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Google will shut down Lively, its browser-based virtual world environment, by the end of December.
Launched in July, Lively is Google's alternative to Second Life and other virtual world environments.
Google said it launched Lively in Google Labs because it wanted users to be able to interact with their friends and express themselves online in new ways.
Google said on its blog that after four and a half months on the Lively project, its resources would be better spent focusing on its core search, advertising and applications businesses.
"We've also always accepted that when you take these kinds of risks not every bet is going to pay off," the posting added.
Google was not immediately available for comment. Google employees working on the project will move to other teams, according to the blog.
Lively users have been asked by Google to capture their work by taking videos and screenshots of their rooms. Rooms and avatars on the site will not be available after Dec. 31.
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Comments (3)
Save Lively!By Anonymous on December 17, 2008, 4:58 pmFellow Sentient Beings; What would you do if you knew, with near certainty, that Universe would end on 12.21.2008? Not just the Earth and Solar System, not just the...
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I have met tens of greatBy Solum on November 26, 2008, 1:27 amI have met tens of great friends on Lively and hundreds of diverse, interesting people from all around the world, each one of them with something to say...an amazing...
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Livelyzens Appeal to stall Lively ShutdownBy livelyzens on November 20, 2008, 7:30 amThe Lively Users (Livelyzens as we call ourselves) are coming together to appeal to Google to keep Lively alive. Lively is a great platform for interaction as...
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