A very virtually realistic Times Square comes to a real MMORPG
Multiverse, founded by ex-Netscape employees in 2004, is one of several massively multi-player online games that seeks to develop an economic structure in virtual space. The company has created in its virtual world a version of Times Square, arguably the real-life ad space mecca.
Times Square has over 40 million unique visitors annually, who take approximately 100 million photographs. Advertising Age estimates the billboard value of Times Square alone at $69 million. Add into that the as-of-yet unquantifiable value of tourist-aggregated advertising -- Bystander videos of a Target publicity stunt in Times Square got as many as 19,300 views on YouTube -- and the New York City location becomes more of an advertising ecosystem.
Multiverse conveniently offers a free browser application, where consumers can visit the multiverse world for free...but still be subjected to the environmental advertising.
It would appear this demo shows how virtual billboards or settings could make their statement in a virtual world, in a way that's as thrilling as standing at the real location. However, it does remain to be seen whether the venue in the upper right corner -- the unmistakable ABC News studios, with the rounded, meandering marquees -- would be annexed in the virtual world by anyone other than ABC News. Right now, the site appears to be saying little more than, "Watch this space!"
