Mobilizing Virtual
Worlds
Paul Golding
Wirelesswanders.com
Presentation at O2 Innovation Day
16th March 2009
Tuesday, 17 March 2009

Disclaimer
• These slides were produced to present at the O2 Innovation
Day (16-Mar-2009) as part of a mock “Dragon’s Den”
competition. I was invited to present on this theme and be an
advocate for the idea, as if pitching it for serious
consideration by the operator. So, consider this more of a
thought experiment to provoke thought and discussion. I am
a big believer in the future of virtual worlds and virtual
technologies, but I am not convinced at all that O2 or any
mobile operator has much of a role in the virtual/augmented
reality ecosystem at present. Feel free to agree or disagree.
• Credits: K Zero for their virtual worlds radar chart.
Tuesday, 17 March 2009

O2 is in the co!ection busine\"
tomo#ow:
Today:
virtual people
real people
(Avatars)
Tuesday, 17 March 2009

Why?
Social networks...
• We connect like this...
• LinkedIn - Facebook - Twitter
Tuesday, 17 March 2009

Virtual networks...
Tuesday, 17 March 2009

Virtual World Age 5
Registered www.kzero.co.uk
Second Life (33) Twinity (36) Jumpstart
Accounts 2009
17m Chuggington
Utherverse (32) 2m
Q1 2009 Woogiworld
15m
Handipoints
Blue Mars 2150
Age 30+ Age 8
1m
GeoSim 2008
13m
HiPiHi
Philly (31)
(30) Chapatiz
Amazing
Ecobuddies
Worlds
NuNu
VMK
Virtual
Konstruction Zone
2007
Near
Xivio
Hello Kitty
ERepublic
Buildabearville
3m
world
Ridemakerz
2m
5m Webkinz
Football 2006 Whirled
Superstars Action Allstars
ActionJetz
Explosion
Coaches Centre Robot Galaxy
17m Barbie Girls
15m Webcarzz
12m
2005
Cyber Town 40m Poptropica
20m
Chobots
Fusion Fall
WilliNilli
Moshi Monsters
Omnidate 1m Cars
Age 10
Age 25 2008 2007 2006 2005 2005 2007
2009 2006 2008 2009
Dizzywood
Franktown
MinyanLand LEGO Universe
Mycosm Medikidz
45m 50m Neopets
2m
SceneCaster 2m Digital Dollhouse
2005 Club PonyPals
iheartland 3m Whyville
Saddle Club
Webosaurs
Activeworlds 1m
Kiwi Heroes
300 Mi$ion
10Vox
Onverse Papermint
12m Vizwoz
Interzone 2006
Green Zoopri
19m
SportsBLOX
Faketown 22m Club Penguin
ClubCooee
1.5m
Twinners Galactik Football
Weblin 2m My Mini Life
1.5m 1.5m 90m Precious Girls Club
Kaneva
2007
3m
Black Mamba 2m 100m 1m Spineworld
There Coke
MTV 3D 4m Audree’s World
Studio 124m Habbo
vMTV Vivaty 20m 6m
Home
Yoggurt
Girl Ambition
30m 8m
NASA
goSupermodel
2008
IMVU vLES SmallWorlds 19m
12m
Freggers
Age 20 Age 13
17m Muxlim Planet Cazmo
sMeet 7m
13m Lively Upper Deck U
vSide 4m 24m
Live or open beta 8m
C3L3B Outspark 21m
Meez 15m
Launched in 26m
2009
Gaia Frenzoo
1m
Rocketon 26m Roiworld WeeWorld
In development/private beta Ourworld Taatu
Stardoll
No data shown for worlds under 1m registered accounts. Includes estimates.
Closed/closing
Copyright KZero 2006-2009
Age 15 Permission required prior to republishing
Monday, 23 February 2009
Tuesday, 17 March 2009

Flickr
in-world
mash-ups
ATM
Youtube
Tuesday, 17 March 2009

Mobile AR mash-ups
Tuesday, 17 March 2009

Mobile out-world mash-ups
Tuesday, 17 March 2009

o2 Metaverse platform
APIs Search
Open
MNO Metaverse
Metaverse
mobile 2.0 Platform
Platform
Trust Charge
Tuesday, 17 March 2009

Monetization
• Connectivity
• Micro
Transactions
• Search
• Trust
• Storage
• Advertising
Tuesday, 17 March 2009

big $ Busine\"!
Co!ection busine\"!
...O2 is in the co!ection
busine\"!
Tuesday, 17 March 2009

“The future is already here –
it's just not evenly
distributed.”
—Wi$iam Gibson
Tuesday, 17 March 2009

Thank you
Paul Golding
wirele\"wanders.com
Fo$ow:
@pgolding
Tuesday, 17 March 2009