Avatars United was a

web community An online community, also called an internet community or web community, is a community whose members engage in computer-mediated communication primarily via the Internet. Members of the community usually share common interests. For many, o ...

for avatars of

online games An online game is a video game that is either partially or primarily played through the Internet or any other computer network available. Online games are ubiquitous on modern gaming platforms, including PCs, consoles and mobile devices, a ...

and

virtual worlds A virtual world (also called a virtual space or spaces) is a computer-simulated environment which may be populated by many simultaneous users who can create a personal avatar and independently explore the virtual world, participate in its acti ...

. It was launched in March 2008 by Sweden-based Enemy Unknown and closed in October 2010. It was owned by

Linden Lab Linden Research, Inc., doing business as Linden Lab, is an American technology company that is best known as the developer of ''Second Life''. The company's head office is in San Francisco, California, with additional offices in Boston, Massach ...

, which announced its closure on September 23, 2010.

Features

At the core, Avatars United is a

social networking A social network is a social structure consisting of a set of social actors (such as individuals or organizations), networks of Dyad (sociology), dyadic ties, and other Social relation, social interactions between actors. The social network per ...

website A website (also written as a web site) is any web page whose content is identified by a common domain name and is published on at least one web server. Websites are typically dedicated to a particular topic or purpose, such as news, educatio ...

that lets users connect their game

avatar Avatar (, ; ) is a concept within Hinduism that in Sanskrit literally means . It signifies the material appearance or incarnation of a powerful deity, or spirit on Earth. The relative verb to "alight, to make one's appearance" is sometimes u ...

s with each other. Avatars can interact and share experiences by sending messages,

blogging A blog (a Clipping (morphology), truncation of "weblog") is an informational website consisting of discrete, often informal diary-style text entries also known as posts. Posts are typically displayed in Reverse chronology, reverse chronologic ...

, discussing topics and uploading photos and videos. They can also join or create groups and organize in-game events. As to keep the website to in-game content only, any real-life content or references to real-life identities are strictly forbidden. Avatars are organized by the

server Server may refer to: Computing *Server (computing), a computer program or a device that provides requested information for other programs or devices, called clients. Role * Waiting staff, those who work at a restaurant or a bar attending custome ...

they belong to, called "worlds" on the website. Each world has a dedicated page where users can track the activity of its avatars. Users can register an unlimited amount of avatars from multiple worlds and games and designate one as their main avatar. This allows users to keep in touch with friends from past games as they migrate to new ones. To log in the user is required to fill out one's real-life birth date. It is not clear whether this information will be public or not.

Supported games

Avatars United currently supports 90 virtual worlds. The website also integrates with official game resources such as the World of Warcraft Armory and EVE Online

API An application programming interface (API) is a connection between computers or between computer programs. It is a type of software interface, offering a service to other pieces of software. A document or standard that describes how to build ...

History

The project was initiated by a group of real-life childhood friends with a passion for computer games in the summer of 2007. The company was acquired by

in January 2010.

closed Avatars United in September 2010, integrating the underlying social technology into

Second Life ''Second Life'' is a multiplayer virtual world that allows people to create an Avatar (computing), avatar for themselves and then interact with other users and user-created content within a multi-user online environment. Developed for person ...

.Saying Farewell to Avatars United, http://blogs.secondlife.com/community/features/blog/2010/09/23/saying-farewell-to-avatars-united

References

External links

Avatars United
{{Online social networking Products and services discontinued in 2010 Inactive massively multiplayer online games Defunct online companies Defunct social networking services

Features

Supported games

History

See also

References

External links