The Avastar – virtual red-top

The Avastar – virtual red-top. We have virtual real estate companies in Second Life. Virtual cars, virtual just about everything. So, why not a newspaper dedicated solely to virtual news?

Reporting on virtual world events is not a new phenomena, after all, Reuters set-up their in-world news bureau at the end of 2006. The Avastar however, is a different type of news platform. Think of it as a virtual Daily Star or Sun. It’s a red-top virtual tabloid newspaper with stories more concerned with gossip and people than economic impacts of virtual worlds. Light relief if you will for the in-depth analysis that takes place on metaverse developments.

The Avastar produces a complete newspaper every three or fours days available in English and German. Obviously, for a newspaper reporting on virtual news, you can obtain copies in many places across SL with a copy costing L$150. Also, their website has past issues available to download for free.

The editorial content and the overall design of the Avastar is actually very good and just like a real newspaper, companies can buy advertising space in the newspaper. Expect to see more real world brands advertising their virtual initiatives in the Avastar in the future. But, over and above the advertising aspect, what the Avastar gives that other VW media outlets do not is insight into how Second Life impacts not only people in virtual worlds but also highlights the relationship with the real world.

Here’s some recent pages and a link to download.

Based in Cambridge UK, K Zero is a metaverse marketing consultancy. More about K Zero.