Hype sparks rash of 3D world launches in Asia

Digital Media·2007.4

It didn’t take long. China now has its own version of the enormously hyped ‘virtual world’ Second Life, and similar virtual communities are starting to spread across Asia.

HiPiHi, which has been in private beta phase open to 1,000 users since March 19, is similar to Second Life, but is being customised for China. Aside from Chinese-looking avatars, HiPiHi will distinguish itself by being easy to use.

“We are targeting a younger demographic, and we are much more beginner-friendly,” said Liu Xinhua, a

co-founder and angel investor in the project. HiPiHi is targeted at Chinese internet users who are generally under 40 and not very tech-savvy.

The idea could be a winner, said Kaiser Kuo, group director, digital strategy, Ogilvy & Mather, China. “If the developers ensure a smooth, fun, easy game experience that affords both opportunity to interact and opportunity to express oneself creatively, Chinese internet users are apt to take to something like HiPiHi,” said Kuo.

Meanwhile, new virtual communities have appeared — or are soon to appear —in Hong Kong, the Philippines, and Vietnam.

Hong Kong-based Frenzoo, a 3D social network targeted at teenage girls in Asia, will have a soft launch in May with an official launch in early July. It plans to build brands into the user experience, said Eda Chow, director of marketing and business development for the company.

In Vietnam, Singapore company Netgame Asia will soon distribute a virtual world called Super Online Dancer; and in the Philippines, search portal Yehey! has reinvented itself to host a 2.5D virtual shopping environment.

The time is right for virtual worlds in Asia, said Paul Soon, managing director of XM Asia. “I do think that we are ready to show that we have our own platforms, our own ideas.”

Marketers need to learn about the Asian online consumer, he said. In Korea and Japan consumers are used to shopping online, but for other countries, the online experience counts for more.

Greg Wood, managing director of Profero in Singapore, sees “humongous” potential for 3D environments in the region. “There’s already an awareness, an approach [in Asia], that says you can be yourself somewhere else.”

He thinks the opportunties for marketers are “pretty damn good” but said there are still bandwidth problems in some parts of the region.

By Hamish McKenzie with additional reporting by Sushin Yung