Xivio is the first REAL 3D MMOC game out. The idea was slaved over by the developers and eventually was built using a custom designed 3D-rendering engine to run in Flash. This makes it accessible to users who have Flash installed. Which automatically sets it ahead of places such as Zwinky which require software downloads before you even begin.
Xivio is a feature rich game. You can chat in the virtual 3D world, there are video conferencing capabilities, 'hompy`s' which are homepages to you and I, picture and video uploading and MP3 streaming between friends. Xivio is definitely one of the more feature intensive virtual worlds around, but at what cost?
Although hugely impressive with the achievements the development team have created by building a real-time vector-based 3D rendering system I feel the graphics let the site down. It is all well and good being to first to do something and to set yourselves ahead of others by doing so, but if the end product doesn't look that visually appealing I can't see it being hugely successful. 99% of the users of this site won't care that polygons are drawn in real-time, they are there to have a good time in a nice looking environment. At times this place looks like an acid trip, with outrageous colours over basic shapes.
It wouldn't be fair to base an review entirely upon the graphics because this site does have a lot to offer. This site has massive potential, it really does. But the execution at the moment seems a little lazy. I could walk into the middle of a fountain and half my avatar would be obscured so there was just a head floating around. Also, the speech bubbles never seem to disappear even if you move rooms, which is really quite frustrating. I found it hard to know what to do, where to go, how to do anything to be honest, it wasn't the most intuitive thing I have ever used. I also feel when you click on a fellow Xivio users avatar the 'hompy' option seems far to close to a less sanitary past-time, strange choice of word really!
Overall, great idea, brilliant accomplishment, but lacking a decent finishing touch.
2 comments:
Unfortunately you have under estimated the glory of Xivio. You lack comparison abilities, as well as opinion in the field of "mmoc". You do not see these sites through a child's eye, lacking imagination I daresay you didnt "get" the site Xivio.
Xivio holds absolutely no comparison, of which you lacked in your writings.
You insenuate in your writing that there is a cost for being "feature rich" ...... My family see's no downside or cost of your mentioning. As a player of that site, and other sites as well, to which I can personally opinionate, and compare.
You'd be rather surprised at what 99% of members want, like, and use in such a feature rich enviroment, and I know first hand many do take serious note that the graphics are not "flat".
"..... The idea was slaved over by the developers ........."
In the latter you say
"But the execution at the moment seems a little lazy."
As a member of many virtual worlds, I kindly you suggest that you take into consideration how and what you review, coming from someone who has a baby poo background for his fellow bloggers to read.
Kinda funny you picked a kids website to pick on. Kinda like pickin on a little kid lol.
Seems to me if kids can figure the site out a grown person should have no trouble especially someone in a critic position.
I frequent many Virtual Worlds and Xivo offers the most for free no less.
I can go down the list here most are 2d or 3d wanna bes oh and lets touch on the color schemes? OH thats right *cough* habbo *cough* has none! Anyone like red/brown/black GAG!
Many sites are cute but are 2d cartoons kinda like the old Tom & Jerry's compared to Buzz Light Year. There is no comparison and lets face it Tom and Jerry is for Old foggies and isn't ever moving in to this century!
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