Feel like straying into a new metaverse? Chinese HiPiHi now in limited beta for English language users

HiPiHi (type that intentional cuteness five times in a row!) for English language users is now in limited Beta testing. You will have to submit your personal info, including your address and cell phone number, and wait to hear if you have been accepted. Oh, and the uninstall of the current release "30014" is infected with the backdoor Trojan BDS/Bifrose.

HiPiHi - pronounced "High-Pee-High" :0 - is a place where, according to their website, "The residents are the Gods of this virtual world; it is a world of limitless possibilities for creativity and self-expression, within a complex social structure and a fully functioning economy." Here's the Wikipedia on 'em. Just remember to mind your p's and q's, darlings. Whatever they choose to call it, it is censored.


Interesting use of Christmas music... and interlaced with cinema. Hmmm. Wave at the transformer, everyone!

I wonder if they would like to trade one of my used Woots for some textures?

For a while, at least, HiPiHi is going to make SL seem like Mach 4. It took me forever just to load a photograph from their website, so pack your patience for that trip instead of those woots. All kidding aside, I wish them well. There's nothing like expanded communication tools to tear down the wall.

Someday... a galaxy of metaverses

Most NPIRL'ers have a great deal invested in Second Life, be it in ongoing business concerns, acquired land, or inventories bursting with creations. While we all deplore the instability of the grid, we do keep a watchful eye for information regarding legitimate competitors to SL who might have the potential to render our virtual assets valueless... or perhaps improve our second lives.

There’s the new HIPiHi, now in commercial release... Wagner James Au (aka Hamlet Au of New World Notes), was just in China and met with Xui Hui, founder and CEO of the 16,000 member or so start-up.

IMHO, no matter how good the grid, content, what-have-you may get, of this and the just-around-the-corner English and Japanese language versions, the western world is not likely to embrace the politically censored environment of HIPiHi.

And then there is the happy talk of interoperability between Second Life and other metaverses… ^.^

So... it was with interest that we read the Sept. 6th article in Reuters about DeepGrid: "Rival grids threaten Linden’s monopoly on SL technology."

Adam Frisby (SL's Adam Zaius) confirmed via IM yesterday that while he may not be the fearless leader of DeepGrid, he has indeed teamed up with a dozen other independent developers to work on it. He added that DeepGrid is one of many grids that have joined the tumble, but pointed out that what we really should be looking at is OpenSim, a project to develop an Open Source Simulator.

Adam also said that OpenSim is still a good 18 months out from being competitive, and by then – he hopes – LL should have an open grid that DeepGrid can connect to.