VirtualWorldsNews专访HiPiHi创始人兼CEO许晖
时间：2007.08.01 原文出处：Virtual Worlds News
Last week we spoke with Michael Wilson from There about advertising in virtual worlds and opening them up for collaboration. This week we exchanged emails with HiPiHi CEO and Founder Hui Xu about the new China-based virtual world. In between discussing HiPiHi demographics and the effect of the Olympics on virtual worlds, he announced a planned initiative, the HiPiHi Global Partnership Project (HGPP), to "work with all relevant ecosystem partners to facilitate the formation of 3D web standards." Xu will be speaking at the Virtual Worlds Conference and Expo on October 10-11, 2007 in San Jose.
Virtual Worlds News: Can you give us a basic introduction to HiPiHi? What's the latest thing you've been working on with HiPiHi to get it ready for release? Can you tell us something that's not widely known about the world?
Hui Xu: HiPiHi is a Chinese-based global 3D virtual world, offering a totally interactive, immersive and open-ended experience for users to create, inhabit and govern a new world of their own design. It will be a world of limitless possibility for creativity and self-expression within a complex social structure and a fully functioning economy.
Now we have been working lately to fine-tune our platform to make it more stable, to provide more powerful and easy-to-use self-creation functionalities, and to create a more immersive and interactive online 2D community where users of HiPiHi can swap ideas, perspectives and stories to maximize their 3D virtual world experiences. Secondly, we are establishing a set of in-world policies and regulations according to the Chinese culture. Moreover, we are bringing the concepts and values of the virtual world to the Chinese market. Therefore we can work together with global partners to standardize the virtual world. [Ed. HiPiHi points us to this forum, a site the company monitors and asks users to "Create Your Own Policy."]
HiPiHi has made creativity a much simpler process by using pre-fabricated objects, and for sophisticated users, they can use the advanced setting and tools to build complicated and customized objects. HiPiHi users have formed a culture of encouraging proactive interaction both online and offline. For instance, residents regularly (about every other week or in time of every major event or festival) throw barbecue parties or organize gatherings to celebrate holidays such as Children's Day and the Dragon Boat Festival. They even voluntarily organize meetings (four times already) to share their tips and best practices on how to improve their creation capabilities and maximize the experience at HiPiHi. Additionally, we see some interest group emerge; residents of the same interests voluntarily form some interest groups, for instance, the Group of Mutual Help Mission and English Corner.
VWN: What sort of customers are you looking or? I know you've said that you're looking for "anyone with a computer and net connection," but what sort of people do you think you'll attract, and how will they use HiPiHi? Do you have any demographics numbers or other user statistics from the beta that you can release?
HX: People who enjoy the challenge, full of innovation spirit, have ability to create and share, are those we want to attract as customers. They are all smart, well educated and understand the value of the 3D Internet very well. HiPiHi should be a perfect platform for those people to explore the possibility of the virtual life by creating, exchanging, entertaining and socializing. Up to now we have invited nearly 13,000 users, with 85% of those having college or above degrees, with 50% of the users between 18-25, with 62% of the group educated in science and technology. Most of our testers come from major cities such as Beijing, Guangzhou, and Shanghai.
In terms of gender profile, 80% of them are male, and the rest (20%) are female. About 15% of the users are of overseas origins.
VWN: You said recently in an interview with CScout that China isn't ready for HiPiHi, but it will be soon. What will it take for China to be ready? How are you working to get there?
HX: In the light of the fact that the 3D Internet is still a newborn baby in China, it will take some time for people to well understand the 3D Internet and virtual world technology innovation and development. Additionally, from a technology infrastructure perspective, the involvement of more and more mainstream technology companies to drive the interoperability and interconnectivity is very crucial for the virtual worlds like us to really take off.
Fortunately, this trend is taking place right now. For example, Microsoft released Vista recently, and Intel is reported to roll out the independent graphic card. IBM also focused on the research and application of "virtual business."
More and more companies and business organizations have realized the value and the potential power of the virtual world. The virtual world is also a brand new place for innovative marketing. Therefore we believe a revolutionary change of Internet is expected to happen in the near future. For China, with increasing broadband penetration and affordable bandwidth cost in place, as well as increased digital ad spending in anticipation of 2008 Olympic Games, we see a significant growth potential for emerging digital platforms such as virtual worlds.
VWN: If China isn't already ready, does that accelerate your plans for international efforts? I know you're already looking to offer HiPiHi in multiple languages, but in terms of priorities, where is the international release for you? Do you have a time line for when we can expect to see a release? Are there any obstacles in the way?
HX: HiPiHi is so designed to be an open platform with global expansion potential from day one. We are planning to release an international version in the near future, which aims at another double byte market in Asia. We'll reveal details soon.
VWN: In that vein, you said that "We are aspiring to create a 3D net standard." How are you approaching that? Will you work with other platforms to develop shared standards or do you expect to create a winning standard? What will set your approach apart?
HX: Interoperability across different virtual world platforms and other 3D websites is critical for 3D Internet and virtual worlds to take off. As an early pioneer in this area, we have the obligation to work with other major players in this area to drive a common set of standards which could take the development of virtual worlds to the next level.
Through one of our planned initiatives, called HiPiHi Global Partnership Project (HGPP), we would like to work with all relevant ecosystem partners to facilitate the formation of 3D web standards. [Ed. A HiPiHi representative tells us that further details on HGPP will be released soon, but says, "It will be an efficient way to work with relevant ecosystem partners to create 3D Net standards and explore the potential market opportunities in China."
VWN: You've said that you'll be drawing revenue from advertisers and sponsors, but that you will also sell products and services within HiPiHi. How does the split work? Are you slanted more towards advertising or products? What sort of regulations might prevent an in-world currency, and how would you operate trade then?
HX: We do both, selling virtual lands and in-world ad placements. It's hard to say how the projected revenues will split at this point.
We haven't decided yet whether there will be an in-world currency as in SL. It's sure that we are making strong economic policies to promote the business transactions in the virtual world, which will comply with relevant law and regulations in China. At this phase, we emphasize the inspiration of the creativity and accelerating the prosperity of the virtual world. When the demands from the residents rise, the in-world transactions will increase accordingly. [Ed. HiPiHi followed up to say that "It's not the right time to reveal the details about the policy. But we can make sure that pornography, gambling, violence or politically sensitive material will be strictly forbidden."]
VWN: What types of businesses have approached you to get involved? I know you've said you've had both foreign and Chinese companies express interest. Is there a slant either way? Are you finding any barriers for entry with foreign brands? What applications are they asking for in the world?
HX: We believe when the Internet evolves to the 3D Internet, all current applications can be transformed or upgraded. Therefore, the traditional business models can also be applied in the 3D world. We are willing to cooperate with all companies which are interested in working with us to explore the potential compliances in 3D world, regardless whether they are foreign or Chinese companies.
VWN: Past advertisers, are you working with other businesses? I know Centric is involved, but are there other business partners, both abroad and at home? How did you choose them?
HX: We'd like to cooperate with partners who share the same perspective and confidence to the 3D Internet, to actively foster and explore the market for virtual worlds together.
VWN: With Entropia coming into the Chinese market to create a world in partnership with a government-owned firm, how does HiPiHi fit into the space? Do you see yourself as competing for users or will there be a different draw? If you are competing, what advantages and disadvantages do you have?
HX: Personally I think Entropia and HiPiHi are not competitors. We can partner instead of competing to explore market opportunities for virtual worlds in China. In terms of HiPiHi's competitive advantages, I think as an open platform, HiPiHi can integrate different resources and offer more business opportunities. Accordingly, our disadvantages lie in the fact that it takes a relatively longer time to build a prosperous dynamic virtual community.
VWN: I know you're about to close a round of investment. What companies and individuals have invested? Can you release how much they've put into HiPiHi? Do you think you'll be looking for more funding before the launch in the fall?
HX: We are about to close a round of investment from smart institutional and individual investors, who have a wealth of experience and a depth of understanding in this sector. Our door is always open for smart investors to get involved to expand potential addressable market and to collectively make a significant business opportunity for all parties involved. We can't reveal the investment details now, but we will probably soon.
VWN: I think the deadline for installing anti-addiction and real-name systems in online games in China was July 15. How will that affect HiPiHi? Have you installed the systems in the beta? If so, will we see something similar in international releases down the line?
HX: As mentioned above, HiPiHi is a 3D virtual world, so we didn't have the plan to adopt them in the beta test. [Ed. In a follow up, HiPiHi representatives clarified that the distinction between online games and virtual worlds isn't perfectly clear right now in China, heightening the need for developers to partner and work together.]
