Avatar Reality Adds Virtual Space Entertainment as Blue Mars Developer

Avatar Reality announced today that it had added Virtual Space Entertainment (VSE) to its third-party developer program for the upcoming, high-end virtual world Blue Mars. Avatar Reality has previously discussed the importance of licensed third-party developers for Blue Mars and added e Frontier as a partner to develop homes and 3D models. VSE will focus on developing Blue Mars' first city. Led by futurist designer Syd Mead, the team will develop a city envisioning the retail shopping centers, entertainment venues, museums, and more of terraformed Mars in the 22nd century.

"It is extremely gratifying to add a brilliant team, such as VSE, to our line-up of Blue Mars Third Party Developers," Kazuyuki Hashimoto, president of Avatar Reality, said in a statement. "Our goal is to provide a variety of unique, high-quality attractions to Blue Mars users and VSE's perspective is sure to add to this vision."

So far, the Blue Mars effort appears to be the entire focus of Virtual Space Entertainment. It seems expansive, though. For starters, check out the overview video on VSE's home page.

In a presentation to the Virtual World SIG in June, VSE discussed how its city included a proposal to NASA. The goal is to build a Spaceport and NASA Pavilion around two experiences: the first manned mission to Mars and a settlement mission as well as NASA's planned return to the moon. Users would experience the mission, from the planning process to the landings, as if they were part of the crews. In museums around the city, users would also be able to experience the historic missions to the moon that form a basis for these futuristic goals.

"We are thrilled to be developing the first city on Blue Mars," said Richard Childers, CEO of VSE. "By combining the talents of our designers and the inspiration of Syd Mead's magnificently appointed environment with Avatar Reality's brilliant team, we expect to set a new benchmark for virtual worlds."