Virtual Dating for the Real World

A recently released In-Stat report, Virtual Worlds and Web 3.0, speaks to the fast growth of virtual worlds.

The report predicts that in the next 3 years the number of registered users will exceed 1 Billion and the industry will generate U$3 Billion in revenue, mostly from the sale of virtual items, currency, land, and fees associated with these items.

As virtual worlds continue to gain in popularity, their effect will spill over to online dating and social networking.

I expect in the next 3 years, virtual dating will be the new online dating.

I just across this article that speak to the evolution of online dating: Internet Dating 2.0: Why Version 1.0 Is Unsatisfying and Aversive.

It describes the research conducted by Jeana Frost et al, who examined some of the causes of poor user experience and low success rate on dating sites.  The researchers have also found that online dating could be improved with virtual dates, where people can get to know each other in something closer to a real encounter.

Several publications have now referred to virtual dating as “Internet Dating 2.0″ (e.g., Time).  I love the term! (more…)

It’s interesting to observe how new search terms are born.  According to Google Trends, “virtual dating” did not really exist as a search term before last year; see graph below … (more…)

Here’s another interesting example of how virtual reality can help in the real world …

According to the research published in the The British Journal of Psychiatry, a virtual reality ride on the London Underground may help assess and treat paranoia.

Researchers from the Institute of Psychiatry at King’s College London used virtual reality to recreate a subway ride where a user interacted with other virtual passengers.  Subjects were taken on a four minute virtual subway ride, where they “walked” among virtual characters who behaved like real people, breathed, looked around, and sometimes met the gaze of the participants. Users’ interpretation of virtual characters’ intent helped assess the degree of their paranoia.

Red Herring has announced finalists for its Top 50 Canadian Startups competition … and OmniDate is on the list!  The competition celebrates technology and innovation.

Congratulations!

A recent report, Virtual World Industry Outlook, suggests that virtual reality is becoming more mainstream, as it merges with other Internet platforms (e.g., becoming a feature of a website). This type of assimilation makes “the Internet more graphically intuitive, entertaining, and collaborative.” (p.6)

New online dating technologies, such as webcam dating and virtual dating, are looking for footing in the rapidly growing online dating industry.

However, according to a survey by MakeFriendsOnline.com, women do NOT like webcam dating.

While two-third of male respondents like webcams and want to use them on dating sites, an astounding 63% of female respondents said they don’t like webcams and most certainly don’t want to use them on dating sites! (more…)

As online dating continues to establish mainstream acceptance, more and more mature people (40+) are giving it a try. These individuals are different that the 20-something group: They are more set in their ways and less tolerant of superficial interactions. (more…)

I just had a conversation with Ravit about the future of online dating.  We agreed that dating sites without a virtual dating component will become obsolete within 3 years.  (more…)

Several real events have recently taken place in the “virtual” space. Lively, backed by Google and Vivaty, backed by $9M in VC funding, launched their betas. Second Life and IBM announced that they figured out how to bridge two virtual worlds. These developments make virtual experiences hotter than ever!

From the online dating perspective, (more…)