There.com
About a month ago, I started reading articles about the revolutionary new web service called There.com. It is a virtual 3-D world that you literally walk through using a character, which you create. The premise of the game reminds me of The Sims. If you are a user, feel free to look me up. My name is Blitzcraig.
There.com requires you to download the software before you sign-in. From what I understand, the software is based on ActiveX (which explains why Internet Explorer is the only browser supported) and naturally, you must be connected to the Internet at all times to use it. The initial download will be around 60 MB in size, but it ultimately consumes nearly 400 MB once installed on the computer. There is so much to the service that it isn’t surprising that it takes so much space and computer resources.
There are many things to do in There.com, from chatting with friends and strangers, to games, puzzles, paintball, driving, flying, and so on. You personalize your online character with hair styles, clothes, accessories, and more. Everything you do in the game involves moving around in the virtual world. For example, when editing your body characteristics, you must first walk or teleport to a spa.
The game has a wealth of items and surroundings to experiment with. Some items are not free and must be purchased using ThereBucks, the money system in the There.com world. You can earn ThereBucks by participating in events, trading with others, or adding them using real cash. One real world dollar buys you 1,900 Therebucks. The game developers have even provided users with a developer program, used to create new items and material for the game. If your creations meet their standard of quality, they will buy it from you and pay you in ThereBucks.
The concept behind this whole thing is absolutely amazing. It is very creative and turns the idea of two dimensional text chat into a thing of the past. I don’t know how long the fun of There.com will last, but for now, I am having a great time. Try it yourself. The basic membership is free. Just be prepared to lose a whole lot of your free time.
