There's a new player in town, brushing up against Metaverse Development Companies like Electric Sheep Company and Rivers Run Red: Metaversatility! I'll let the press release speak for itself:

San Antonio, Texas, December 11, 2006 – As virtual worlds receive more and more serious media attention, it has become apparent that development and service companies are needed to build virtual spaces and brands. Metaversatility, Inc. was formed to meet this need. With five founding shareholders, Metaversatility brings a unique blend of skills and experience to the virtual world development sphere.

Metaversatility founders Adrienne Haik (known as Adri Saarinen in Second Life), Dr. Aaron Delwiche, Peter Haik (known as Peter Newell in Second Life), Dr. John Plevyak, and Matt Daly represent a combination of creativity, experience, and academic credentials. Other team members include Rebecca Small (known in Second Life as Haver Cole) as client liaison, Brian Hayes as sales and business development, and Inga Munsinger Cotton as general counsel. They are well prepared to serve the needs of both traditional and exclusively-virtual clients.

Metaversatility offers a full range of metaverse services that spans multiple virtual worlds. Equipped to work in Second Life, There.com, Multiverse, and Open Croquet, Metaversatility also keeps a close watch on developments in other virtual worlds as they emerge. Metaversatility specializes in promotions, branding, and application development as well as metaverse orientation and business strategy consulting. Recent clients include Creative Commons, PopSci.com, the Metaverse Messenger, ICANN, SL Bank, and Dublin in SL.

While excited about the possibilities of the broadening metaverse, the Metaversatility team is also concerned with the social and cultural implications of this expansion. As long-time metaverse residents, they feel it is vitally important to maintain the freedom of imagination and intellectual development virtual spaces often represent.

Metaversatility Inc. is incorporated and headquartered in the state of Texas. For more information about Metaversatility, the team, services offered, and a portfolio of work, visit http://www.metaversatility.com.

Congratulations, Adri and Peter! This couldn't have happened to nicer folks, and I look forward to seeing what you bring to SL!

The Electric Sheep Company have launched the Nissan Sentra car, along with four sims for driving in, and it is a triumph. Thought, time, effort, organization have gone into this project, and it shows.

If you are in the Counting Sheep group for Electric Sheep events, you will have received a copy of the car to try. If you are not, you simply have to IM Toast Alicious for a key, which will enable you to go to the vendor on the Nissan sims to get your own. The cars are customizable through a menu system, and so you can change the colour by clicking on the car.

There are four sims to try your driving skills at, with different terrains, with a linking bridge on one to help keep the speed up even when your draw distance is high. I know that vehicles have the reputation for being difficult to control and not much fun in SL, but these are different. Believe me!

October 19th will see the grand opening of Starwood Hotel's Aloft Island, previously posted here. In conjunction with Starwood Hotels, Sony BMG Music Entertainment will be holding a launch party at Aloft Island from 4 - 6 PM, SL Time. As a special bonus, Ben Folds (formerly of the Ben Folds Five) will play new material from his upcoming release, supersunnyspeedgraphic, at 5:40.

At 6 PM, Ben will greet residents at Sony's new space on The Electric Sheep Company's Media Island, which will feature Sony merchandise and streaming media from some of Sony's musicians. Residents are encouraged to preregister for the event to ensure a space by sending an email of their avatar's name to helpdesk @ virtualoft.com.

More and more RL recording artists coming to SL seems like a good thing. I wonder whose idea it was to bring in Ben Folds? I'm a fan, but know nothing about the man himself, or whether this sort of thing would be of interest to him. I won't be able to make it, but if someone reading this post does, do me a favor and ask him!

(Via Electric Sheep Company)

In the aftermath of last weeks Big Robot on Campus Lego event, The Electric Sheep Company announced one more official chance to enjoy your Alpha Rex Kit. Do to the short time frame building up to the event the Sheep decided to create a gallery on Sheep Island for all you stragglers who couldn't get done in time. To get your creation into the gallery submit by IMing Hank Hoodoo in world.

They are looking for a description, screen shot, and prim count, but also reserve the right to only display an image of your project. The best part is even if you don't get your creation fully displayed in the gallery they are going to send everyone who submits a free Alpha Rex key chain. (I love free stuff.) This all needs to get done by the morning of August 9th, so you better hurry. Oh, and if you don't have an Alpha Rex Kit, you can get one by joining the Big Robot on Campus Group.