MVU is a graphical instant messaging client with more than 1 million users.[1] Currently, it is in public beta, and has been available since April 01, 2004. It is developed by IMVU, Inc., founded by Will Harvey, a video game developer and founder of There.The primary focus of IMVU is the ability to use personalized 3D avatars and environments that let the user interact with the person they are chatting with. The secondary focus of IMVU is allowing the members to develop content that can be purchased by other members for use in personalizing their avatars and environments.
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IMVU features
Avatar
Imvu is 3d graphical instant messanger client, but it share several features with other virtual world. IMVU users are represented by an Avatar (often abbreviated to avi and avie). The basic avatar is human. Avatars may be of either sex and they may be clothed or otherwise customized to produce a wide variety of humanoid and other forms. The most part of items created by IMVU users are clothes, hair, eyes and other props that members can buy for their avatar appearance.
[edit] Communication
As a 3d graphical instant messaging IMVU supports easy and real-time communication to its members. Once users are running their IMVU clients, they can be reach by other members in their private rooms and together they can start chat sessions. Chat sessions require permission by each member. So you can’t enter in private/personal space without the owner permission.
[edit] Rooms
Chat sessions usually take place in rooms. Rooms are virtual places owned by IMVU users, where people can hang around and meet friends. While in rooms, IMVU users can move their avatar around the room. Avatar can’t walk, so to change their location, users have to move them, by clicking the mouse on yellow dots on objects.
[edit] Public Rooms
Recently, IMVU publishers have introduced Public Rooms. Public Rooms are rooms publicly visible and usable by members. Before public rooms, IMVU users could’t visit other rooms, without the permission of the room owner. Public Rooms change radically the usage of IMVU and represent a first step towards the change of IMVU in a more complex virtual environment
[edit] Membership
IMVU membership is free, allowing users to register an avatar name, utilize the 3D chat client, purchase virtual content, and customize a homepage. Free accounts are denoted by the prefix ‘Guest_’. Users can purchase their avatar name to remove the ‘Guest_’ prefix, and to participate in the content creation program. To buy an account name, the base price is $8.00; promotional credits cannot be used to buy a name. Access to restricted material is limited to accounts that have purchased an Access Pass.
[edit] Economy
IMVU contains its own economy with a currency system based on IMVU credits. The credits are used by members to purchase virtual items like fashion pieces (hair, clothes, skins, and accessories), pets, and 3D scenes. Credits can be purchased via a variety of payment methods, through IMVU or third-party resellers. Additionally, IMVU provides free promotional credits to encourage member participation and referrals.
A primary element of IMVU’s economy is member-created content; consequently, IMVU allows members to participate in the Content Creator Program. Members can use IMVU provided software utilities to create virtual products, and can sell their products by listing them in the online IMVU product catalog. Content creators earn credits when their items are sold, and are allowed to resell the credits they earn.
