September 29th, 2008

Google Lively Development

When Google Lively was released, no matter this was(and it still is) an early Beta, I was really excited to see something like it coming from Google. It had some funny and interesting things to see, as you can see in my review(just check the link above), but - most of all - a lot of potential. After all, everything coming from Google has the potential of becoming something great, if led on the right path, and now the first signs of Google Lively development towards the right direction are starting to show up.

If I think well about it, I can't get to any conclusion to bet my life on. Google Lifely can be considered a game, but some will surely say this is more of a social networking application with a cartoonish look. Well, be it a game or not, Google Lively development reached a point where we have a world like that in Second Life, but opened to game developers (for creating additional content), and the next step is to turn it into an online games platform, as creative director Kevin Hanna says.

Speaking to GamesIndustry.biz, Hanna said "There is a longer term goal of opening up the API so the architecture of Lively could be used as an online games platform." Basically, this is it, for now. Only an intention, but how many big things started with an idea?

I must admit I still love Lively, although I have forgotten about it. Considering the fact that I had a lot of fun in those few hours I spent with it so far, and I got bored A LOT a few years ago when I tried Second Life, I think Google Lively is on the right path.

Enough about me, so what about you? Did you try Google Lively? What's your opinion about it?