Smithsonian taps virtual world technology to take us to Blue Mars
By 2150, it might be possible to breathe air on Mars — that’s if humans are able to develop an atmosphere on the planet. That’s pretty far off. But by next year, you should be able to explore what life on Mars would be like in a virtual world that’s drawing a great deal of attention.
Today, several technology startups are teaming up with the Smithsonian Institution to promote a museum exhibit that illustrates the concept… Continue Reading
South Korea’s Nurien raises $10 million for fashion-oriented virtual world
Nurien Software has been making a splash with its demos of virtual characters dressed as fashion models striding down runways in virtual fashion shows. This strategy has helped the company raise $10 million in a second institutional round of funding.
The funding suggests that investors are still excited about virtual worlds. According to market researcher In-stat, virtual worlds are expected to hit 1 billion registered users and $3 billion in revenues by 2012. And since Nurien… Continue Reading
Will Martian water discovery fuel interest in sci-fi Blue Mars world?
The discovery of water on Mars might spur a lot of interest in the science fiction dream of terraforming the Red Planet into a habitable place. That could be good for Avatar Reality, a virtual world company in Honolulu that is building “Blue Mars,” a 3-D world with ambitious graphics and a setting that takes place after the successful colonization of Mars.
It is the brainchild of Kazuo Hashimoto, chief executive officer, and his cofounder Li-Han… Continue Reading