap online virtual worlds, particularly Second Life, in creating brand awareness in newer markets, especially those not familiar with their products. Incidentally, Avatrian, which has its production office in Cebu City, is hoping that Filipinos would lose the perception that Second Life is an online game. In fact, Avatrian creative director Rodion Herrera still likens it to social networking sites that are utilized by some companies to promote their products and services. Herrera said virtual worlds, or metaverses, offer a wide variety of utilities that individuals, groups or even companies can utilize for specific or general purposes. "People should embrace these new tools and see them as methods to create a brand of their own. Virtual worlds equalize the playing field for everyone," Herrera said. Second Life, and another virtual world, Entropia Universe, are similar to social networking sites but work like video games, complete with maps, in-game characters called avatars, and tools for purchasing virtual items. However, such virtual worlds focus largely on building networks, trading and communications. Little if any hack-and-slash action happens in these virtual worlds. Herrera said such virtual worlds start out with little content, which allows new players to create their own content to be shared or distributed, eventually create living, breathing communities of people. "Very few know what's in store for them in these virtual worlds. We also have to change the perception that Second Life and other services like them are video games," Herrera said.