134.
As a "man of leisure," as they would say, I've the perhaps unfortunate luxury of messing with things that otherwise might not be worth the time. Google's new toy, Lively, is the latest on this list. This isn't to say that it's not worth it, but as it was announced for public beta just last week, I'm in the camp that this baby still has a ways to go.
For starters, Lively is Google's web-based 3D chat room. (Remember those? Yeah. They still exist.) Getting started is easy (in theory)--I found the Lively client to be a quick download and all else you need is a Google account. After logging in and selecting a *public* handle, you've got a basic assortment of bells and whistles to customize your own online avatar (representation of yourself), and then to make your own chat room. Making a room is a reminiscent click away, and you can ornament with items you summon and then drag/drop around the screen. As someone who found decorating the most interesting part of The Sims, this is kinda cool--I don't have to cheat and give myself Simoleons (or however you spell that currency) and there's already enough variety for me to have done a World of Warcraft-like forest, a grimmer tower scene, and a rooftop pad. (That said: I'm going to be significantly less of a fan of this aspect if and when they start implementing paid content. I'm no tween.)
Sadly, for now, that's pretty much it. There's some potential interactivity in that you can link any object to an actual website and that certain items--movie screens/picture frames--can show YouTube movies or Picasa files* on continuous loop (whoo...). Unfortunately, the picture functionality is currently broken and is being fixed up at this writing (...hoo). In this state, it's perhaps understandable that the Goog has no Lively user-content generator at launch. In between trying to fend off the inevitable onslaught of adult-oriented rooms (the In-ter-net is for....) and debugging/tweaking/hopefully adding features, trying to deal with and moderate incoming content would have been a major hassle. In a perfect beta (oxymoronic?), and depending on where Google is heading with this, it would have really pushed the app more, but what can you do? However, it's still disappointing. Not as disappointing, though, as the fact that the Lively application is only available to Vista/XP users at the moment as well. whomp whomp. (Obviously, this doesn't affect me, but shout out to my friends. Yeah. I just said shout out. In an LJ post. ::eyeroll::)
If you're still with me after that aside, kudos. Let's take a step back and see what we have, then:
1)Glorified chat room
1a)with no user content generator
1b)on Vista/XP.
Ok, yeah, that doesn't seem too thrilling, does it? For me, the issue's all at the start. A social networking site is hardly news these days, so what does that mean for a chat room? There's a question of limited use, and I think that's the bottom line here. Anything Google is Google, but I've bounced a little across the net and there's some overall confusion as to really what Lively is good for. It's not a Second Life killer--the feature depth isn't the same, and I don't see it heading in the same direction. It's not an MMO or gaming app, if the clumsy camera/movement are any indication (please fix!). It's not a virtual conference room or lobby as you can't make your own room "shell" and the whole enterprise--from item descriptions to avatars--has a smug tween toony sensibility. You can't even take your clothes off, and that's something that even I can do in Guild Wars. (My friends: lalala we can't read your text lalala). It's not even revolutionary for a chat room.
So what gives? Well, Google has a bit of good faith to squander, so I'll give it some time. This has room and need to grow in all directions, and any of these would be a great and extending addition:
-User generated content: Nothing prolongs the life of an application like unabashed hope you might actually be good at it.
-Deeper chat/room customizability: Let us map out range of broadcast and give us options that make it seem more like a room and less of a chatroom.
-Better community functions: Why is there no real manual? (Yes, I need a manual. For a chat room. Shush.) Why is there no way to promote a page in the Lively community? Why are most rooms empty? Why is it so scarily easy to delete a room?
-Streamlined inventory search: I have to go through 40 pages of furniture to look for something. None of this is organized. I must click a button for each page. Why does this feel so unGooglelike?
-Better/deeper interface in general: From auto-clearing room descriptions when I just want to fix a typo to a lack of control of maintaining an object's orientation/position, this could all be a lot easier.
-Revamped camera and movement controls: No one is going to care about the 3D if they can't be bothered to use it.
-Less twentysomething attitude: Ok, this is just me. Being twentysomething. Really, though--be careful that your hipster coolness doesn't override your global ethnic/lifestyle sensitivity.
If it were anyone else, I probably wouldn't have even bothered in the first place (though similar services like Vivaty and eventual arrival Metaplace are now on my radar). I personally wouldn't mind eating my words, but until then, Lively has yet to live up to its name.
*Flickr capability is also supposed to be in, but I'm still scared of Google for: "11.1 You retain copyright and any other rights you already hold in Content which you submit, post or display on or through, the Services. By submitting, posting or displaying the content you give Google a perpetual, irrevocable, worldwide, royalty-free, and non-exclusive licence to reproduce, adapt, modify, translate, publish, publicly perform, publicly display and distribute any Content which you submit, post or display on or through, the Services. This licence is for the sole purpose of enabling Google to display, distribute and promote the Services and may be revoked for certain Services as defined in the Additional Terms of those Services." Did I mention perpetual? And 13.5 in their TOS, which basically says these rights never die?
I realize that I'm probably the only friggin' one in my friendslist to be exploring this, but I'd be glad to hear any thoughts or feedback. Until then... well... maybe I'll just finish decorating that one last room....
For starters, Lively is Google's web-based 3D chat room. (Remember those? Yeah. They still exist.) Getting started is easy (in theory)--I found the Lively client to be a quick download and all else you need is a Google account. After logging in and selecting a *public* handle, you've got a basic assortment of bells and whistles to customize your own online avatar (representation of yourself), and then to make your own chat room. Making a room is a reminiscent click away, and you can ornament with items you summon and then drag/drop around the screen. As someone who found decorating the most interesting part of The Sims, this is kinda cool--I don't have to cheat and give myself Simoleons (or however you spell that currency) and there's already enough variety for me to have done a World of Warcraft-like forest, a grimmer tower scene, and a rooftop pad. (That said: I'm going to be significantly less of a fan of this aspect if and when they start implementing paid content. I'm no tween.)
Sadly, for now, that's pretty much it. There's some potential interactivity in that you can link any object to an actual website and that certain items--movie screens/picture frames--can show YouTube movies or Picasa files* on continuous loop (whoo...). Unfortunately, the picture functionality is currently broken and is being fixed up at this writing (...hoo). In this state, it's perhaps understandable that the Goog has no Lively user-content generator at launch. In between trying to fend off the inevitable onslaught of adult-oriented rooms (the In-ter-net is for....) and debugging/tweaking/hopefully adding features, trying to deal with and moderate incoming content would have been a major hassle. In a perfect beta (oxymoronic?), and depending on where Google is heading with this, it would have really pushed the app more, but what can you do? However, it's still disappointing. Not as disappointing, though, as the fact that the Lively application is only available to Vista/XP users at the moment as well. whomp whomp. (Obviously, this doesn't affect me, but shout out to my friends. Yeah. I just said shout out. In an LJ post. ::eyeroll::)
If you're still with me after that aside, kudos. Let's take a step back and see what we have, then:
1)Glorified chat room
1a)with no user content generator
1b)on Vista/XP.
Ok, yeah, that doesn't seem too thrilling, does it? For me, the issue's all at the start. A social networking site is hardly news these days, so what does that mean for a chat room? There's a question of limited use, and I think that's the bottom line here. Anything Google is Google, but I've bounced a little across the net and there's some overall confusion as to really what Lively is good for. It's not a Second Life killer--the feature depth isn't the same, and I don't see it heading in the same direction. It's not an MMO or gaming app, if the clumsy camera/movement are any indication (please fix!). It's not a virtual conference room or lobby as you can't make your own room "shell" and the whole enterprise--from item descriptions to avatars--has a smug tween toony sensibility. You can't even take your clothes off, and that's something that even I can do in Guild Wars. (My friends: lalala we can't read your text lalala). It's not even revolutionary for a chat room.
So what gives? Well, Google has a bit of good faith to squander, so I'll give it some time. This has room and need to grow in all directions, and any of these would be a great and extending addition:
-User generated content: Nothing prolongs the life of an application like unabashed hope you might actually be good at it.
-Deeper chat/room customizability: Let us map out range of broadcast and give us options that make it seem more like a room and less of a chatroom.
-Better community functions: Why is there no real manual? (Yes, I need a manual. For a chat room. Shush.) Why is there no way to promote a page in the Lively community? Why are most rooms empty? Why is it so scarily easy to delete a room?
-Streamlined inventory search: I have to go through 40 pages of furniture to look for something. None of this is organized. I must click a button for each page. Why does this feel so unGooglelike?
-Better/deeper interface in general: From auto-clearing room descriptions when I just want to fix a typo to a lack of control of maintaining an object's orientation/position, this could all be a lot easier.
-Revamped camera and movement controls: No one is going to care about the 3D if they can't be bothered to use it.
-Less twentysomething attitude: Ok, this is just me. Being twentysomething. Really, though--be careful that your hipster coolness doesn't override your global ethnic/lifestyle sensitivity.
If it were anyone else, I probably wouldn't have even bothered in the first place (though similar services like Vivaty and eventual arrival Metaplace are now on my radar). I personally wouldn't mind eating my words, but until then, Lively has yet to live up to its name.
*Flickr capability is also supposed to be in, but I'm still scared of Google for: "11.1 You retain copyright and any other rights you already hold in Content which you submit, post or display on or through, the Services. By submitting, posting or displaying the content you give Google a perpetual, irrevocable, worldwide, royalty-free, and non-exclusive licence to reproduce, adapt, modify, translate, publish, publicly perform, publicly display and distribute any Content which you submit, post or display on or through, the Services. This licence is for the sole purpose of enabling Google to display, distribute and promote the Services and may be revoked for certain Services as defined in the Additional Terms of those Services." Did I mention perpetual? And 13.5 in their TOS, which basically says these rights never die?
I realize that I'm probably the only friggin' one in my friendslist to be exploring this, but I'd be glad to hear any thoughts or feedback. Until then... well... maybe I'll just finish decorating that one last room....