our first visit to our first virtual world…welcome to the lower east side of manhattan, virtually that is.

Let’s talk about about the virtual world I know most about. Virtual Lower East Side, or commonly referred to as VLES around the Vice Magainze, VBS.TV, and Virtue office (funnily enough not located in the lower east side but in the trendy hipster heaven neighborhood of Williamsburg, Broooklyn- maybe that’s next: Virtual Williamsburg). Vice, well actually Virtue, which is Vice’s advertising and digital agency that is still under wraps and not quite in the mix of things yet, teemed up with VBS.TV’s financial backer Viacom; MTV for a better name. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/19/business/media/19vice.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

MTV had already tried to do this, VLES that is, and it flopped. This time around they got Vice’s input and creativity. The site, although launched September 2, 2007 (http://www.nickydigital.com/index.php?/gallery/album/C516/ ) is still incomplete. Updates are rare at best, graphics are ok, and there seems to be a lack of buzz around the site in general. After a 5 min. jaunt around the virtual lower east side neighborhood I’m ready to get back to my social networks, my gaming sites, blogs, and in all honesty any site but this one. Take a look, see what you think, but this gets a thumbs down from me.

http://www.vles.com