VSide.com - Virtual Reality With a Soundtrack

Is it possible that the internet is becoming so extensive in its web 2.0 capabilities that pretty soon you won’t even need to leave the house in order to have a social life? Communities like vSide definitely make you wonder. vSide is essentially one big party; you can chat, listen to music, dance, and make friends. You can even host virtual parties in private “apartments” if you really want to get swanky. How does this all work, exactly? You’ll need to both register and download the vSide client in order to get started. From there, you want to create your vSide presence by customizing your avatar (with clothes, hairstyles, etc). You can navigate around the site using the icon try provided for you at the base of the window; here you can access Places, change your clothes and mood, go shopping, dance (using the arrow keys), and chat with buddies (the site is also integrated with AIM). All the while, there’s music playing as your soundtrack in the background, which you can rate. The overarching theme of the site is a system of rating users according to their social actions (called “Respeckt”). You can gain Respeckt by doing things like friending people and expanding your bio. Finally, you can also get “Cred”, which is vSide speak for the site’s currency, which can be earned through winning contests hosted by “in-world” events, or through direct credit card purchase. Cred can be redeemed at stores on the vSide site (featuring Rocawear) to make your outfit a little more fly or upgrade your apartment’s furniture. vSide is optimized for WindowsXP, though Mac users have access to an “incredibly stable” alpha version of the client.

“vSide is an immersive, interconnected virtual city environment where you can hang out, listen to music, chat, dance, and make friends.”

vSide could be a fun site for the young teen age bracket as it lets them explore the partying scene without the dangers that it entails in the real world. vSide is so true-to-life that it even has furniture stores on its site and you can attend parties and fictitious locales featuring “real” live music (in the form of music videos). If you’re the type of person who enjoys games like the Sims, this could be for you.

Honestly, vSide is so extensive and realistic that I find it kind of creepy. Buying furniture? Going to parties and listening to music and dancing? What’s wrong with doing these things in the real world? It’s sad to think that we’re at the point where for some, a virtual life is more appealing than a real one.