Eric Rice posts about "A Google Virtual World, gaming plans, etc":
This post explores what Google may or may not be doing with the game space. What Google is, and isn?t, doing in video games.
Before you read that, and especially if you follow virtual worlds, take inventory of what Google DOES have:
-Mapping (Google Maps, able to be used for other things, see mapwow.com)
-3D viewer (Google Earth)
-Sketchup (3D content creation)
-Google 3D Warehouse (yeah, if it?s 3D it?s in there)
-Purchased video game ad company for $25 million (Adscape Media)
-Ability to monetize content (Adwords/Adsense)
-Media delivery (YouTube, etc)
-The googleverse in general and their skill at integration and deployment, and oh yeah, lots of cash.What?s Missing: Avatars/Avatar engine.
What could Google do if it had an avatar engine? It's interesting to speculate how it could apply its huge datacentres, massive bandwidth capabilities, and undoubted ability to handle throwing bits around to the problem of 3D virtual worlds.
But it's difficult to see why Google would do it. What would be the aim? How could it expand their market for advertising - which is the company's prime goal?
