WebWars introduces “layered reality games” on the web

WebWars introduces “layered reality games” on the web

A company called WebWars is coming out of secrecy today with a new way to play games across a multitude of Web sites you visit — with the action all layered within your browser.

To begin with, it has created a fantasy-like game called Weblings where players collect things from the various sites they visit and battle bugs. That game will begin beta testing in July. The sites you play it across depend on what theme… Continue Reading

RocketOn’s Blerp adds a layer to the web with new widgets

RocketOn’s Blerp adds a layer to the web with new widgets

RocketOn is one of the companies devoted to the parallel web, meaning it can take web sites and layer things on top of them, from virtual characters to message boards.

Today, the company announced a new web application, Blerp , that branches out from its previous platform, which was more like a virtual world on top of the web. With RocketOn’s first platform, you could create a character and literally walk around on other web sites…. Continue Reading

RocketOn launches parallel virtual worlds with six partners

RocketOn launches parallel virtual worlds with six partners

RocketOn is announcing today that it has launched its parallel virtual worlds platform with six partner web sites.

The partners are Comedy.com (pictured at bottom), Hypster (above), Online Flash Games, HotSpot, faceDub, and Boosh magazine (middle picture). The sites focus on entertainment, music games, photo sharing and social networking.

The South San Francisco, Calif.-based company lets consumers create virtual characters, or avatars, that canthen walk around web sites using the parallel-world platform. The parallel web refers to… Continue Reading

RocketOn partners with Animax to create a different kind of virtual world

RocketOn partners with Animax to create a different kind of virtual world

RocketOn and Animax Entertainment are announcing today a partnership that will make it easy for groups of friends to visit web sites together — and then scribble all over them.

RocketOn’s technology allows you to create virtual characters, or avatars, that can walk and scrawl all over sites on the real web. In essence, RocketOn turns the whole web into a backdrop for a virtual environment.

The partnership with Animax, a creative agency, is significant since it… Continue Reading

RocketOn raises $5M for widgetized virtual kid’s world

RocketOn’s idea is to have a virtual world in a widget — so as long as it’s seeded liberally across the Internet, users will be able to continue playing on whatever website they’re visiting.

The two-dimensional game is more or less a kid-themed chat room at the moment, according to TechCrunch, which also reported the funding. Future versions will include social networking features, items and unlockable “worlds”.

The D.E. Shaw Group provided the $5 million investment, the… Continue Reading

Latest: Google Wiki, Gphone, Windows Live, Rocketon, Kango, Media Machines, Stardoll

Latest: Google Wiki, Gphone, Windows Live, Rocketon, Kango, Media Machines, Stardoll

Here’s a morning roundup of latest action:

JotSpot to relaunch as Google Wiki? — Jotspot, a wiki company purchased by Google last year, is rumored to be relaunching soon as Google Wiki, and to be integrated with other Google Apps. This way, Google account holders could soon have a free Wiki application alongside Gmail, Docs and Spreadsheets and others.

Mobile payments standardizing in UK — The largest mobile phone companies in the United Kingdom are offering a standardized mobile-based… Continue Reading