Re: [-empyre-] Re:[-empyre-]:An Avatar Manifesto::final

["Melinda Rackham" <melinda@unsw.edu.au>]

john.k wrote
> regardless of the theme of a mud, certainly everyone should have the
> opportunity to have sophisticated design.  however, sophisticated design
> takes TIME, and time, as well as good design, should be compensated for
> (at least until such a time when the need for a salary does not exist,
> and i'm not holding my breath). so sophisticated design comes down to
> either paying for it, or doing it yourself, and many many people have no
> time or desire or skill to do it themselves. thus brandy and clint.
> however, the existance of a brandy and a clint does not preclude the
> existance of a hiro protagonist.

i was rather fond of the skateboard chick and the cyborg guard dog .. that
leather kimono and big sword sorta put me off hiro.. surely someone has made
Metaverse somewhere..?
also i think Starwars world is out as well which i assume has cute furry
avatars...

back to avatar business -  there is  huge kapital behind these spaces, which
offer players/users basic dumbded down avatar design.. its not like they are
opeating on a shoe string.. so avatars  and the time taken to develop them
can be big online earners.. while the rest of the world  including us
artists  are scrathching thier heards saying why cant we earn any money on
the net ..online vritual environments which weve been talking about  have a
growing thriving market.. there is an online world  in south korea which has
2.5 million players..

 i read an article a while ago  about Everquest (owned by Sony - $28 a month
to be a member (about 1/2 million memebers, sony's monthly revenu 6.7
million..)  an average players per capita income  within the online world is
around $2500 US..  and you can trade everquest currency offline  for reall
dollars..  so if you live in Bulgaria for example  you are better off
playing and making money in everquest then selling online for income than
actually going to work.. and blurring  avatar realities with hard world
space Everquest characters sell for up to US$2000..

i guess you could compare it to people trading baseball cards or treckies
trading seven of nine  dolls at conventions..
but  is selling your avatar character like selling your  baby to the highest
bidder?


melinda