Today I discovered a new toy – the Exit Reality 3D browser plugin; a tool which allows the internet to be browsed in a virtual 3D environment. Installation is simple – download the 3.5MB plugin from the Exit Reality website, install it into your Internet Explorer or Firefox browser and you’re good to go!
Your web browsing adventures start at a site called The Plaza, which looks like a virtual city. The plaza is filled with various buildings with signs such as Ebay, Dell and Fox News which act as links to other websites. Navigation is in the form of an avatar which you control in the third person perspective, like in an adventure or RPG game. By default you are a generic male character, but if you sign up with an account you can select from a set of male or female character skins.
The plaza can be used as a solo playground, or when logged in, a shared environment where you can see and communicate with other user’s avatars. There is a public chat room for all users logged into the site to use, and there is a neat range of gestures which can be used by the avatars.
To access a website, you simply walk your character up to a building door and click on it to be relocated to another site. Sometimes the window will open in the 2D environment, but a simple click of the 2D/3D button on the browser toolbar allows easy switching between the brower modes. All websites can be viewed in 3D, with a generic format being applied to most websites. For a more customised look, there is a bunch of environment templates and decorative items available to site administrators who want more control over the look and feel of the site.
Particular sites, such as Bebo, Facebook and AIM have been specifically designed for 3D browsing, and you can find your MySpace page has been stylishly converted into an apartment with your gallery photos posted on the walls. A really neat feature is that you can see avatars for people currently viewing your site and strike up a conversation with them.
Overall, 3D browsing is a really funky concept which incorporates interactive, chat and search features into one seamless environment. The browser plugin itself is still quite chuggy and there is some noticeable glitches with menus, the plaza environment and the responsiveness of the avatars. However, it is a lot of fun, and you have to admit, it is rather amusing that once again you have to walk down town to do your online shopping ^_^
