April 26, 2004
Announcing! Yahoo! Avatars
| I’m working as Community Strategic Analyst for Yahoo!, where I’m helping to bring out next generation social software in a very large scale. I am proud to announce the first new product from our group (this year) is Yahoo! Avatars support in Messenger 6.0 Beta, which was released today [windows only]. Beside Avatar support, it now integrates LAUNCHcast Radio, Games, Addressbook, and adds sound effects called Audibles.
I think it is interesting that the original avatars walked, ‘talked’, and traded virtual objects in a virtual world with a (dis)functional virtual economy, but some of the latest incarnations include avatars that are more like paper-dolls and don’t interact with each other at all. Interesting market-driven optimization. |
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Interesting. Any clue on why the collapse from a rich, interactive avatar ecosystem to “avatar as paper dolls”?
=jim
Posted by: Jim Rutt | April 29, 2004, 10:09 am
>Any clue on why the collapse from a rich, interactive avatar ecosystem to “avatar as paper dolls”?
Though I’m not one to often quote this source:
“Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.” – Ecclesiastes 1:2
Think about the primary lessons of online economies: Hoarding is real. [Scarce] virtual items have real value. Scarce items that are associated with self-expression [sounds, carried objects, turf decorations, heads, etc.] are worth the most of all.
So, a virtual vanity economy seems like an obvious revenue channel to me. You don’t even have to spend hours online clubbing sentients!
Randy
Posted by: F. Randall Farmer | April 29, 2004, 12:07 pm
> So, a virtual vanity economy seems like an obvious revenue channel to me. You don’t even have to spend hours online clubbing sentients!
:-) Good one.
Posted by: greglas | April 29, 2004, 12:35 pm
I thinks they should come out with some knew stuff to put on the avatars instead of keeping the same stuff forever….. gets kinda old!
Posted by: Kyle Combs | June 9, 2004, 1:26 pm
i think they should use more avatar clothing and a special something with it too because now its just like a picture
Posted by: anna | June 22, 2004, 5:03 pm
I want New YAHOO ! Avtar
Posted by: sunIL | August 3, 2004, 6:39 am
After a few weeks with the Yahoo! avatars, I’m wondering where the Gap, Virgin Records, etc are. such a lack of cool stuff to wear and the audibles, while some are hilarious, are old in a few days.
Posted by: Relaxedguy | August 13, 2004, 12:43 pm
I’d like to recommend that all suggestions for changes/items/etc. be posted to the avatar’s message board (or group) which can be accessed at the avatars site: http://avatars.yahoo.com
That is the surest way for the team to get that feedback. Thanks!
Posted by: F. Randall Farmer | August 13, 2004, 1:47 pm
I love the avatars, although they can get boring after a while, but im also glad that Yahoo took up what AIM and i think MSN have, and thats custom pictures. So if your tired of the same old avatars, try some pictures for a change… you can get some hilarious ones here Yahoo Avatars -> http://www.avatar-zone.com
have fun guys
Posted by: Wesson99 | September 25, 2004, 4:32 am
Just surfed in and found this really interesting place here. A lot of good stuff for everybody.
Go on like this and i will surely visit your site again sometime.
Posted by: Henni Marleen | October 18, 2004, 11:52 pm
we need more
Posted by: chris | December 23, 2004, 8:30 pm
Hi, can my avatar interact with other yahoo avatars?
Posted by: Terri Meadows | February 4, 2006, 8:46 am
Hi…..
Although is 2006, two years after, AVATARS are quite famous, but I don’t underastand why the only faces that I find on Yahoo avatars (female) are kind of Asian chicas (girls) can you add please more type of faces, like latino, chinesses, just to remind you Canada is a multicultural country.
An if this faces are already avalable, can you please tell me how to change, I have sucha great avatars already, but with a face that I don’t like.
Gracias.
Claudia.
Posted by: Claudia | May 1, 2006, 7:57 am