1. I think we should note that SceneCaster has a model that SL *should* have, which is the ability to bring things in from OUTSIDE. If I wanted to be a content creator in a metaverse today, I'd start in 3DStudio, Sketchup et al (Sketchup is Google), so I can put my stuff in any world that supports importing (and I feel this is as close as we can get to standards). SL is unfortunately, lock-in.

And yes, a key part of social networks is that well, it's not about the network, it's where our friends are. Yeah, yesterday it was MySpace, today it's Facebook, tomorrow, someplace else. Night Club Theory.

I'm moving SceneCaster very high up the list near Kaneva. Granted, there needs to be a distinction in the varied types of virtual worlds. Kaneva as a virtul world is a different beast than SL, so it's not really fair to compare the two on a line-by-line basis. I also think we need to compare virtual worlds (of any classification) and how they might fit into the existing gaming industry.

A concert space for musicians in Liberty City is not the same thing as a Clubhouse Sandbox in Madden 2008.

(Also, HALO 3 has collaborative machinima tools built in. Neat.)

Posted at 4:23AM on Oct 1st 2007 by Eric Rice

2. Actually, 3D Warehouse is primarily user-uploaded content, so anything you need that's not there, you could create yourself in Sketchup and simply add to the warehouse.
The obvious disadvantage is of course that there's no copy protection whatsoever of your own content. It would be interesting to see if SceneCaster might allow direct addition of 3D content without going through 3D Warehouse.

Posted at 6:36AM on Oct 1st 2007 by Jamma Newt

3. As a Second Lifer and a registered user of Sketchup since version 1.0 using it in RL practice for years, I watched the Beta release videos, and immediately signed up as a beta tester for Scenecaster and gave it a good whirl/test. The test methodology was “don’t read the any documentation, or try help, just good old, basic male user interface, testing, ( how do I do this? “grrr. damn it” “oh OK that was strange but OK got it” next) approach.

While the presentation, exciting videos that hit all the hot buttons like content created on outside the application, stored owned and stored by Me to be traded, bought, and created by users, professionals and corporations alike" were so on target, the application, Scenecaster is well, just lame.

I felt like they made 3D into 2D. Anyone that has not used SL will find it an advance over pure 2D content and say WOW, anyone that has been in SL will understand my comments. We will all watch Google with great interest knowing Linden labs will face stiff competition soon, but from were? Not Scenecaster, not now.

I have more posted from 9-27-2007 on my blog: http://jeanricardbroek-architect.blogspot.com/2007/09/scenecaster-google.html for all that wish to read more or follow along while I continue to test and play with Scenecaster.

Posted at 11:47AM on Oct 6th 2007 by JeanRicard Broek