By Dan Bray
A total internet revolution is here.
That's according to ExitReality founder Danny Stefanic, who launched his 3D web browser software at Melbourne's Federation Square today.
A 3D MySpace page shown through the ExitReality browser.
ExitReality purports to be for 3D internet what Google was for web searches, what You Tube was for video and what MySpace and Facebook were for social networking.
Available for free at www.exitreality.com as a four megabyte download, ExitReality operates as a plug-in for existing web browsers. The developers say it was designed with the average computer in mind.
"ExitReality has been built to run on low-spec computers," said Stefanic. "It can even run on dial up, albeit slowly".
Offering "more than 40 billion 3D worlds instantly", ExitReality converts 2D webpages into 3D landscapes that the user can then navigate to view the website's content. ExitReality also allows users to see and chat with other users who are visiting the same site.
ExitReality includes a search engine for all 3D content on the web. Searching for "Paris" returns several sites where you can take a stroll around the Louvre or the Arc de Triomphe, viewing them in three dimensions.
Stefanic says the ExitReality business model aims to gather revenue through advertising, with companies paying for `sponsored link' search results, in a similar way to Google.
Stefanic is hoping that the 3D internet world will attract businesses to ExitReality.
"User's would normally spend no longer than a couple of minutes on a 2D website. In a 3D environment, this time can extend to half an hour, which creates a huge potential for the website owner to maximise user engagement."
Having already signed up US fast-food chain store Carl's Jr, Stefanic says businesses need to exploit the 'first mover advantage' in adapting to new technology. "Expect some more big announcements soon," Stefanic said.
With a long history in digital 3D, including the founding of the non-profit Virtual Reality Association back in the early online year of 1994, Stefanic has been working on ExitReality since 2000.
When asked at today's launch if the ExitReality works for all websites, Stefanic replied: "If you don't want other people to see what website you're on, just set yourself to 'invisible'".