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But when high bandwidth and high processing speed become commonplace (and that's coming quickly now), the equation changes. I'm curious about new business models that could take advantage not just of canned or streaming video, but of 3D effects, providing a very different Web browsing experience.
Where do we stand today? Is anyone making good effective business use of 3D graphics on the Web? Or is it still a curiosity? Is the virtual world experience significantly different than the typical flat view, and if so, what are the implications? Beyond the obvious 3D views of products like houses and cars, can avatars play a business role? And has anyone succeeded in making avatars interact with one another, in real time, in ways that might be useful for business?
Since the Web started there have been a number of experimental virtual world sites. But they all seem to have been just curiosities, with no real interactivity, and no clear business purpose. It seems that with high bandwidth and high processing speed some very interesting things may now be possible.
It was a posting of Mark Neely (from Sidney Australia) in the I-Sales Digest that started me down this path.
Mark, in his posting, was dreaming of an online experience that is very close to the face-to-face shopping experience. While I'm very curious about and interested in the possibilities of 3D, that wouldn't be my objective. Rather I'd be looking for creative ways to use 3D that move away from and are more entertaining/useful/fulfilling than the real world experience. Actually, if I were starting a company to work in that area, I would first hire blind programmers. I would want their input, their perspective, their unique ways of conveying experience -- I would want to create a multi-dimensional experience that wasn't just spatial.
The most common 3D-like experiences on the Web today are in real estate for virtual tours of buildings. As Ron Rothenberg noted, they aren't terribly useful yet, but "they are very showy."
He pointed out that one service bureau conquered the Canadian market by linking up with a homewatchers service -- a nationwide network of people who walk you dog and watch your house when you're not there, etc. For 99 Canadian dollars, they will film any house, and have a 3d virtual tour online in 3 days. As Ron says, "3d has a wow factor that 2d lacks." But even at that price, it's not exactly a booming success.
I wonder -- what's the quality? what's the experience? and what's the objective? Is it just "wow"? Is it just an attempt to replicate a walk through? Or can you perhaps show more/show better than a typical walk through?
I could imagine a 3D presentation that allows the potential buyer to change the color of the paint or the wall paper or to move furniture around, or see what other furniture would look like there -- to experiment with the kinds of modifications that they are interested in making. I'd think that could be much more valuable than a physical walk through.
The business model of a security company creating the 3D videos that are then used for selling real estate is intriguing. I can imagine some interesting twists on that. For instance, consider high-priced luxury cars. Insurance companies might well want a complete 3D view of the vehicle as a reference point for future claims. And that same 3D view could be used in trying to resell the car.
One chat participant speculated about whether 3D might be useful for auctions, perhaps attracting more buyers.
But Bob Zwick noted, "Before I'd use 3D there would have to be a reason that 2D wouldn't work. Can anyone give an example where a product or service could not be sold in 2D? Repair services is one area where a 3D model of a mechanical assembly might be required. Medical procedures also might require 3D imaging. Why would a shopping mall or store need to be 3D?"
What is your take on 3D for business? What sites seem to be good examples of what is possible? Do you know of any interesting sites or projects-in-the-works that combine interactive 3D effects and real business objectives?
Please share your experiences and let us know about creative uses of this technology. Send your comments and related suggestions to seltzer@samizdat.com
Can we help you build an Internet business? Richard Seltzer is an independent Internet writer/speaker/consultant. Click here for details. or send email to seltzer@samizdat.com
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