iCity
Homepage www.icity.co.il
Platform Blaxxun
Owner Suny Telecom
Distributor Tapuz
Parent Company Suny Electronics
Founders Ilan Ben Dov
Shirly Ben Dov
Membership
Status Free
Founded 2000
Date shut down May, 2008
Chairman Eilon Ginsburg
CEO Guy Eliav
Admin Oren Levy
Vice President Tito Leguisamo
City Mayor Elain
Deputy Mayor Toxic
da_queen
Settlements Jaffa
Kibbutz
Robinson Island
Languages Hebrew
English
Current status Defunct
Registration Optional
Type of site 3D chat
Genres 3D Virtual Reality,
MMO,
Virtual World
Industry Internet services
Headquarters Ramat Gan, Israel
(Tapuz's building)
iCity logo
icity logo
iCity was an online application for various categories of users and it serves as conductor to a whole series of net resources. iCity provided for possibilities of different activities such as communication, entertainments or shopping. Moreover iCity was created as a part of Mediterranean Sea coast and its environment. iCity as a great virtual world has different architectural objects both invented and based on real prototypes.
At logging to iCity, members are get to the Tower from where they can see sights of the whole inland area of iCity and can be teleported to any part of it. The total size of iCity area is about 3 square kilometers (scalable). You will see the famous Greek Arena, medieval Arab town Old Jaffa, Teleporting Globe and other constructions. Every of them has its own functions, for instance Old Jaffa and Kibbutz allows users to rent a virtual flat, Flea Market gives access to interface of trade and change of virtual objects (there citizens can obtain furniture for their virtual flat, house appliances, pets, plants, etc.), Night Clubs situated underground has the opportunity to show video and play music.
iCity is also of great interest and value because of its organization of network community. It has its own social structure, status hierarchy and mechanisms of its modification. Every member of the community has own rank, and the more active and useful his activity for the virtual community, the more his rank (increased automatically). For example, to increase his rank you can organize a party or create a nice architectural object. iCity members can rent dreamhouses in Old Jaffa and furnish their homes individually with furniture and accessories they buy at the fleamarket. Neighbors meet in the medieval streets or test their skill with friends at archery or ski-jumping.
In other words the social structure of the community takes into account the idea of self-organization of the system and stimulation users to the active virtual life. An unusually attractive and realistic 3D world, interactive real-time chat and multimedia interaction keep the online community members on the edge of their seats.
Contents [hide]
1 History
2 Engine
3 Avatars
4 Places in iCity
5 Blaxxun Cooperation with Suny Telecom
6 iCity features
7 Economics
8 Technology
9 See also
10 External links
11 References
History[edit]
iCity is Israeli website and Former home of a 3D virtual world that opened Feb 1, 2001. Its uses the Blaxxun 3D technology system which is similar to Cybertown, with a few database and user interface additions. Jobs and Room space signups closed sometime after 2002. Public access to personal room spaces closed in 2006. (would only be able to visit your own room and rooms you had bookmarks to. - the VRML was edited to remove the building entrance links, as well as barred off.) Fully closed on May 2008. iCity.co.il domain Link goes to Tapuz ownership partner. Suny.com, a subsidiary of Suny Electronics, the sole distributor of Samsung mobile handsets in Israel, created this virtual community.
iCity was started in 2000 as a project of Blaxxun interactive of Munich, Germany and Suny Telecom of Israel. iCity made use of the VRML (Virtual Reality Modeling Language), a standard for displaying 3D content, including virtual worlds and avatars, on the Web. These VRML files became shared virtual worlds using Blaxxun's award-winning multi-user server technology, enabling people from all over the world to meet and interact in rich-media environments in real-time on the Web.
iCity was an online community. There were places (chat rooms) available either through a 2D or 3D chat environment. Users were able to have jobs within the community, earning virtual money called IC's (IcityCash) that could be used to buy 3D homes and items. iCity was a virtual, realistic and futuristic online 3D world with extraordinarily attractive 3D content which simulates the real world in which we live. its was a leading-edge project that offers a new form of internet experience on early 2000's. iCity was a futuristic project that offers surfers an absolutely new internet experience. Realistic and spellbinding 3D Virtual Worlds, interactive real-time chat and interaction with multimedia keep the members of this online community coming back for more.
Engine[edit]
The iCity trademark image are the 3D worlds that it has. The 3D worlds run on the VRML markup language, which is easy to design and modify. It uses The Blaxxun Community Platform coupled with the Blaxxun Contact VRML Viewer control, to interact in 3D worlds to make it more complete and capable of having a society structure by adding social interaction between users. Citizens are allowed and encouraged to create 3D objects for use in iCity. All its 3D objects were created by its citizens.
Avatars[edit]
Every citizen of iCity is represented by an Avatar, a three-dimensional figure that walks, converses, dances and communicates. The Avatar appearance can be chosen at his/her own discretion between more than 30 characters. Citizens can choose an Avatar from a wide spectrum of figures that will suit their true character, or the archetype they chose. In iCity the Avatars are designed by the community members themselves for swimming in the sea, dancing in clubs or just sitting and chatting with friends.
Places in iCity[edit]
every place or 3D world in iCity has its own unique activities. For example, meet friends and talk to them and meet new people in all the different 3D worlds.
Night-clubs District
The nightclub district are realized as underground world. This is a best way to provide night light conditions for this place simultaneously with bright sunny day for the other world.
The Flea Market
This flea market combines the styles of the typical southern mediterranean open air market with that -for the interior area- of the Arabian-style enclosed bazar. The Flea Market is a central place for people to sell items that they own.
iCity - center
This is the heart of iCity and the center of the city's social life. A Stroll will bring the user to the Arena, the Globe and the Flea Market. The whole world is supposed to be about 3 kilometres long. A good combination/compromise will be found between a size which feels big enough but which is still small enough that users will want to walk the distances rather than use teleportation. From the point of view of technical solution there will be three separated scenes that will be reloaded as soon as user pass the edge of them. There should be five different sections of the beach each with a distinctive name, activities and distinctive visual look & feel to each (one with high cliffs like England; a cafe-beach; an umbrella & beach chairs section etc.). Wave-breakers will be used to separate beach sections.
The Tower
The Tower is the first place a user is taken once logging in.
The Mall
The Mall is where members can purchase items for placing in homes or giving as gifts or prizes. All items available for purchase were created by members.
The Clubs
The Clubs are clubs created by iCity users based upon interests. Persons with a specific amount of EXP can create a club, anyone can join one.
The Suburbs
The Suburbs are 3D worlds created by members of iCity.
Old Jaffa
Old Jaffa is the most exclusive residential area in iCity. Citizens can rent homes there, walk through the picturesque lanes and alleyways and visit citizen's homes. Some of the Jaffa homes have a private beach and can be rented by citizens from a certain rank and above.
Kibbutz
in the Kibbutz Citizens can rent a private home with abundant vegetation.
The Globe
The globe, the blue earth is located at the center of iCity, enabling Teleporting to additional worlds by a mouse click on different places on the Globe.
The Lake
This is iCity's great lake, where anyone can swim, dive and/or directly reach the Nightclubs.
The Arena
The Arena is a central meeting place for citizens that arrive there to watch performances, carry on conversations, and watch the news, council meetings and vote in elections. The Employment Center, Info Guide Center, and Members's Clubs can all be accessible from the Arena grounds. A video screen is located in the center of the Arena, where anyone can watch movies by clicking on the screen.
Employment Center
Access to the Employment Center is from the Arena. This is where it is possible to assign missions, and look for jobs on the job offers board.
iCity South
This is iCity's commercial center. This is location of the Stock Exchange and the Shopping Mall as well as the passageways to Robinson Island and the Kibbutz.
iCity North
This is the entertainment and leisure time center of iCity. The Nightclub area, Jaffa homestead, the forest, with its bow and arrow practice field and the passage way to Dream Island are all located in iCity North.
The Robinson Islands
This is a residential area where citizens may rent an island, furnish it as well as visit the residences of those who live here. For the citizens assistance there is a board located on the pier with the names of the resident citizens, and for the citizens convenience, there are speed boats docked at the pier that can be used to reach the various Islands.
Blaxxun Cooperation with Suny Telecom[edit]
Blaxxun Interactive signs Strategic Partnership with Suny Telecom in Israel.
On February 24, 2000 - Suny Telecom and blaxxun interactive announced a strategic partnership. Suny Telecom will act as value added reseller for blaxxun and will also operate a virtual world based on blaxxun’s Community Platform. As part of the agreement, Suny purchases blaxxun licenses for $1 million. SUNY Electronics is a public holding company, registered in the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange since 1993. Suny is focusing its activities on the rapidly growing wireless-telecommunication and Internet markets. Its three completely independent subsidiaries are:
SUNY Telecom Exclusive representative of Samsung mobile phones in Israel whose campaign to penetrate the Israeli market took Israel by storm.
Dynamica One of Israel’s largest importers of wireless terminals and peri-pherals, compatible with TDMA technology. Operates a chain of 26 primly located stores, throughout the country.
Sunycom.com Founded in year 2000, Sunycom.com is Suny’s bridge-head into the Internet. Aimed to develop Internet oriented business applications & op-portunities, Sunycom.com invests is areas such as mobile-Internet, E-commerce and unique E-technologies.
Based on blaxxun’s Community Platform 4, Suny plans to implement a va-riety of virtual worlds applications for community and E-Commerce. One of it is iCity, that using the blaxxun’s 3D technology. iCity is a futuristic project, aimed to bring a new kind of Internet experience for surfers. iCity has realistic 3D worlds, interactive real-time chat, visual and audio interaction. iCity will rapidly integrate advanced E-commerce platforms with its unique user Interface, creating an attraction for shoppers and businesses as well. In addition to its own operation, Suny will also act as a value added reseller for blaxxun. Services will include consulting, application development, graphics design, and community operation for customers. We see tremendous opportunities as partner of blaxxun”, says Ilan Ben-Dov, President and CEO of Suny Telecom. „Virtual worlds are the next killer application on the Internet and blaxxun is the clear global leader in this area”. „Israel is a country with an incredible density of leading technology compa-nies”, states Franz Buchenberger, President and CEO of blaxxun interactive. „It is extremely important for us to have a top partner like Suny to introduce our technology to this sophisticated audience. We expect a lot of synergy and look forward to a long mutually benefitial partnership”.
Today Suny Telecom and Sunycom.com are subsidiaries of Scailex Corporation which is also belongs to Ilan Ben Dov. On August 2009, Scailex purchased the controlling share in Partner Communications, one of Israel's leading cellular telephony providers.[1]
iCity features[edit]
The citizens of iCity can be residents of virtual 3D homes, make friends, discover the various possibilities, hold a conversation, go shopping in chain stores, grow a pet, hold respectable positions, establish private clubs, go shopping in virtual shopping malls, dance in lively night clubs, play various games, join Chat discussions on a variety of subjects and participate in a multitude of diverse activities.
Body language: avatars gestures are text-activated (i.e. “yes” typed on the keyboard triggers a corresponding gesture).
Special avatar features: automatic swimming movement in water, sitting and driving via mouse click.
Countless opportunities for interaction and communication: chat, discussion forums, instant messaging, and message boards.
3D homesteading area: members can rent designed 3D homes.
Flea market and private shops: In the iCity Flea market there is bargains for home furnishings. Citizens are come there to sell old items that bore them, buy additional furniture to liven-up their decoration: chests, lamps, pictures antique chairs at surprising prices! Any commercial activity can take place at the Flea Market and only at the Flea Market. Virtual Commercial activity is absolutely prohibited outside the Flea Market.
iCity Society Elements: Jobs, Currency, Home Ownership, Purchasable Items, Security and Rank Hierarchy.
iCity members can visit the different 3D worlds, homes of citizens and their forums or become an active citizen with equal rights. however iCity visitors, will be given a default robot Avatar, designated specifically for visitors only, and have limited access to the iCity features.
Economics[edit]
iCity Citizens are able to hold jobs within the city, earning a daily wage in IcityCash (IC's). Citizens can use IC's to purchase upgraded 3D homes and 3D objects. Citizens can also create their own 3D objects via VRML and sell them in the city's Mall for profit. This has created a plethora of diverse and rare items that can be sold secondhand either out of a citizen's backpack (inventory), in the Flea Market, or in the Black Market.
iCity Citizens take an active part in the social structure of the community and are invited to participate in elections, present proposals and influence the development of the city. They are the ones that turn iCity into a real and dynamic community. This is the complete social and economic system in iCity.
Technology[edit]
iCity's various places exist as chat rooms. Users have the option of chatting in either 2D or 3D mode. The 2D chat is a Java applet, and the 3D chat runs off of the Blaxxun plugin. Blaxxun has not been updated in several years, the technology is outdated. Other virtual experience sites have surpassed iCity, such as Second Life, There.com, IMVU and now with the introduction of two new players which are Vivaty and Google's Lively. Google started Lively in July 2008 and used it as a 3D experiment, the experiment was completed in December 2008 and Lively was cancelled.
See also[edit]
Adobe Atmosphere
ActiveWorlds
Seamless3d
vSide
X3D
Metaverse
External links[edit]
iCity facebook page
iCity website
iCity on Tapuz website
Blaxxun website
Suny Telecom website
References[edit]
Jump up ^ "Ilan Ben-Dov Buys Controlling Interest of Partner". Calcalist. August 12, 2009. Retrieved 2009-08-18.
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