Look at the Federal Challenge of Virtual Worlds, you have a weight loss program in which avatars and meeting with other avatars in a world where they have to smash fast food into oblivion. They are creepily followed by a chicken leg until they so “no, no, and I mean hell no”. They flip coins to flip (or reframe) their thinking. This is a virtual world that works. The point is – the winners are those that are creating virtual world apps that are converging the technologies to help people. I’ve been around computers since the early 80s, in and out of institutions like Unisys, Sun, Microsoft. The marketing departments work like James Brown on stage – they keep singing Turing soul songs, convincing you this is a computer that you can relate to. And, every instance is. I’m so impressed with let’s keep building more apps. Let’s call them phone apps, VW apps, Droid apps, whatever, Let’s just keep pressing on to see if we can use technology to serve us in being better humans, better societies, and using the enormous potential for solving world problems together, and entertaining ourselves when we do it.

They had their grand opening in the first week of January.  I popped in and spent about four hours jumping to earn credits against any classes.  Since then I have been waiting patiently for classes to show up.  It has been pretty quiet at the Club One Island home front.  I decided to do a few checks.

I started by taking a peek at their events calendar on their website (see here).  There has been nothing since the opening week.  Not one class.  I am seriously bummed and frustrated.  I was told that there would be classes this month.  I know that I have a tight schedule, but there are days that I can catch a class that I deem worth while.

My disappointment grew and my heart sank as I teleported to their set of four islands.  None having a very high traffic that I could find as I ran about to explore.  There has been minimal activity.  It was like a ghost town.  Not even the crickets remained.

They have a great concept and a huge investment in this project.  It saddens me that there is nothing going on.  The two employees that I spoke with have not been online in a bit of time.  One not since that first week and the other since last week.  Let’s hope they are just delayed in their project.

For now, I will keep an eye out with hopes something will start up.  At the very least, I hope they send a message to let us know what is going on with them.  I have sent the group owner’s a request for when events will start.  Hopefully, that will get us some information and this party train can get started.

Just took a seat in the empty sim, awed at its beauty and clean builds and sad that nothing is happening with it.

Turns out Club One Island exists within the virtual world of Second Life (R) and also on the internet at http://www.cluboneisland.com/ .  I jumped into world to check it out and joined up.  They have different programs at varying rates.  The biggest complaint around the virtualosphere is the cost of their program.

Well wouldn’t you know it, they sponsored a jumping fest yesterday, which gave the participants discounts off of the program for each hour of virtual jumping.  So I jumped for discounts, dragged Mr. IEVL for some jumping fun and made two new friends and met quite a few people.

I was cot jumping while Mr. IEVL took to jumping on the bed.  Others were jumping on pogo sticks and trampolines.  After a bit of time one of the developers for Club One Island asked Mr. IEVL if she could adjust his ball (snickers).  She placed an additional ball on the bed so we could jump together.  Mr. IEVL looks at me and asks, “Did she just ask if she can adjust my balls?”.   ZOMG!!!  I was dying of laughter.  We spent the rest of the night jumping in bed together.  (AHAHAHA!)

Now mind you, Club One Island is a PG sim, therefore, that was our bit of PG related porn.  Badaboom badabang!  Below is some evidence of our glorious adventure in bed jumping and my first ever animated gif creation.  Tah Dah!

Introduction

Media X at Stanford University hosted a workshop titled “Cashing In on Virtual Worlds: Entrepreneurial Insights for the Healthcare Industry.” The workshop was organized by Parvati Dev and Laura Kusumoto, who combine leading edge research, expertise and hands-on experience with virtual worlds and virtual worlds platforms.

In her introductory remarks, Ms. Kusumoto provided a perspective on the current state of virtual worlds. While the consumer-focused virtual worlds have seen notable platform closures (e.g. Google Lively, Metaplace, There.com, etc.), there has been positive activity on the enterprise side of virtual worlds, including virtual events and virtual trade shows.

Virtual Worlds: On An Upswing?

Kusumoto referenced a recent Gartner Hype Cycle Report that positioned “public virtual worlds” in a phase of “Trough of Disillusionment.”  The good news is that the subsequent phases are called “Slope of Enlightenment” and “Plateau of Productivity.”  Web 2.0, Tablet PCs and Wikis are positioned in this “Slope of Enlightenment” phase in Gartner’s cycle.

In the afternoon, we heard 5-minute pitches from entrepreneurs who were looking to launch virtual worlds businesses related to health care. These entrepreneurs showed me how virtual worlds (and notably, the surviving virtual worlds platforms) can embark on an upward path towards enlightenment.  Here’s my view on how virtual worlds are evolving:

Circling back to the Gartner Hype Cycle, I look back at the following progression:

1. Technology Trigger: Artists and Hobbyists discover this technology for self-expression
2. Peak of Inflated Expectations: Fortune 500 brands enter the mix, expecting a transformation of marketing and advertising
3. Trough of Disillusionment: An assortment of virtual worlds platforms fold
4. Slope of Enlightenment: Entrepreneurs develop innovative businesses that ride on top of virtual worlds platforms

The entrepreneurs who presented are leading the way towards enlightenment and the virtual worlds platforms (e.g. Second Life, Unity, OLIVE, etc.) stand to benefit.  The new business model is the purchasing of virtual land (or, the licensing of virtual world platform technology) that entrepreneurs leverage to drive monetization and revenue.

In a sense, this is similar to the smartphone app store – the entrepreneur creates intellectual property that rides on top of a “platform”.  The entrepreneur then leverages that platform to drive revenue to a direct sales channel (customers).

Noted Entrepreneurs

I’d like to highlight some of the presenting entrepreneurs (and their businesses).

Club One Island

Lose weight in a virtual world, on Club One Island.  Celeste DeVaneaux gave a fascinating overview of how participation in a virtual world program can facilitate habit change.  It’s one thing to urge people to eat slower – it’s another thing to show them how.  And, to have their own avatars practice the habit of doing so.  Club One Island runs on top of the Second Life platform.

Related: How I lost 20 pounds in Second Life (featuring Club One Island – by Hypergrid Business)

CliniSpace

CliniSpace is a collaborative virtual medical environment created by Innovation in Learning, Inc. (the company led by Parvati Dev, one of the event’s organizers).  The goal of CliniSpace is to provide virtual world-based training to physicians, nursing students, etc.  A virtual patient can start out completely healthy, but then be programmed to worsen, such that s/he requires CPR within 15 minutes.  The service runs on top of the Unity platform.

InWorld Solutions

InWorld Solutions “incorporates a wide range of avatars, content and features specifically designed to facilitate clinical and educational applications.”  InWorld can facilitate treatment for substance abuse by having patients in a virtual world, with their doctors observing from the same physical space – or, from within the virtual world.  Patients can experience peer pressure (virtually) and be advised and coached on how to respond.  InWorld runs on top of Forterra’s OLIVE platform.

Conclusion

These were just a few of the innovative business concepts brewing in one particular industry (health care) around virtual worlds.  As more entrepreneurs launch virtual worlds businesses, the platform vendors (e.g. Linden Lab / Second Life, Unity, Forterra / OLIVE) stand to benefit.  And importantly in this vertical, another entity stands to benefit: the human condition.

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However, when you add the element of a support group with whom you meet on line all of the time, you change up who is working with you. Club One has put together a team of experts to work with you. First, they use one of their award winning programs: the Habit Changer  knowing full well they have a winner. They add avatars, appearance, an apartment, a group to work with. And what a group. links to experts in nutrition, experts in psychological behavioral change, experts in movement, experts in support, and experts in virtual worlds.

This program, Club One Island will be the catalyst that changes up what virtual worlds are all about.

Read about it in the following press release. And enjoy learning what it’s like to partner with 2b3d and a winner!

Press Release Here:
Club One Island Unveils Behavior Change Program for America’s Obesity Epidemic – Virtual World Participants Lost Up to 20 Pounds in Three Months
SAN FRANCISCO & BOSTON –(Business Wire)–

Sitting in front of a computer is now a serious way to improve one’s health. Today, Club One Island, a virtual health world, unveiled early weight loss program results at the Games for Health Conference in Boston. More than one third of U.S. adults, or 72 million people, and 16 percent of U.S. children are obese and obesity-related health care costs totaled an estimated $117 billion in 2000 (Source (News – Alert): Center for Disease Control). Club One Island (www.cluboneisland.com) is a professionally structured program built in a virtual world to reshape the approach with America’s obesity crisis. The early conclusion from pilot program results is that a behavior change program based entirely in a virtual world can generate greater weight loss results than a similar program based in the physical world. Club One Island participants lost an average of more than eight pounds in 12 weeks.

Program Participants and Results

The 60 pilot-program participants for Club One Island were U.S. adults (age 20-70+) with a body mass index (BMI) of 35.17 as measured by health professionals, while the control group had a BMI of 35.70 (note: a person with a BMI of 30 is considered obese according to the CDC). The control group’s program had all the components of the virtual world program, including exercise, nutrition, behavior change and a support group, but just in a different environment. The average weight loss results from the program after 12 weeks and four one-hour sessions per week:

* Club One Island (Virtual World): Loss of 8.08 lbs, 3.88 percent body fat and 1.98 inches from waist
* Control Group (Physical World): Loss of 5.98 lbs, 3.63 percent body fat and 1.92 inches from waist

The participants also completed a survey to determine the impact of Club One Island on whether or not the program worked for them and how it impacted their personal lives. Below are the combined percentages of Somewht Agree, Agree and Strongly Agree:

* Optimism: 100 percent – I have a greater sense of optimism about managing my weight.
* Control: 100 percent – I feel a greater sense of control.
* Worked Better: 80 percent – The program worked better for me than other things I have tried.
* Communication: 76 percent – I am better able to communicate my needs to my family.
* Positive Change: 71 percent – I have noticed positive change in my relationships.

The Behavior Change Program on Club One Island

Virtual world training is already successful in multiple industries and is currently used to improve skills and increase knowledge for doctors, pilots, soldiers, students and more. Club One Island incorporates:

* Avatar Association: Studies have shown that the body follows the mind and that people incorporate the behavior they see from their avatars on-screen.
* Cognitive Behavioral Theory: Activities and interactions on Club One Island center on reframing how people think about weight loss. Instructors discuss how to change self-talk from negative to positive, instill and acquire positive habits, and identify and overcome individual barriers to personal health.
* Gaming: Club One Island is a fun destination that offers activities that exceed the limits of a physical world. The virtual environment integrates guided play, discovery, point/reward systems and themed rooms that address key issues, such as the Room of Doom. In this room, people are encouraged to combat their emotion-driven eating with a virtual hammer that smashes junk food.
* Social Networking and Community: Club One Island is a thriving community of people who share similar health challenges and goals. The open and supportive environment offers opportunities to make connections with other participants, create their own profiles and journals, as well as customize their own apartments.

“Club One Island is a new approach to health that encourages individuals and organizations to rethink how we deal with obesity issues in this country,” said Celeste DeVaneaux, Creative Director of Club One Island. “Program participants are very pleased with their weight loss results and we believe that there are tremendous implications for companies, health insurance providers, and governments looking to reduce the burden of health care costs and improve the lives of entire populations.”

Club One, one of the premier fitness club networks in California, created Club One Island as part of its ongoing commitment to change behaviors, improve health and save lives. Club One Island is currently based in Second Life. Phase Two of the program is currently underway and those results will be released later this year.