As first reported by IT News Australia, the way we see and navigate the Internet is about to change, according Vnunet. The success of 3D communities and mapping applications, combined with the falling costs of producing 3D environments, are leading some analysts to predict that a dramatic shift is taking place in the way people see and navigate the Internet. Greg Sterling, founder of research firm Sterling Market Intelligence, told vnunet.com: "People were dismissing this as pure novelty just a few months ago.
"Suddenly, it doesn't look like a toy for geeks, it looks like something ordinary people might use."
Sterling suggests that the internet could very well be on its way to
shifting from a text-based environment to a visually-oriented 3D world.
The appeal of 3D worlds to consumers and vendors lies in the level of immersion that the programs offer.
The
experience of interacting with another character in a 3D environment,
as opposed to a screen name or a flat image, adds new appeal to the act
of socialising on the Internet.
