Welcome to the Multiverse

Last month, I wrote that I was excited to explore virtual worlds outside of Second Life’s big tent. As part of that exploration, our team recently had the chance to speak with Corey Bridges and Ron Meiners over at Multiverse.

Multiverse is a new technology platform that supports multiple virtual worlds. The idea is that, by supplying the backend infrastructure, they open the door to independent developers who don’t have Blizzard’s bucks to create their own virtual worlds. That also makes it easier for the consumer, who only has to download the software once to have access to all the different multiverses that have been developed. Their pricing structure is similarly indie-friendly: rather than charging a licensing fee, they ask for a percentage of actual revenue, similarly lowering the barrier to entry.

While we’re still discussing potential applications over here, we’re all really excited by the possibilities. Multiverse’s backend support makes it reasonable for us to create small-scale virtual worlds as part of limited campaigns for clients.

The biggest question is about adoption. Consumers only have to download the client once – but will they download it at all? I was excited to see that Multiverse recently inked a deal with Fox to create a Firefly MMOG (the press release is here; the Penny Arcade comic is here). That’s probably going to bring a lot of people into the system right away. Corey mentioned that they also are working with IBM, as well as a few other 3-letter names.

Of course, not everything we develop has to appeal to everybody. Typically in developing content, we try to think (1) Will a lot of people use this? and (2) Will the brand’s hard core fans/target audience enjoy this? We’re lucky that a lot of the brands we work with appeal to young men – just the type of person who is experimenting with virtual worlds. That means that a multiverse could very well fulfill #2, and potentially might reach a mass audience, too.

I think it could also generate some amazing buzz. The press is clearly hungry for any brands experimenting with virtual worlds, and Second Life has got to almost be tapped out as a subject for news.