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Twinity

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Twinity
Developer(s)Metaversum GmbH
Publisher(s)Metaversum GmbH
Platform(s)Windows 2000

Windows XP

Windows Vista
ReleaseSeptember 5th, 2008 (Open Beta)
Genre(s)Multiplayer Social
Mode(s)Multiplayer

Twinity is the first 3D online virtual world to build true-to-scale replicas of large cities from all over the world. Twinity is developed by Metaversum GmbH, a company based in Berlin, Germany. The client offers accurate virtual versions of real-world cities, also called a mirror world or a Metaverse. An open, public beta began in September 2008 with the release of Twinity's first virtual city; Berlin which later was followed by Singapore, London, Miami and New York.[1]

Membership

There are three types of memberships in Twinity, which currently all are for free. The basic, premium and commercial memberships offer different levels of usage of the world. The premium membership is required for buying and selling apartments and the commercial membership is required for any commercial use of Twinity - or if the users, also called Twinizens, decide to open up their own virtual business. The basic membership is for non-commercial purposes only and allows users to register and create an avatar, rent an apartment or just check out the place. To become a member in Twinity, the users have to be of legal age in their country of residence.[2]

Community

Avatar created with Photofit

Avatar customization

The Twinity members represent themselves in the 3D virtual world - they can use their real names like in Facebook and also create an avatar that physically can be customized in different ways, including the usage of the special Photofit application. The user uploads a photo of a real person and then adapt the geometry of the face, which will make the avatar look like the user in real life.[3] Some users however prefer to create a new alter-ego and role play.

Globals

The in-world currency used in Twinity are called "Globals" and the conversion rate is pegged to 90 Globals = 1 euro.[4] With the Globals, the Twinizens can buy clothes, items, animations and pay for their own virtual apartment. Globals can be bought with credit card on the homepage, with PayPal or through Mopay. The users can also gain Globals by attending virtual contests and events, use SponsorPay or finish the Welcome Tour that they are offered upon registration.

Content

Many Twinizens are content creators, creating and selling their own products in world as well as creating their own machinima. Users also devote time to set up their own apartments, clubs, shops and lounges to share with others or host events in. In the fall of 2010, all new and already existing users were given starter apartments that they can furnish and decorate. Users can create their own furniture or purchase them from the shops in Twinity. On the Twinity homepage, there is a real estate agency where the Twinizens can localize an apartment of their choice. Twinity also offers a badge system. They were made to promote content, features, groups, or anything else related to Twinity for in-world advertisement. Anshe Chung has helped out creating the Palmadora, Ibiza location and the Twinizens now celebrate the Anshe Chung Appreciation Day every year in remembrance of this.[5]

Featured cities

File:Twinity Berlin.JPG
Virtual Berlin in Twinity

Berlin

In September 2008, Berlin was the first virtual city to be launched when Twinity entered the public beta phase.[6] During the launch event the mayor of Berlin, Klaus Wowereit, was presented with the symbolic key to the virtual city.[7] Around 20 km of the city and over 50,000 real buildings have been copied into the virtual capital of Germany,[3] including famous landmarks from both the former East Berlin and West Berlin, such as the TV-tower, Brandenburg Gate, Potsdamer Platz and Kurfürstendamm. The visitor can also get a taste of the city's long history in the virtual Berlin Wall museum[8] which was opened to commemorate the world-changing events of 1989.

File:Twinity Singapore.JPG
Virtual Singapore in Twinity

The virtual museum covers background information of the GDR, from the building of the Wall to the German reunification. Two months after the release of virtual Berlin, Twinity had reached 80'000 registered users.[9]

Singapore

In August 2009, one year after the opening of virtual Berlin, Metaversum announced that their second city to be launched was going to be virtual Singapore.[10] Metaversum received funding from Singapore's Media Development Authority to create the city.[11] The city was opened on August 9, with a big celebration of Singapore's National Day.[10] The first city district of Singapore to open was the area around Orchard Road.

File:Twinity London.JPG
Virtual London in Twinity

London

In December 2009, virtual London was the third city to be launched in Twinity.[12][13] Users can visit London's famous Soho district, stretching virtually from Oxford Street down to Trafalgar Square including the world-famous Piccadilly Circus, Buckingham Palace and China Town. On April 30, 2009, Metaversum announced that new areas were added to the existing ones. From the West End of London along The Strand, including some of the most famous theatres right up to the Millennium Bridge, on to the South Bank to the Shakespeare's Globe.[14]

Miami

File:Twinity Miami.JPG
Virtual Miami in Twinity

Virtual Miami was the fourth city to open in Twinity in July 2010 and the first on in the United States. The virtual Miami South Beach mainly covers the areas around the Lummus Park and Ocean Drive. Miami was the first interactive city in Twinity which brought the users new features, such as the ability to swim in the ocean with their avatars or build sandcastles.[15] Twinity follows a natural day and night cycle; which means that when it goes dark in Europe, it is still sunny in Miami.[16] The opening of the American city was a step in the direction of getting the growing American community a home.[17] In July 2010, Twinity had reached over 500'000 registred users since the opening of the public beta.[18]

Virtual New York City in Twinity

New York City

In October 2010, New York City was the fifth city to be launched in Twinity. The starting point of Virtual New York is at the Grand Army Plaza and from there the online community can spread out to explore the city and it's world famous landmarks like the Trump Tower, Solow Building or the New York public library to mention just a few.[19] Just like in the other cities in Twinity, the avatars move around, either by foot or by the help of a vehicle, on real addresses of the city in reality. The users can see the position of their avatars on a mini-map provided by Google Maps.[20]

Software

The Twinity client is free of charge to download and connects the user to a server through the Twinity network. When the client is opened, the application accesses information over the internet and connects the user to the 3D virtual world. Twinity uses Next Generation texturing technologies to deliver a graphically up-to-date visual experience that can be compared to the latest game releases in the industry. This includes normal, specular and cube maps. Screen Space Ambient Occlusion and glow shader effects finish the final look in the post-rendering. Twinity also uses the 3D mapping data currently used for things like Satnav and Google Earth,[3] which makes the virtual buildings looking like in the real world.[3]

A major part of the content in Twinity is user-generated. Premium members can create 3D-objects, clothes, floor plans and animations which they upload through the Twinity client or export Collada files through 3D modelling tools such as Google Sketchup, Blender, Autodesk 3Ds Max or Autodesk Maya.

See also

Second Life, IMVU, Kaneva, Blue Mars and Active Worlds.

References

  1. ^ "Twinity Enters Public Beta". Virtual World News. Retrieved 2009-04-23. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |ldate= ignored (help)
  2. ^ "Twinity Terms of Service". Twinity. Retrieved 2010-11-18. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |ldate= ignored (help)
  3. ^ a b c d Sutor, Bob (2010-02-07). "First impressions: Twinity virtual world". Sutor. Retrieved 2010-11-18. Cite error: The named reference "public" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  4. ^ "Twinity Pricelist". Twinity. Retrieved 2010-11-18. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |ldate= ignored (help)
  5. ^ "A Tour of Palmadora and Some Impressions". The Twinity Monitor. Retrieved 2010-11-18. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |ldate= ignored (help)
  6. ^ "Twinity Enters Public Beta". Virtual World News. Retrieved 2009-04-23. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |ldate= ignored (help)
  7. ^ "Metaversum Twinity Real World Media Event – itsReal". Aplink. Retrieved 2010-11-17. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |ldate= ignored (help)
  8. ^ O'Hear, Steve (2009-11-02). "20 years on, explore the Berlin Wall in Twinity's virtual Berlin". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2010-11-17.
  9. ^ "Twinity Hits 80k Registrations, Announces Three More Partners". EngageDigital. Retrieved 2010-11-17. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |ldate= ignored (help)
  10. ^ a b Peters, Andrew (2009-08-04). "Virtual Singapore now open in Twinity". SGEntrepreneurs. Retrieved 2010-11-17.
  11. ^ "Chat, Shop and Play in Virtual S'pore by Year-End". AsiaOne. 2008-09-20. Retrieved 2009-04-23. {{cite web}}: |first= missing |last= (help)
  12. ^ Wakefield, Jane (2008-10-08). "Virtual Worlds Carve Out New Path". BBC News. Retrieved 2009-04-23.
  13. ^ O'Hear, Steve (2009-12-07). "Twinity's virtual London opens for business". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2010-11-17.
  14. ^ "Virtual London Grows once more". Metavserum pressrelease. Retrieved 2010-11-17. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |ldate= ignored (help)
  15. ^ Ecker, Barbara (2010-07-29). "Press Release: Welcome to Virtual Miami!". Twinity. Retrieved 2010-11-17.
  16. ^ Woollahra, Sered (2010-07-29). "Twinity: Miami". Koinup. Retrieved 2010-11-17.
  17. ^ Corell, Pierre (2010-07-30). "Twinity eröffnet Virtual Miami". Virtual World. Retrieved 2010-11-17.
  18. ^ "Twinity eröffnet Virtual Miami". Virtual World. Retrieved 2010-11-17. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |ldate= ignored (help)
  19. ^ Ecker, Barbara (2010-10-22). "Virtual New York now open in Twinity". Twinity. Retrieved 2010-11-18.
  20. ^ "Twinity Revisited". Chapter and Metaverse. Retrieved 2010-11-17. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |ldate= ignored (help)

External links

Official sites
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Twinity&oldid=402316769"