Vivaty, the recently launched virtual scenes environment that works on AIM and Facebook as an integrated application, is opening up its platform, extending more custom options to developers and users. This is occurring more quickly than we typically see with other similar virtual environments, as Vivaty just launched a few weeks ago, but the competition is getting pretty steep for Web-based virtual worlds and increased user interaction will help Vivaty attract users on a widened scale.
Vivaty Create and Vivaty Studio will work in tandem, and will allow developers and users to have an application for building and creating their own virtual items and scenes, with an accompanying platform on which to share their finished products.
The Vivaty Studio works on the X3D standard, and supports import capabilities from other professional design studios, offering some fluidity amongst those developers that have already created items for other virtual environments. The good thing about this is that it doesn’t limit developers to items created from scratch, using Vivaty Studio. With hoards of competition coming from a number of other virtual environments and platforms like Google 3D and its own Lively, such a concession from Vivaty is necessary for encouraging the developer community.
The Vivaty platform for sharing creations, however, doesn’t appear to be self-sustaining, as Vivaty will determine what designs are presented as integrated content available to all users. The niche markets in which Vivaty operates are probably a factor in this decision, and I don’t think it will hinder the platform’s long-term success.