Metaplace, a company that plans on letting users build a virtual world and use social networking conventions to allow groups to enjoy them, announced today that it raised $6.7 million of funding in a round that was led by Charles River Ventures and Crescendo Ventures, as well as independent investors, Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz.
Somewhat similar to Second Life, Metaplace creates an online virtual world for people across the globe to interact with. But unlike Second Life and There.com, Metaplace uses an open platform to allow users to create, build, and live in their own unique virtual world. The company claims that it wants its users to create a "network of worlds--from community to games to education to business" that will allow people to collaborate, socialize, and "conduct commerce" as they do in the real world.
Metaplace is currently in private beta and has only allowed a few thousand people to use the service. But in the coming weeks, it will open the beta to more users in the hope that it will grow into a service that brings together the virtues of both virtual worlds and social networks.
Whether or not Metaplace can thrive where Second Life and There.com couldn't remains to be seen. The company's idea to create a virtual world has been done before and so far, competitors simply haven't been able to capitalize on a relatively inactive user base. Regardless, Metaplace thinks it will be different.
In a deal that showcases its ability to bring name talent into its virtual world, There.com announced Thursday that at least five Capitol Music Group (CMG) bands will make appearances there in the next few months.
Among the acts that will be appearing in There will be rap artists MIMS, Korn and the Beastie Boys.
MIMS will come in-world on July 10, There said.
The deal is good for enhancing There's status as an online public showcase. Already, There has built several virtual presences for MTV, but those were private, gated environments unconnected to its main grid.
This bodes well for There also because much of the attention being paid to social, 3D virtual worlds goes to Second Life. So for a major label to bypass Second Life and choose There is a sign that major names are willing to look elsewhere for their virtual world setups. Thus, the CMG partnership is important if There wants to establish itself as a bona fide, viable alternative. Whether it can do so, of course, remains to be seen.
When the bands come in-world, they will go to special clubs where fans can meet their members, chatting one-on-one for a few minutes. Further, the bands will sell all manner of merchandise in the virtual world.
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