Back in June 2006 The Infocomm Development Authority (IDA) launched Singapore’s 10 year master plan called Intelligent Nation 2015 (iN2015). One of its visions is to establish Singapore as a Digital Media and Entertainment (DME) global center of excellence.
Virtual Worlds were highlighted as a core driver of DME within iN2015. Concept proposals are invited from prospective Virtual World technology providers, developers and user groups under a Request For Information (RFI) – Virtual Worlds for Singapore. Closure date for RFI submissions is January 15th 2008.
Both the public launch of China’s Recreation District (CRD) in Beijing last week and Singapore’s iN2015 reinforce the strategic imperative of Virtual Worlds within DME over the coming decade. International initiatives such as these bode well for the future of the emergent Virtual Worlds sector as it evolves. Interesting times indeed.
“The participants have proven that virtual worlds offer lots of space for entrepreneurship, and have convinced us with their creativity”, says Dr. Christoph Glatzel. He was part of the VVC jury – together with Prof. Miklos Sarvary from INSEAD, Spiegel Online editor Christian Stöcker and Florian Schweitzer from the Swiss BrainsToVentures venture capitalist. The jury not only evaluated the quality and the potential of the business ideas, but also looked at the implementation progress, the understanding of risks and opportunities, and the quality of the presentation.
Finalists for the inaugural McKinsey Virtual Venture Competition (VVC) hosted this year in Second Life have been announced. SIx teams were chosen from the eleven entrants who competed over a 45-day business building period. Members of the six winning teams spread across 13 countries have been invited to the medieval city of Kitzbühel in Austria for the final in mid November.