VSide

vSide
Image:VSide_Logo.png vSide Logo
Developer(s)	ExitReality, Inc.
Engine	Torque Game Engine (Modified Version 1.3.5)
Platform(s)	Windows Windows XP SP 2 Windows Vista Windows 7 Mac OS X Mac OS X 10.4 Mac OS X 10.5 Mac OS X 10.6
Genre(s)	Music and party-focused social virtual world
Mode(s)	Multiplayer (online only)

vSide is an Internet based 3D virtual world that’s currently in its public beta. The game initially developed by Doppelganger Inc, but in June of 2009 the game was acquired by ExitReality Inc. which is the current Developer. On vSide users called "vSiders" can interact with each other through social networking, celebrity entertainment, boutique shopping and self-expression. The membership on vSide is free.

ExitReality provides “next generation social entertainment" with vSide, where in-world activities and engagement focus on music, entertainment and fashion. vSide is designed to be a online social environment where teenagers can hang out in real-time with their friends in personal spaces, plus enjoy the best in professional and user generated content or design and host their own events for others to enjoy.

In addition to encouraging teenagers to express themselves through personal spaces or "apartments", vSide also encourages users to express themselves though social gestures and connections, including who you hang out with, where you’re “seen”, where you base your personal space, and the activities that you engage in. Also vSide offers an extensive character customization system with over five million different clothing combinations available for free. Avatars can be additionally personalized through the purchase of virtual apparel.

As with all communities, social status is important in vSide community. Users can earn in-world status and climb a social ladder based on the number of friends they have, the number of new friends that you bring into the world and the activities you host or take part in. High social status in the world is visually represented through points so that users can immediately tell a new member of the community compared to a veteran user. High social status will gain entrance to VIP events, confer preferential access to personal spaces and allow for the acquisition of virtual goods not available to the average user.

History

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The World

vSide has 3 main "cities" or "districts". These districts are monitored by vSide Moderators, often abbreviated as MODs. Unlike the apartments, the cities can't be directly decorated or changed in any way by users. The cities are the main clubbing and shopping areas as well as public events with artists are often held there. The 3 districts have different themes (e.g. the Anime/Japan themed RaiJuku).

Gateway

The Gateway is the first location vSide automatically takes you on your first login. It contains [tutorials] about basic vSide features. The tutorials includes information about moving your avatar, chatting, shopping, clubbing, views, ignoring, apartments, friends and whispers. 3 "secret" shirts spread around the Gateway shall animate new players to find more vSide Secrets at the 3 main districts. The completion of the Gateway is optional.

NewVenezia

NewVenezia is the first ever built vSide city. It used to be called San Francisco (Doppelganger Inc. had its headquarters in San Francisco). vSiders often abbreviate NewVenezia and call it "NV". Its main venue is the Interscope Lounge where often events are held. The most recent event there was held by Lindsey Ray in 2010. NewVenezia is the vSide district that has changed the most since 2006. It has been undergoing small and large changes and redesigns, also new venues, shops and secrets were added until the current state.

RaiJuku

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LaGenoaAires

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Personal Spaces

The personal spaces for users, also called "apartments", play an important role in the game. Users are able to buy and customize apartments for vPoints and/or vBux. There are currently 9 apartments for sale, an additional one is still existing and accessible but not for sale anymore. Every vSider starts with a free basic apartment, the NV255 Loft. Every apartment is focussed on a unique type of vSider with unique needs. The themes and purposes of the vSide apartments go from a Club ("Club Rage") to an empty building spaces ("The Islands") for creative users who want to build their own apartments. The majority of the apartments are complete houses, unlike the Islands.

Accounts

Social Ranks

The table below shows the exact number of All Time vPoints required to level up.

Level	Name of level	Number of required vPoints
0	Wallflower	0
1	Half-Pint	5,300
2	Young'in	5,800
3	Sidekick	9,800
4	That one Kid	19,800
5	Somebody	34,800
6	Da Bomb	79,800
7	Party Animal	154,800
8	Funkadelic	254,800
9	Da Shiznit	504,800
10	VIP	1,004,800

Types of Users

Other than the normal user population vSide has certain teams of users that "work" for vSide in certain tasks. Listed below are these users.

thumb|alt=Picture of the current vSide GUIDEs taken in January, 2011|vSide GUIDEs

GUIDEs

GUIDEs are usually long time vSiders who expressed interest in helping new users with first user experience, giving tours and answering FAQs. These users wear a special yellow GUIDE shirt and have a GUIDE badge in-world and in vSide's Forum. GUIDEs can easily equip these items in their inventory and automatically go in "GUIDE Mode" with that. They can now see help calls of users on their server (the calling users also wear a "Help-Me badge"). You can become a GUIDE by an application process that opens at different times.

thumb|alt=Picture of the current vSide Tech Experts taken in December, 2010|vSide Tech Experts

Tech Experts

Tech Experts, just like GUIDEs, consist of a team that answer frequently asked questions, but unlike the guides, the questions are more "tech oriented". These users wear a special shirt in-world and have a badge in the vSide's Forum.

Promotion Team

The vSide Promotion Team, originally founded in spring 2010, is currently undergoing a revamp. As many vSiders have been asking to help promote vSide, they will get a new promotional forum. New "promo" positions will be available through an application process. Further details are going to be announced.

Celebrities

As vSide often invites musicians and other celebrities, they were given a special user role with a red name and a badge that looks like a star. They were given certain powers e.g. a forcefield.

Moderators

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Staff

The other users with red colored names found in-world are ExitReality staff that develop the game. The red color is just to identify these users as the people developing the game, so they don't necessarily have a role in the cities.

Virtual Currency

There are two different types of cash in vSide, and you get them in different ways:

vPoints

You earn vPoints for being an active vSider by a "vPoints drip" that gives you get a certain amount of vPoints in a certain amount of time. Exploring new areas, trying out new features, doing entertaining and helpful things, and spending active time in vSide. All ways to earn vPoints can be can be found at the How to get vPoints Guide. Experimenting to discover all the different ways you can earn vPoints is considered part of the fun. All vPoints you earned in your virtual life add up to the "All-time vPoints". Certain numbers of vPoints get you a certain rank/level in vSide.

vBux

vBux is virtual cash that you can use to buy clothes, stuff for your private spaces, and other things that make vSide life more fun. The following methods are available to purchase vBux:

· Credit Card

· PayPal

· Mail

· Phone (DaoPay, Paymo, Zong )

You can buy most things in vSide using either vPoints or vBux, but a few special items require one or the other.

You may not purchase, sell, gift or trade your account, or offer to purchase, sell, gift or trade your account. You cannot sell vBux or any virtual goods or services from the Environment in the real world.

Subscriptions

As of 2010, an optional subscription called vSub became available in vSide. This subscription consists of 1,050 vBux a month, 10% Off all clothes in vSide, Unique exclusive clothes, the vSub headphone badge in-world and other member only items. This subscription costs 9.99 a month and can only be payed through PayPal.

Technology

vSide is build on a heavily modified Version of the Torque Game Engine based on TGE 1.3.5. Its backend is written in Java, which is connected to MySQL via the Hibernate Java library.

Servers

The vSide servers are located in Dallas, Texas. The world servers (except the Gateway which has a limit of 25 users per server) have a capacity of each 350 users a server. Its worlds are running on 14 servers, if there's a heavy demand servers can be added dynamically.

External Services Embedded In-game

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YouTube

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Shoutcast

As of vSide Beta 10, embedding SHOUTcast streams into user apartments was established.

AIM

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External links

• http://www.vside.com/ vSide Home Page

• http://forums.vside.com/ vSide Community Forums

• http://www.apple.com/downloads/macosx/games/simulation_and_sports/vside.html vSide at the Apple Downloads Section

• http://www.exitreality.com/ ExitReality