VZSciFi Development

John Freeman, former project manager at Avaterra Europe for the VZSciFi project kindly provided the internal "VZSciFi Design Site". This archive contains an internal intranet describing the entire layout of the zone, including unfinished works, as well as providing additional info regarding the conception of the zone, marketing and planning of the zone and more.

This article will gather information from the VZSciFi Design Site archive and present it here in one place.

VZSciFi: An Overview - Last Updated: 13th January 2000

Introducing VZSciFi

VZSciFi is a subscription-based community concept based on the Avaterra software aimed at science fiction, fantasy, comics and role-playing game fans on the Internet. This new community, offering chat, web space, on-line celebrity appearances and related events will be set in a modular galaxy with an expanding range of planets.

VZSciFi will also provide a gateway to licensed Zones based on established SF brands, such as Star Trek. We are actively pursuing agreements for the first wave of such zones.

The galaxy is driven both by the community environment of all VZones, supported by tailored content, commerce opportunities and information access points about all aspects of the genres its users are most interested in. In addition, VZSciFi will operate a new strand in VZ development: creating original content that strengthens the VZSciFi brand with its users.

VZSciFi will be a community dedicated to SF fans created by a team with a unique insight into their interests and requirements. The intent is that it will become the de facto science fiction portal on the web. We will offer links to commercial web sites selling SF-related merchandise or games and seeking to link with a recognised SF magazine or content provider to offer users a dedicated news service about SF movies and TV shows, books and comics. We also plan a full programme of on-line events etc., linking with a range of both commercial and SF community-oriented real world partners. Ideas include virtual book signings, writersí workshops and on-line conferences with SF creators and actors.

The design of VZSciFi will also enable links to a wide range of commerce points, offering links to online retailers who cater for SF fans.

Pricing

1. Some of the premium zones require dedicated Avatar accounts. This simply means that the user has two, (or more) Avatars. This no problem as we have seen with Dreamscape and VZConnections already.
2. Because we are offering a range of premium services within a paid for service, it would make sense where possible to offer a complete package to people should they so desire. Kind of a pick and mix. If they wanted to be a member of StarTrek and the RivenGuild they simply pay the annual fee upfront and get two Avatar accounts, one for each Zone.

Pay Structure
To become a member of:
VZSCIFI $20 per year (This is the hub, and allows complete access to VZConnections)
VZSTARTREK $20 per year (plus additional premium rooms for events if and when applicable)
VZDREAMSCAPE $10 per year
VZRIVENGUILD $10 per year

Complete package per year $49.95 per year.

If we work on a conservative estimate of 75,000 total users for VZSCIFI (all of the above) then we should be looking forward to $3 Million 1st year.

We could also offer individual zones out without having to be a member of the VZSCIFI Hub, this would reduce our selling power and user group inside VZSCIFI though.

Currently VZSCIFI is free to existing members of VZConnections, and should remain so.

The VZSciFi World: Enter the Avatars

The subscriber's VZSciFi experience begins on a space station where every avatar starts its 'life'. Thus begins their initiation into a storyline where members of various races (avatars) meet, communicate, trade and explore new worlds.

Each subscriber begins as a member of (initially) one of pre-selected five alien races, including Human. If users are accessing VZones for the first time through VZSciFi we plan to offer their avatars roles additional to those for more regular 'Zoners' (see details below). These new avatars will be identified by new titles and equipped with objects unique to those roles in the Zone's Hatchery (Should they wish, they can of course trade any of these 'virtual items', such as maps, spaceship guidance controls etc. with other Zoners).

The initial roles for VZSciFi Zoners, enabling them to achieve and perform a variety of tasks above the basics of communication and exploring this new environment, are planned as follows. These roles are reflected in the objects the avatars are automatically equipped with in their Hatchery.

Explorer

Seeks out new worlds, has above average piloting and survival skills. Objects they begin with include maps and spaceship guidance controls (a spaceship will not fly without this object being present).

Traders

Seeks to develop flow of information and commerce between worlds and avatars. Seekers are actively encouraged to participate in the feeding of news and contrent to our planned news feed partner, citing sources for any such information. An accurate 'tip' may be rewarded with tokens or unique objects. Traders will have additional cash and objects when they begin, which they can sell or use to gain information.

Psychics

Psychics have additional information at their fingertips about the worlds, and minimal teleporting powers (all object-driven). The information would be available to them via specific web pages that only they initially have access to and they should be encouraged to jealously guard the information! (They could even be password protected).

Zoners

It is not our intention to deny current VZoners from VZSciFi. However, those users entering from VZ Connections will only gain the unique objects issued to Explorers and Traders through purchase or trade.

The purpose of assigning different roles is that this will emphasise the importance of teamwork within the VZSciFi community. An explorer cannot seek out new worlds without the support of a Trader who may have information on where a world is, or have the correct access codes to land on them. A developer cannot get to a new world without an explorer to fly them there but a developer who builds a new spaceport will make an explorer's life easier.

The existing online roles of Greeters, Guides and Caretakers will also be recognmised and some skills may be melded with our proposed new avatar models. It is also hoped that we might add new roles in response to suggestions from community users or the needs of VZSciFi as it quickly expands.

With increased usage, Avatars will be rewarded utlising objects, with further unique items intended to extend their abilities within VZSciFi - teleport rings, for exampe, enabling fast access between the worlds we create.

Participation and promotion of events could also be rewarded.

Exploring VZSciFi...

Once Avatars have been created, they are then directed to a spaceship hanger where they can purchase their own spaceships (the SciFi Worlds equivalent of other VZ apartments). These can be enhanced through reward and purchase of new equipment, or even traded in for bigger and better machines that will enable more access to the various worlds. In the first instance we are planning five worlds with several locales on each for the Avatars to explore.

These spaceships are but one means of travelling to the Zoneís other planets: for those Zoners unwilling to purchase a spaceship, a unique travel tube links all the planets and moons to the initial site.

The Look of the Zone

Backgrounds in VZSciFi will be photo-realistic, with a distinct identity to its own Avatars which will clearly identify it as different to, although running concurrently with, other VZones. We are creating VZSciFi as a unique, occasioanally experimental but definitely fun and exciting experience for the Internet's millions of SF fans.

The design of individual worlds may be assigned to a variety of artists, but one artist for the look of the alien races. VZSciFi is actively seeking a designer familiar with designing the look of major SF television shows to create the Zone's initial designs.

VZSciFi: Potential Partners

With its access to a community that encompasses a huge number of existing web users, we are sure VZSciFi will attract sponsorship, advertising and involvement from a wide range of potential partners, including:

Television and Film Companies

We feel sure there are many television stations who wish to target their SF audience in a more direct and targeted manner. VZSciFi will offer an exclusive forum for media launches of new shows, enabling real-time online conventions and special events, competitions and opportunities for video streaming direct to interested users.

Utilising the new photo realistic heads technology developed by Avaterra Europe, actors could make appearances as themselves at sponsored events.

In return, media partners could support VZSciFi with cross promotions and tie-in events and onscreen mentions to link with series scheduling and promotion. The Avaterra software could also be offered as a download from partners web sites.

We are actively seeking partners in production companies worldwide, with a view to including a webcam feed direct from the set of an SF or fantasy series in production.

Merchandisers

Many shops and chains are developing or already have an online presence which could be further enhanced by a connection through VZSciFi. SF traders could offer cross promotion through the dissemination of the Avatera software on their web site or through point of sale CD distribution. The most obvious partnership route is to build locales for merchandise partners, linked to their own web sites. We are already having meetings with several traders regarding this avenue.

However, even SF traders without a developed web resource could participate in VZSciFi, utilising the 'objects' technology available. For example, a real world store might be running a signing for a famous writer. Prior to or following the signing, the writer then makes an on-line appearance and attendees are awarded an object for their presence. If they then present that object in the online store's VZSciFi locale, it enables them to buy a copy (signed or unsigned) of the author's new book from that store. Their credit card details, already stored by Avaterra or Avaterra's ISP partners, will be debitted and the sale processed as part of a store's regular mail order

Taking this suggestion one step further, it is entirely feasible that a merchandise partner could have a VZSciFi presence without a web presence: again utilising object technology, users could visit a virtual shop, click on an object to view a JPEG and/or buy it outright. Such a decision opens a link to a secure server where the user orders the goods in the same way as they would with any online supplier. Avaterra collates the information and forwards the order to the shop, taking a percentage of the sale. The userís order is then processed by the shopís regular mail order department in the same way as postal and fax orders.

News sites

While the VZSciFi format allows for the creation of its own dedicated, regularly updated news service which could be a strong selling point for online SF fans, our preferred alternative would be a link with a major SF magazine publisher, whose web presence is already established. Again, we would be seeking reciprocal real world advertising and editorial as well as a link to our software on any partner's own web site.

Subscriptions to the real world magazine would be offered through news vending machines, per the established model in other VZones. In return, Avaterra might seek a percentage on subscription sales through the Zone.

Games Companies

VZSciFi will eventually offer an environment in which game companies could have their own game worlds within the galaxy created, unique to their own users.

SF Community Partners

There are literally thousands of SF related sites on the web but few key 'hub' sites that are most visited by users and even fewer in the UK. However we will be exploring cross promotion with fan sites, utlising The Head Room as the main spur for this.

In addition we are exploring the possibility of creating a locale. A library building for the Liverpool University-based Science Fiction Foundation with a view to cross promotion with this much-admired institution dedicated to the study and discussion of science fiction. It should be emphasised that discussion with the Foundation is currently at a very early stage.

While not a commercial partner the associated kudos of such a link amongst SF fans already on line should be recognised. In addition, the Foundation has many links with writers and other SF creators, which we could utilise in the planning of online events.

Potential Revenue Streams

Sponsorship

We are examining the possibility of links to web sites owned by commercial SF merchandisers, offering such companies their own 'planet' inside the VZSciFi Zone. These worlds would also provide some content.

Film advertising and TV

Using the methods employed by VZ Connections etc., major studios and TV stations could advertise upcoming films and TV in a variety of ways, including on-line conferencing, video streaming and other links. These would be identified InWorld through icons ó the virtual equivalent of film's 'product placement' deals.

E-commerce

Other areas of income could include:

• Subscriptions to access specific parts of the site, such as convention areas.
• Magazine subscription sales: the provision of on-line SF magazine subscriptions through vending machines, locales and other object links. Small-run fanzines and professionally produced magazines could take equal advantage of such opportnities..
• Book publishers: sales of SF books direct to customers
• Merchandisers: sale of key merchandise online
• Licensed merchandise: SF fans are inveterate collectors and providing we can build a distinctive brand we can see opportunities in sub licensing in such areas as T-shirts, metal miniatures, badges etc.

Web access

We plan to offer every subscriber to VZSciFi a web address at VZSciFi/freeplanet.net (already registered).

Subscribers would have a free web site and their own e-mail address(es). In the UK this might include a free ISP deal.

The users web sites would have embedded links to the Avaterra software and the VZSciFi world.

The VZSciFi Team

The VZSciFi design team is headed by John Freeman as Project Manager. Formerly Managing Editor of Titan Magazines in the UK, he co-ordinated editorial production of many licensed SF publications include Star Wars Magazine, The X-Files and Star Trek Monthly. His past credits also include work for Marvel Comics as editor of Doctor Who Magazine and group editor of many US-style comic books for Marvelís UK division.

VZSciFi will be an exciting community-based environment based on the Avaterra concept that will have a wide-ranging appeal with a significant number of potential revenue streams. We are confident VZSciFi will appeal to a significant number of web users across Europe.

Timescale

Avaterra Europe are working toward a soft launch for VZSciFi by January 2000. Recruitment of potential partners has already begun. A hard launch is planned for April 2000 at ComicsFest 2000 in Bristol.

Distribution and Promotion

Advance plans for promoting the VZSciFi community include:

• Editorial promotion and some advertising in major SciFi Magazines
• The dissemination of software through a targeted cover-mount on a UK-based SF publication
• Public demonstrations of software and demonstrations at key SF conventions and other gatherings through 2000
• Free web site provision in the UK including free e-mail addresses etc
• Promotion of on-line events: book authors, actors etc.

SOME SCIENCE FICTION AUDIENCE FACTS

• The SciFi Channel website is one of the most popular entertainment sites on the Internet. It ranked at Number 15 in this category in Decmeber 1999.
• The leading 'real world' science fiction magazine, SFX has an ABC-rated sale of 38,000 copies
• The estimated sales of Titan Magazines SF-licensed titles is in excess of 100,000 copies per month in the UK and Eire alone (these include Star Trek, Babylon 5, Star Wars, The X-Files and Xena)
• The average UK audience for major science fiction shows on BBC and commercial stations (except Channel 5) is 3 million per week. Top fantasy show Xena averages one million plus viewers on fledgling terrestrial station Channel 5 and quickly established itself as one of the channel's top-rated shows
• Series like The X-Files and Red Dwarf, shown in prime time, generate even higher viewerships. science fiction shows such as The X-Files and Star Trek: Voyager are constantly in the top 10 for leading satellite station SkyOne, netting an average one million plus viewers
• On 5 November 1999 top search engine Yahoo listed:
  • Over 2,700 Science Fiction listings on Yahoo! Shopping
  • Over 30,500 Science Fiction paraphernalia on Yahoo! Auctions
  • Over 700 science fiction individual film sites, 624 devoted to Star Wars alone
  • Over 200 individual Star Trek sites
  • Over 1200 individual sites related to SF shows such as Babylon 5, The X-Files, Stingray, The Prisoner and many, many more

Other web facts

• The Blair Witch Project web site (one of the hottest horror films of the moment) has had 75 million hits since it launched
• Both the official Star Wars and Star Trek web sites are among the most popular on the web. More on Star Trek below.

STAR TREK FACTS

• Star Trek is seen in over 100 countries, and has been translated into dozens of languages.
• 13 Star Trek books are sold every minute.
• Over 63 million Star Trek books are in print, and have been translated into more than 15 languages, including Chinese, Norwegian, Hungarian and Hebrew.
• Since July 1986, every new classic Star Trek novel published by Pocket Books has been a paperback best-seller. To date, the novels have sold close to 30 million copies, making it the best-selling series in publishing history.
• In addition to the novels, a variety of Star Trek books, including biographies and technical manuals, have landed on national best-seller lists more than 40 times.
• The first seven Star Trek films have earned over $800 million in box office grosses and video rentals. Star Trek Generations, released in February 1995 netted £70 million to date in box office and video sales
• Star Trek conventions are held every weekend of every year, attracting over 300,000 fans and an estimated one million fans worldwide.
• The US space shuttle, the Enterprise, was given its name after NASA received 400,000 requests from Star Trek fans.
• A 1993 study from Purdue University found that children learn more about science fiction from Star Trek than anything else outside the home.
• Star Trek products have elicited more than $750 million in retail sales in the past five years in the US alone; in 30 years, the franchise has netted in excess of $2 billion