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{{Unreliable sources|date=February 2021}}
{{Unreliable sources|date=February 2021}}
{{Infobox company
{{Infobox company
| name =
| name =
| logo = IMVU logo.png
| logo = IMVU logo.png
| type = private
| type = private
| industry = [[Social network]]
| industry = [[Social network]]
| predecessor = <!-- or: | predecessors = -->
| predecessor = <!-- or: | predecessors = -->
| successor = <!-- or: | successors = -->
| successor = <!-- or: | successors = -->
| founded = {{start date and age|2004}}
| founded = {{start date and age|2004}}
| founder = [[Will Harvey]], Eric Ries, Marcus Gosling, Matt Danzig
| founder = [[Will Harvey]], [[Eric Ries]], Marcus Gosling, Matt Danzig
| defunct = <!-- {{end date|2018|12|29}} -->
| defunct = <!-- {{end date|2018|12|29}} -->
| hq_location_city = [[Redwood City, California]]
| hq_location_city = [[Redwood City, California]]
| hq_location_country = U.S.
| hq_location_country = U.S.
| area_served = <!-- or: | areas_served = -->
| area_served = <!-- or: | areas_served = -->
| key_people = Daren Tsui (CEO)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sfchronicle.com/business/article/The-future-world-of-Ready-Player-One-has-12789224.php?psid=8c9R7|title=The future world of "Ready Player One" has already begun - SFChronicle.com|date=30 March 2018|website=www.sfchronicle.com}}</ref>
| key_people = Daren Tsui (CEO)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sfchronicle.com/business/article/The-future-world-of-Ready-Player-One-has-12789224.php?psid=8c9R7|title=The future world of "Ready Player One" has already begun - SFChronicle.com|date=30 March 2018|website=www.sfchronicle.com}}</ref>
| products =
| products =
| num_employees = 200
| num_employees = 200
| num_employees_year = <!-- Year of num_employees data (if known) -->
| num_employees_year = <!-- Year of num_employees data (if known) -->
| parent =
| parent =
| website = {{URL|www.imvu.com}}
| website = {{URL|www.imvu.com}}
}}
}}
'''IMVU''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|ɪ|m|v|j|uː}}, stylized as '''imvu''')<ref>{{cite web|author1=IMVU Community|title=Inside IMVU|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X170WL8AdDM |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/X170WL8AdDM |archive-date=2021-12-21 |url-status=live|website=youtube.com|publisher=YouTube|access-date=2014-09-19|location=Time 0:39|date=2012-09-21|quote=I think the thing I love the most about IMVU is…}}{{cbignore}}</ref> is an online virtual world and social networking site. IMVU was founded in 2004 and was originally backed by venture investors [[Menlo Ventures]], AllegisCyber Capital, Bridgescale Partners, and [[Best Buy]] Capital.<ref name = "IMVUHISTORY">[http://www.imvu.com/about/ "About: IMVU"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180503170638/http://www.imvu.com/about/ |date=2018-05-03 }}, IMVU website</ref><ref name="imvu.com"/> IMVU members use 3D [[Avatar (computing)|avatars]] to meet new people, chat, create, and play games.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.insidesocialgames.com/2011/03/11/imvu-games-taking-advantage-of-strong-growth/ |title=IMVU Games Taking Advantage of Strong Growth |publisher=Insidesocialgames.com |date=2011-03-11 |access-date=2011-11-13}}</ref> In 2014, IMVU had approximately six million active players,<ref name="imvu.com">{{cite web |url=http://www.imvu.com/about/faq.php |title=IMVU Information |publisher=Imvu.com |access-date=2014-06-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141023011239/http://www.imvu.com/about/faq.php |archive-date=2014-10-23 |url-status=dead }}</ref> and had the largest [[virtual goods]] catalog<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.engagedigital.com/2011/01/31/imvu-announces-growth-promotion/ |title=IMVU Announces Growth, Promotion |publisher=Engage Digital |date=2011-01-31 |access-date=2011-11-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110408055522/http://www.engagedigital.com/2011/01/31/imvu-announces-growth-promotion/ |archive-date=2011-04-08 |url-status=dead }}</ref> of more than 6 million items as of 2011.<ref name="imvu.com"/> The business was previously located in [[Mountain View, California]]. It was known as one of the leading practitioners of the [[lean startup]] approach.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.readwriteweb.com/start/2010/01/turn-your-startup-into-a-lean.php |title=Built for Speed: Turn Your Startup Into a Lean, Mean Iterating Machine |publisher=[[Read Write Web]] |access-date=2015-04-10 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120925044934/http://www.readwriteweb.com/start/2010/01/turn-your-startup-into-a-lean.php |archive-date=2012-09-25 }}</ref>
'''IMVU''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|ɪ|m|v|j|uː}}, stylized as '''imvu''')<ref>{{cite web|author1=IMVU Community|title=Inside IMVU|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X170WL8AdDM |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/X170WL8AdDM |archive-date=2021-12-21 |url-status=live|website=youtube.com|publisher=YouTube|access-date=2014-09-19|location=Time 0:39|date=2012-09-21|quote=I think the thing I love the most about IMVU is…}}{{cbignore}}</ref> is an online virtual world and social networking site. IMVU was founded in 2004 and was originally backed by venture investors [[Menlo Ventures]], AllegisCyber Capital, Bridgescale Partners, and [[Best Buy]] Capital.<ref name = "IMVUHISTORY">[http://www.imvu.com/about/ "About: IMVU"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180503170638/http://www.imvu.com/about/ |date=2018-05-03 }}, IMVU website</ref><ref name="imvu.com"/> IMVU members use 3D [[Avatar (computing)|avatars]] to meet new people, chat, create, and play games.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.insidesocialgames.com/2011/03/11/imvu-games-taking-advantage-of-strong-growth/ |title=IMVU Games Taking Advantage of Strong Growth |publisher=Insidesocialgames.com |date=2011-03-11 |access-date=2011-11-13}}</ref> In 2014, IMVU had approximately six million active players,<ref name="imvu.com">{{cite web |url=http://www.imvu.com/about/faq.php |title=IMVU Information |publisher=Imvu.com |access-date=2014-06-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141023011239/http://www.imvu.com/about/faq.php |archive-date=2014-10-23 |url-status=dead }}</ref> and had the largest [[virtual goods]] catalog<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.engagedigital.com/2011/01/31/imvu-announces-growth-promotion/ |title=IMVU Announces Growth, Promotion |publisher=Engage Digital |date=2011-01-31 |access-date=2011-11-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110408055522/http://www.engagedigital.com/2011/01/31/imvu-announces-growth-promotion/ |archive-date=2011-04-08 |url-status=dead }}</ref> of more than 6 million items as of 2011.<ref name="imvu.com"/> The business was previously located in [[Mountain View, California]]. It was known as one of the leading practitioners of the [[lean startup]] approach.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.readwriteweb.com/start/2010/01/turn-your-startup-into-a-lean.php |title=Built for Speed: Turn Your Startup Into a Lean, Mean Iterating Machine |publisher=[[Read Write Web]] |access-date=2015-04-10 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120925044934/http://www.readwriteweb.com/start/2010/01/turn-your-startup-into-a-lean.php |archive-date=2012-09-25 }}</ref>

Revision as of 07:15, 5 June 2022

IMVU
Company typeprivate
IndustrySocial network
Founded2004; 20 years ago (2004)
FounderWill Harvey, Eric Ries, Marcus Gosling, Matt Danzig
Headquarters
Redwood City, California
,
U.S.
Key people
Daren Tsui (CEO)[1]
Number of employees
200
Websitewww.imvu.com

IMVU (/ˈɪmvjuː/, stylized as imvu)[2] is an online virtual world and social networking site. IMVU was founded in 2004 and was originally backed by venture investors Menlo Ventures, AllegisCyber Capital, Bridgescale Partners, and Best Buy Capital.[3][4] IMVU members use 3D avatars to meet new people, chat, create, and play games.[5] In 2014, IMVU had approximately six million active players,[4] and had the largest virtual goods catalog[6] of more than 6 million items as of 2011.[4] The business was previously located in Mountain View, California. It was known as one of the leading practitioners of the lean startup approach.[7]

The company name was neither an acronym nor an initialism. IMVU co-founder Eric Ries[8] described the accidental process by which the company acquired its meaningless name, and stated "It's not an acronym; it doesn't stand for anything".[9]

Credits

IMVU contains its own economy with a currency system based on IMVU "credits" and "promo credits." A third form of currency also existed for creators, known as "developer tokens," which were earned when a user purchases an item with "promo-credits." Credits could be purchased online using actual currency directly from IMVU. Credits can also be attained through IMVU gift cards available from retail outlets, as well as completing surveys and the game's daily spin, where a player can win either an item or an amount of credits.

Promotional credits, abbreviated to “predits,” were a second form of currency distributed to members by IMVU and could be obtained by participating in various "Partner" promotions and a few activities that IMVU provides. With relation to a standard free or full member, promo-credits were similar to standard credits. A given number of credits equates, promo-credits could not be used to purchase items as gifts for other members and may not be traded back to an IMVU re-seller for actual currency. Promo-credits used to purchase a virtual product were exchanged into "developer tokens," also known as "dev tokens." The purchase transferred the promo-credits into developer tokens but netted a single developer token per purchase when promo-credits were used regardless of the price of the product purchased.[10] In early 2021, the developers of the game made it possible for players to gift credits, hinting of a possible business addition to the game in the future.

Community

Users also devote time to customizing their individual homepages, setting up public and private rooms, creating and participating in user groups (similar to forums but personalized via the owner), and participating in the Community forums.[citation needed] users can create their own worlds, dance clubs, paradise resorts, even space stations, homes, and mansions. Additionally, there are numerous user-produced third-party websites providing additional forums and resources to the IMVU community.[citation needed] IMVU users are also able to conduct peer review on virtual products waiting to be submitted into the IMVU catalog, with a reward of 10 promo-credits per product review.[citation needed]

References

  1. ^ "The future world of "Ready Player One" has already begun - SFChronicle.com". www.sfchronicle.com. 30 March 2018.
  2. ^ IMVU Community (2012-09-21). "Inside IMVU". youtube.com. Time 0:39: YouTube. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved 2014-09-19. I think the thing I love the most about IMVU is…{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  3. ^ "About: IMVU" Archived 2018-05-03 at the Wayback Machine, IMVU website
  4. ^ a b c "IMVU Information". Imvu.com. Archived from the original on 2014-10-23. Retrieved 2014-06-25.
  5. ^ "IMVU Games Taking Advantage of Strong Growth". Insidesocialgames.com. 2011-03-11. Retrieved 2011-11-13.
  6. ^ "IMVU Announces Growth, Promotion". Engage Digital. 2011-01-31. Archived from the original on 2011-04-08. Retrieved 2011-11-13.
  7. ^ "Built for Speed: Turn Your Startup Into a Lean, Mean Iterating Machine". Read Write Web. Archived from the original on 2012-09-25. Retrieved 2015-04-10.
  8. ^ Eric Ries, Co-Founder and IMVU Board Observer Archived 2018-05-02 at the Wayback Machine IMVU. Retrieved: 2013-05-25.
  9. ^ "Inspiring women in Technology: Audrea Mills (Author of The Lean Startup)". YouTube. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved 2014-06-25.
  10. ^ "IMVU". IMVU. Retrieved 2011-11-13.

Further reading

See also

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