Want Your Avatar to Look Like You?
CyberExtruder announces Cranial Tap, Inc. has been contracted to build on an island called Avatar Island. Although I yet have a clue where the Island is going to be located. Avatar Island is going to be a place where you will supposedly have the ability to create photo-realistic avatars.
According to their press release CyberExtruder states:
Avatar Island will be the only avatar skinning facility in-world that can automatically produce photo-realistic avatars from a single photograph.
All a resident needs to do is take a reasonably good photograph, submit it to the system for processing and wait a few minutes for the results to be delivered to the resident’s email address. The new texture file is an impressive blending of photographic detail and animation magic.
Also in the press release CybeExtruder is announced it will be searching for symbiotic partner- tenants to receive free real estate on Avatar Island.
We’re actively looking for tenant-partners that have relevant offerings for Second Life residents,” says Jack Ives, Chief Operating Officer of CyberExtruder. Our plan is to build the focal point for avatar customization within Second Life. We want to attract the best avatar skinners and designers and bring them all together in one place. To that end, we’re supporting Avatar Island and will give space at no charge to others that bring relevant value to the group.
The plans by CyberExtruder call for a 3D animation studio that will provide regular classes and seminars in the use of Second Life’s tools and scripting as well as a 3D printing company that will be able to provide 3D replicas of resident’s avatars.
Avatar Island is scheduled to open up on June 14. For more information on becoming a tenant-partner, please call Jack Ives between 9am and 5pm EDT or email him. (the press release gave no telephone number nor email address)
Fellow author TD Goodliffe’s avatar has a remarkable resemblance to his real life self… Or would you rather “role-play”? The question is how many of you will want to have your avatar look like you?
May 23rd, 2007 • 
Weirdharold • 
comment | May 24, 2007 at 04:21 | individual comment-link
In real life, I’m very content with what I look like. I’ve reached that point in my life when my appearance is no longer tied to my sense of self-worth (ain’t middle age great!? Took me years to get this comfortable with my body, but here I am…and even mostly well-adjusted, too!).
That said, why on earth would I want my Second Life avatar to look exactly like me? Part of the fun of SL is trying something different. Yes, my avatar and I share some features, but just a few. Creating a different image of beauty is plain old, ordinary fun!