Metaplace launches audio chat in its 70,000 virtual worlds

Metaplace is launching audio chat in its user-generated virtual world platform today, letting users chat with one another in the 70,000 virtual worlds they have created.

The San Diego-based company has developed a platform that lets users create their own characters and virtual worlds, which are all interconnected in a kind of downtown area that is Metaplace’s “meta virtual world.” The platform has been up for a year and has gathered momentum gradually. Raph Koster, chief executive of Metaplace, says that is intentional so far.

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Users will be able to use the Flash-based audio chat with a single button click, Koster said. They’ll also be able to chat with each other with a push-to-talk button on the user interface.

The addition of audio chat is one more step in Metaplace’s quest for a bigger audience. In the next few months, Koster said, the company will launch an app on Facebook to let users access their worlds directly from the social network. That development would be similar to a move made by Meez, a two-dimensional space/character chat system, which recently launched on MySpace.

Users will buy the audio chat function using virtual coins available from Metaplace. You don’t have to wait for a download or plug-in to install. The chat system is spatial, meaning you can hear people better the closer you move to their avatars in the virtual world. Since the chat technology is openly available, users will be able to modify it to their own needs.

Koster says that the worlds created so far vary from amateur to professional. Some users are hardcore creators, while others are relatively casual. He said about 75 percent of new users are female. If Metaplace can snag more mass market users, it should do well.