The new virtual city will echo its flesh-and-blood version, with similar landmarks and overall layout, but the virtual city also will include Utherverse's anything-goes atmosphere, as well as an amphitheater that can accommodate as many as 500,000 avatars.
Utherverse Digital CEO Brian Shuster told XBIZ that comparing Virtual Vancouver to other massive, multi-user online experiences like World of Warcraft is wrong.
"We're really in a different class than other virtual world companies," he said. "We're a multi-user reality, not a game. We're like the Internet in 3-D."
To that end, Shuster said that Virtual Vancouver will try to expand on the appeal of his company's previous adult virtual world sites, Utherverse.com and RedLightCenter.com, with facilities that cater to musicians and music labels.
But there will still be plenty of money for adult webmasters to make, Shuster said. Webmasters or entrepreneurs will be able to open virtual stores in Virtual Vancouver.
"You could open up a DVD store and hold a huge release party for a DVD, complete with virtual porn star guests," Shuster said.
Shuster said that webmasters would also be able to launch their own Utherverse franchises, meaning that if someone wanted to start up Virtual New York or Virtual Cleveland, they could.
Adult companies and production companies also have the option to open their own virtual cities that act as epicenters for branding and promotion. Shuster said that Hustler is already on board to do this.
For consumers, membership at one site will guarantee access to any other site in the network.
