Okay, I have to admit my weakness to artistic diversions of various musical and colorful persuasions. In simple english, I have become throroughly addicted to Rock Band! I can honestly blame my musically inclined daughter, who loves to sing. She talked me into challenging my musical talents, and now we are totally hooked!

Yep, when I got my first ‘flawless’ on Bon Jovi’s ‘Wanted, Dead or Alive’, it was all over. Next thing we knew, we had earned a new manager, and started getting popular enough to go on tour, hire some roadies, compete for a new tour bus, and we even played our booties off for our very own jet plane! Now we were travelling in style… yeah baby!

I think I started gaining the most enjoyment once we moved out of easy mode, into medium difficulty. By then, speaking for myself, I was much more comfortable, and it seemed much easier to kick back and enjoy playing the guitar without stressing over hitting the correct keys. I was totally comfortable enough to let my fingers fly and have loads of fun with the songs. Some songs are really fun to play, and sound totally rockin’ when we hit the notes just right.

What I love most is that I can do really well singing the songs. I really like to challenge my voice to make each song my own, while keeping the essence of the song intact. Some songs kick me in the butt, and I struggle to match the tones, and I sometimes give up and just hum… LOL

But hey, I did get that ‘flawless’ score in singing ‘Wanted, Dead or Alive’ by Bon Jovi… one of my most favourite songs ever! Although ‘Orange Crush’ by R.E.M. nearly killed me… again, and again… hehehe. I really think all this singin’ action has placed a bit of stress on the mic. I am thinking the Rock Band Official Microphone (PS3, Wii, Xbox360) seems the best option, and I am certain it is the standard mic already in use. I would totally appreciate any feedback on this particular mic, or a preferable option.

Speaking of Rock Band, I think it is just about time for a rock break! Enjoy…

Barbie Girls is a place for girls to connect with each other online in the Barbie Girls Virtual World. They can stimulate their fashion senses by styling their own Avatar, decorate their Virtual Room, and earn “B Bucks” for playing various games. Barbie Girls also allows you to walk around with your avatar and meet other members and chat with other girls in a controlled environment.

The site can be a bit slow to load, but the different areas are colorful and imaginative. The games are standard fare and girls can view videos featuring their favorite Barbie™ movies. She can also enjoy an enhanced Barbie Girls® experience with a V.I.P. membership, which would grant her access to exclusive areas, allow her to adopt virtual pets, “spend” B Bucks®, and play a number of great members-only games.

Did someone say fashion and boys all the same sentence? Two of the hottest subjects of most girls, so this Virtual World just may have some kind of special appeal to those girls between the ages of 8 – 15.

Cost: Free for basic membership, $5.99/month for VIP (multi-month discounts available)

As always, our kids safety is top priority. Please always remember to visit a site with your child to decide if it’s the best site for your family rules and values. Although the best of safety measures have been incorporat

Okay, I can understand merging servers if named servers have too low of a population to enable the best gaming experience. BUT… why is it taking so long to find my way to the new server???? Message says…

“This server had a very low population and has been merged with a higher population server. All of your characters and guilds now exist on the destination server. If the server select window shows that you have characters on this server then the process has not completed. Please visit the account management page for more information.”

Well then, I did visit the page and must be blind! I cannot find my destination server, and it has been two weeks since I first tried. I just want to play Warhammer. And I want to play on my Rank 12+ characters that I worked so hard to get lots of cool gear and level friendly ranks for!! I love to roleplay, and this was a roleplaying server. I do know it was not highly populated (which suited me just fine), yet I would like to see my characters transfered to a suitable server soon, so I can get my moneys worth.

Now that I ranted just the tiniest bit, I suppose I will have to contact support to get some answers to my dilemna asap. I figure I have been patient long enough. If I am missing something here, then I will just have to backtrack and correct this problem on my own… and it will be my bad. Otherwise, I hope to very soon be running around pretending to be a dwarf or a lovely elf on a mission!

Hmmmm… mayhaps I shall just have to play around with the dark side of my nature for a while until they clear up this mess. A dark elf just may be what I need to vent my feelings of abandonment… muahaha!

What a great feeling it is to log onto the net and explore to my hearts content. There is so much to see and do, that I am amazed with everything I am discovering. My daughter just had a birthday, and besides the usual mall trip, movies, and a day full of mom and daughter special treats, I got her a new computer. I love my computer (which is new as well), but I love hers even better!

Her computer is a slight upgrade from mine, and now we can play in the Virtual Worlds together. We have been waiting months to do this, as before we had to share our play time. Her computer just couldn’t handle the newer graphics. Now we can do what we want, and take our adventures to a totally new level! I am so excited, and after we finish our morning lessons (I homeschool my daughter), we are heading into the realms of Warhammer Online to begin our journey of questing in a land full of great new adventures!!

So far we are both happy with what we are finding in game at Warhammer. We like to roleplay a lot, as this is a great escape from the stresses of this world we live in. We also love to connect with family and friends, and the game serves to bring us together in a place where reality is quite different from that in which we wake to each day. Well then, I had better get to it and finish my work (which is really play), so we can jump into a new land just waiting to be explored!

Enjoy

I just love it when I discover something new on my most avid of interests. Of course, as the title of this blog implies, I am totally into all aspects of the Virtual realms! My friend Jordi over at Hiperia3D News (whom I have the utmost respect and admiration for) has a bit of information to share about the brilliant Richard Garriott, also known as Lord British, who is the creator of the Ultima series, among his many other accomplishments. You may visit Jordi’s post here… Richard Garriott On Motherboard: VBS.TV’s New Technology Video Series.

Having played Tabula Rasa, Richards first adventure into the realms of MMORPG’s, I can attest first hand to the amazing talents of Lord British (aka General British in the lands of Tabula Rasa). Although Richard and his team had to put Tabula Rasa aside for other projects, I strongly feel he will bring some very interesting Virtual fantasies to the table, to satisfy the adventurous spirits of those who feel as I do.

Well then, if you wish, you may visit Motherboad – Richard Garriott (a set of 3 videos) to get a glimpse into the magical wonders in the life of Lord British. He has an amazing array of objects he has collected over the years, and is a master of many inventions and innovations which dazzle the mind with the imaginative interplay of virtual realities and modern wonders. Enter the realms of the world of Richard Garriott who likes the quote by Arthur C. Clarke “Any technology sufficiently advanced is indistinguishable from magic”. I agree with this to a large degree, and feel the virtual realms are a wonderful aspect of Life. Bring on the wonders to fire up my imagination!

Okay, today I am going to treat my visitors to a little rant. I love to roleplay online. It is fun, challenges my intellect, and gives me the opportunity to morph into a different persona for a little while. Let’s just call it one of my favourite little escapes from a real world which can sometimes drive a girl just a little insane. This is how I balance out my Life, and I love it! My adventurous nature positively thrives on seeking new ways to add excitement to my lessons and teachings on this planet.

Well then, my greatest pet peeve in this area is when I run into non-roleplayers. Perhaps I should explain my distress… My current fantasy escape is Warhammer Online, as mentioned before on this blog. I chose a roleplaying server so I can enjoy what I love to do best with this sort of MMORPG. There are rules pertaining to the roleplaying server, so I feel people should abide by these rules and take their fun elsewhere if they either have NO IDEA what roleplaying is, or if they are just hanging around to bug the serious roleplayers. We pay good money to enjoy our experience!

Life tends to bring along some seriously messed up fools to make our paths just a bit tricky. Humans seem to believe their world is the ONLY world that matters, and it just feels good to mess up someone elses day. Luckily for me I am good at ignoring fools, and I know how to react in most situations while I go trekking along my merry way. It just bugs me upon occasion, and I would like to extent a heartfelt request out into the Universe asking the freaking non-roleplayers to find another server to goof off on!

Whew! Now that I have that off my chest, I am off to haunt the lands of Warhammer Online with my graceful, yet fierce persona. I have more than one role to play, so it is quite interesting to discover new aspects of my own nature as I travel through lands blighted with evil, and surrounded by deadly foes. I am a true roleplayer, and I hope to run across those of like mind upon my journeys.

Cheers!

Business uses of virtual world technologies continues to accelerate, especially in today’s economic climate. Engage! Expo (formerly the Virtual Worlds Conference) is the event for youth and young adult brands, media and agencies to meet and learn how to combine their existing online efforts with the unparalleled engagement opportunities and new revenue streams of attention-based media.

When and Where? March 10-11, 2009 in the Javits Center, New York, NY.

The event includes three tracks with more than 80 speakers. Keynotes include executives from FremantleMedia (American Idol) and Sulake (Habbo): Teemu Huuhtanen, President, North America, Sulake Inc. and David Luner, S.V.P. Interactive & Consumer Products, FremantleMedia Enterprises, just to name a few.

If you wish to get all the details about the upcoming Virtual Worlds Conference, visit Engage! Expo. Here you will find the way a whole new advancement in modern technologies. Virtual Worlds, Social Media, Toys, Games, and Virtual Goods. Advancing technologies at their finest. This is where the action is, so don’t miss it!

A mysterious island in the middle of the sea… After drifting along the precarious currents of a fickle sea, the survivors of a volcanic eruption behold a paridise which may hold hope for their survival. Follow the villagers and create your own adventures as you explore the mysteries of the island of Isola. This virtual land is sure to bring many hours of pleasure as one creates their own world in Virtual Villagers.

How is Virtual Villagers different from Village Sim?

Virtual Villagers is basically the desktop version of Village Sim. Since Virtual Villagers was developed after Village Sim, it has some additional features: 4 addtional puzzles, naming of villagers, more island events, likes and dislikes of villagers, mushroom hunt for children, new original music.

What is the difference between Virtual Villagers 1, Virtual Villagers 2 and Virtual Villagers 3?

Virtual Villagers is a chapter based game. The story is about a group of islanders that flee their island and land on the shores of a new mysterious island called Isola. Chapter 1 is the story of their new life on the southern shores of the island. Chapter 2 continues the story on the western shores and Chapter 3 will take place on the nothern part of the island. In all the chapters the villagers need to find ways to survive and slowly unravel the mysteries of this island. Virtual Villagers 1, Virtual Villagers 2 and Virtual Villagers 3 are all independent games (can be played without having played the other ones. They are though, connected by a common storyline.

Is there anything to do after all the puzzles are solved?

Virtual Villagers, like all of our real-time games, is designed to be open-ended. Each game has clear goals, but the games continue to go on and allow you to play as long as you like. The Island Events will continue to happen, which can dramatically change the way things are going for your villagers. Many people start over to try some new strategies, set some new challenges for themselves (like finishing the game without any villagers dying), or play the game on a different setting.

This game is rated E for everyone, and does cost a fee to play. Lost children and Secret cities? I like the look of it, and it should be quite entertaining for children who love to create and develop. The world play actually looks pretty funny, and there is a bit of humour to add to the game fun. It is quite colourful and the storyline seems interesting enough to keep people happy in their adventures through the island life of Virtual Villagers.

Who wants to be an alien? Well I wouldn’t mind playing with my daughter and other young family members is the lands of Chobots! It looks colourful and fun, and serves to enhance our social skills, as well as enhancing logic and problem solving skills. As this World is family orientated, and highly monitored for safety while providing quality entertainment, I will give it a go. I have looked over the owners blog and it appears all the bases are covered at this point. They were confident enough to present their World at Virtual Worlds Expo, which says something of the character and background of the creators.

The creators of Chobots, Vayersoft, is already involved in creating and visual solutions for businesses in marketing and operations, but Lazor says its B2C entry in Chobots is its main investment with a dedicated full-time team and managed directly by CEO Vadim Yeremeychuk. One reason for the emphasis is its new territory. “Our main markets are North-American and Russian,” said Lazor. “North-America is the biggest market for virtual worlds where we can compete successfully and Russia is not opened market for kids worlds yet, but it gives a lot of opportunities of becoming number one.”

I would say this is definately interesting to me, and the level of entertainment is worth taking the time to look into Chobots. As always, use your own good judgement. I know some parents do not like the idea of their children spending too much time in front of the computer or television, yet I believe they learn essential problem solving skills if they are allowed a set amount of time to accomplish this. We are in an age where these skills are paramount to our techonological evolution, and those who do not stimulate their brain power will be behind the times to survive in this Age. As an advocate of regular outdoor activities, even I understand the need to learn how to act and react in situations where advancing technologies require a quick mind.

I truly love to hear feedback from other Virtual travelers, so please feel free to share your thoughts and opinions on this and other Virtual Worlds. I am always looking for new places to visit and explore!