By M.Christian

YNOT – It’s far too easy to forget that we’re actually living in what folks a generation ago considered the stuff of futuristic science fiction: smart phones, electric cars, pet robots … and virtual worlds.

Utherverse wants to make sure nobody forgets the future is now, especially when it comes to virtual worlds. From its inception, the company has sought to push the boundaries of technology by blurring the edges of reality, most recently resulting in an uncommon network Utherverse calls the Virtual World Web. The VWW allows adult entertainment entrepreneurs of all sorts to transform their two-dimensional websites into fully interactive 3D virtual worlds and open them within a social universe that already contains more than nearly six million registered users — for free.

Creating a virtual world using the VWW system actually is easier than building a traditional website, according to Utherverse Chief Executive Officer Brian Shuster. Even better, the entire world may be customized however the owner would like by including components like original photo and video content, advertising, e-commerce, dating or almost anything else one can imagine.

“This program allows webmasters to have complete control over what happens to the traffic they send,” Shuster said. “Webmasters are no longer sending traffic away through ads, but rather sending the traffic to another part of their own enterprise, where the users will come back over and over again with far greater stickiness than any website can offer, and we’re paying them to do it.”

According to President Zak Zarry, membership websites do exceptionally well within the Utherverse.

“Utherverse member retention is unlike any other site in the online world,” Zarry said. “Users sign up for $20 per month to access the world network, and they are so satisfied we end up keeping them as paid members, often for many years.”

Zarry had much more to say not only about the VWW, but also about where Utherverse sees itself, technology and adult entertainment in the slightly-more-distant future.

YNOT.com: Can you give us a quick rundown on Utherverse and what you offer?
Zak Zarry: The Utherverse is designed to be the next generation of the internet, which we are calling the Virtual World Web. It is a network of interconnected virtual worlds and 3D communities that are filled with rich, interactive content. We feel it is the inevitable evolution of where the internet is headed as software and hardware continue to evolve and people live more and more closely with technology.

How would you describe the Utherverse?
Utherverse is a 3D social network that has been crossed with The Sims, a video game where players represent themselves using an avatar. Our platform creates the opportunity for a different kind of business model, ones that unites socialization and entertainment through digital media. This allows us to stream 2D content into a 3D virtual environment where it can be interacted with by multiple users — think movies, concerts and other events.

Can you give us a peek behind the curtain of what the future of affiliate programs may be?
Expect to see a social affiliate program that revolves around our own virtual currency, called “Rays.” Rays can be used to purchase discounts on “Door Trades,” which are like link trading on the 2D internet: advertising spots, business rent and hopefully third-party sites like web hosts and other content programs.

Still looking into a crystal ball, what do you see as being the future of virtual sex play?
The crystal ball usually looks right back at me and shows me a world similar to the one in The Matrix or the Holodeck [in the Star Trek television series and movies], where you can fully immerse yourself in your fantasy. This includes things like teledildonics, surround-3D-vision and haptic technology that allows you to feel and sense the virtual environment as if it were real. This will allow you to take any vacation you want instantly, or explore any fantasy you have with the click of a button. I would say all of this is coming, but we’re a good 10 years away.

Because your technology is quite different — to put it mildly — from more traditional forms of non-interactive adult entertainment, is your demographic younger than average?
Surprisingly, no. Our demographic is actually a bit older: typically aged 30-35. We have found that women spend the most time on our site due to the social networking aspect. They make friends, and that is what keeps them coming back.

Many traditional forms of adult entertainment suffer from piracy. Do you see the Utherverse as immune to that, or does your virtual world model have its own particular difficulties?
Because everything is immersed in a 3D environment, it is actually quite difficult to steal virtual content, but not impossible. This has not yet become a major issue for us but is something that we are watching as our network grows. It is possible to stream a 3D movie or content into the virtual world in front of many users using our software in the same manner you would watch an actual movie in real life at the theater. We also allow users to implement a cover charge for this and make money from the viewing.

As your approach is new, have you found members interacting with your worlds in unusual ways? Where do you see that going in the future?
Virtual weddings are something that we see a lot of. In fact, there are about 1,000 wedding ceremonies performed in a year [within the virtual worlds]. There are birthday parties, memorials and speed-dating events taking place. We even have virtual casinos and amusement parks, so there really is something for everyone. As for the future, imagination is the only limitation.

Back to the nuts and bolts: How long do your users, on average, hang around? What’s your conversion ratio?
Those vary, and it’s actually a hard statistic to get because you have to think of the virtual world as a city with a few million people in it. Some stay for a while, and others just stop in. The virtual world is still too new to some people, so you’ll see them stop in, check it out and leave.

On the flip side, the people who really enjoy it often stay for many years. We also have members who become paid VIP members for a month or two and then go back to the free package, then upgrade again. Other members choose to run a business and use Rays to pay for their membership. It really depends on quite a few variables, but I would estimate our member retention is three to four months on average. We convert very well with dating traffic, adult traffic and social network traffic.

Do you have any plans to open up your worlds to more user-generated content, like Second Life did? If so, then where do you have to draw the line on what people can and cannot add to your digital worlds?
Our 3D internet has already been opened up for this purpose, as anyone can now build a virtual world for free within our network. More info can be found at TheVWW.com. Currently, users must use the tools we provide for them in order to build their virtual world; however, we are planning and developing the next version of our software, and it will allow users to add 3D content they create themselves. I would expect to see that within 12-18 months from now.

I don’t think we need to draw any line, as with the world and most communities, [users] are capable of drawing their own lines. There is something out there for everyone. It just needs to be created, and a virtual world is a great place to start.

Getting more esoteric, could the whole idea of what is and is not sex change because of the infinite flexibility of digital worlds? So far the members seem to look like real people, but why couldn’t they look like … well, anything? Could the future of sex look less like digital copies of human beings and more like the surreal sexual acrobatics of locomotives and strawberries?
This goes back to the first few questions, which revolve around making your fantasies come true. We have found that some users like the “real” look of avatars while others prefer the cartoon or hentai” look. I have heard of balloon fetishes, foot fetishes and many other strange things. I see no reason why the future shouldn’t be whatever you want it to be using virtual world technology and the Virtual World Web.

For more about Utherverse’s various virtual reality projects, visit Utherverse.com. To see one of the company’s most popular adult virtual worlds in action, visit Red Light Center.