Meez(TM) Takes Avatars Mainstream
30 March 2006
Donnerwood Media today announced the beta launch of Meez.com, a groundbreaking new Internet service that makes it easy for anyone to create highly-customized 3D avatars. Meez(TM) avatars can be built in minutes and used as the virtual identity that teens, college students and other consumers display as they chat, blog, gawk and play online.
"Young people spend countless hours communicating with each other via IM, blogs, social media sites and other online services," said Meez CEO Sean Ryan. "Meez adds a visual element to this online world, enabling people to build avatars that express who they are, what they wear, and what they do in real life -- and to have fun doing it."
Meez is entirely browser-based, with no need to download additional client software, and it works on Windows, Macintosh and Linux PCs. Users customize their Meez I.D. by choosing from a huge selection of free clothing, hairstyles, tattoos, accessories, backgrounds and fun animations that enable them to express how they wish to be seen online. Users can further personalize their Meez by purchasing premium items that reflect their personal passions and interests. After creating their Meez I.D., consumers can use it to represent themselves almost anywhere on the Internet.
Powerful Personalization Platform
Meez is the latest entry in the growing category of personal media products (like mobile ringtones) that give consumers the chance to turn the act of communicating into an art of self-expression.
"The teen/college audience feels an intense desire to give voice to their personality and to stand out among their friends," said Peter Zollo, President, Teenage Research Unlimited. "So it's not surprising that they put a premium on customizing and personalizing everything around them."
"Meez allow users to personalize their communications in a completely new way," said Ryan. "Our ever-growing selection of clothing and accessories gives consumers millions of possible ways to turn their Meez I.D. into a personal statement that can be shared on their favorite online services."
Using Meez
Meez is easy to use; consumers can create a 3D identity in minutes through a simple point-and-click process. Users can modify the appearance of their Meez I.D. by adjusting individual physical characteristics like head shape, skin tone, hair style/color and eye color.
Consumers then "Gear Up" in the MeezMall where they can choose from a wide range of clothing, hairstyles, piercings, accessories, backgrounds and fun animations. The MeezMall includes thousands of free items, as well as a collection of premium items consumers can purchase to tailor their online identities to their interests. At launch, premium branded content will include baseball jerseys and caps from Major League Baseball(R), as well as hockey jerseys from The National Hockey League(R). This premium collection will expand in the coming months to include branded apparel from major retailers, fashion houses and well known musical bands.
Meez I.D.s are built using the same technology that producers use to create video games, so consumers can animate their Meez. With a single click, users can have their Meez I.D. engage in the activities they're passionate about -- playing the guitar, riding a surfboard, juggling a soccer ball, and many more.
Once a Meez I.D. has been saved, users can export it to any program or web site that accepts a digital image. Consumers now have the ability to create a customizable identity they can use as their personal icon for instant messaging software, blogs, and social media sites. In the coming months, the company will expand this feature by allowing users to export Meez I.D.s in animated form, as well as use them on cell phones and insert them into casual video games, giving users a way to take their Meez with them everywhere they go.
About Meez(TM)
At Meez, our mission is to make online interactions more expressive and fun. Offering advanced avatar-building technology and a huge selection of content options, Meez.com enables users to create highly-customized 3D avatars in minutes. Meez I.D.s can then be used all over the Internet as a personal identifier. Meez was developed by Donnerwood Media, an online entertainment company based in San Francisco and backed by Battery Ventures, Transcosmos Partners, Allen & Co. and other individual investors.
Meez: Your 3D I.D.
Source: prnewswire
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