Virtual environments, like Second Life and Blue Mars, are thoroughly reliant on the strength of their digital economies, with the sale and trade of both virtual and non-virtual goods and services between users forming a constant stream of revenue into which the operator can skim in order to pay the bills for the infrastructure that makes it all actually go.
Seeking to extend those virtual environments into other areas, like mobile devices, is only natural – at least insofar as it is technically possible to do so – and in order to maintain the richness of the experience (as well as maintaining the revenue stream for the operator) the economy needs to tag along in some form.
Apple’s new app store rules aren’t going to make that very easy, however.
HONOLULU, HI, FEB. 4, 2011 — Avatar Reality, developers of the premium 3D virtual world and social platform, Blue Mars, today announced the release of Blue Mars Mobile, its first application for iPhone®, iPad™, and iPod Touch®. Available for free, the app provides a new level of accessibility to Blue Mars and broadens its reach beyond the PC.
Avatar Reality, the company behind Blue Mars, is cutting development of its Windows-based client software, and is instead focusing on an iOS (iPhone/iPad) application.