March 14, 2007
GMO VenturePartners and Paperboy&co. Announce Winners of Second Life Business Design Competition
- GMO Pepabo, Inc.
Tokyo – March 14, 2007 -- GMO Internet Group company, GMO VenturePartners today announced the winners of the Second Life Business Design Competition. The competition was held inside the 3D online world Second Life in conjunction with paperboy&co., a company in the same group that operates Internet services for creators and individual users.
Second Life, by US company Linden Lab, is an online virtual 3D space that large numbers of people can use simultaneously. It is fast gaining recognition as a world being created in cooperation with its users.
The Second Life Business Design Contest is part of the Second Life Fund Project established in February this year with the aim of supporting entrepreneurs, engineers and creative activity inside Second Life. Through the contest we sought creative business and design ideas that were unique to Second Life. Despite the fact that the Japanese version of Second Life is yet to be released we received 35 entries displaying a diversity of ideas including unique objects, business plans and tools employing API.
The three judges have examined the entries and awarded prizes to the entry they felt was most creative in each category.
Second Life Business Design Contest Results
Winners (one in each category)
Creative Category
Dragon Garden
Outline: A simulation game in which users rear a fantasy dragon character. Its greatest feature is that all Second Life users can participate in design regardless of the type of account they hold or whether or not they are landowners inside Second Life. It is a place that can be enjoyed by all users regardless of age or nationality. Features include pastures for dragon-raising, dragon auctions and a dragon race track where players can race their dragons for the chance to win prize money.
Business Plan Category
No Land Required! Start Your Own Second Life Business Now!
KGB (Kamishibai Group Bureau) will help!
Outline: A new picture-story telling franchise chain that makes it possible for Second Life users that don’t own land to operate their own business. Sale of a picture-story telling franchise kit that includes a bicycle equipped with story-telling stage. Provision of a tool that allows Second Life users without land or 3D creation skills to start their own business inside Second Life. An inspiring business plan for a franchise operation with features like original picture story creation and voice recording that allow the franchise owner to incorporate their own individual style into their picture story-telling business.
Other Prize Winners
Creative Category
Amazon API×Second Life
Business Plan Category
Second Life Sports Community and Sports Avatars
Understand the ever-expanding Second Life! In-World Guided Sightseeing Tours
Details on each of the winning projects are available at the Second Life Fund Project official site.
Comments from the Second Life Business Design Contest Judges
Chairperson of the Judging Committee: Kazuma Ieiri, paperboy&co. CEO
This is the first time we have held a design contest in this kind of virtual world so I was concerned about the kind of work we would receive. However when I saw the entries there were many interesting plans and creative ideas that have given me greater expectations of Second Life. Both of the winners we have selected presented high quality ideas that those of us on the judging panel all wanted to try-out as soon as we could.
The feeling I got over and over again as the chairperson of the judging panel was that in the Second Life world creating must be more fun than watching. To all those who have yet to visit Second Life please experience for yourself this world in which anyone can become a creator.
Judging Committee Ryu Muramatsu, Director, GMO Venture Partners Inc.
Does it promote activity inside Second Life and make the user’s experience more enjoyable? Is it a slightly eccentric idea that could not be developed in the real world? Is it a concrete plan that can be achieved? Does it reflect the creator's character and style? These were the four questions I considered as a judge and the winner, Kamishibai rated highly on all four. The plan offers the chance to enjoy participating and creating in the virtual world and I certainly hope they will bring it to fruition. The two prize winners Second Life Tours and Sports Team & Avatar Sportswear more so than being eccentric ideas are concrete ideas that can be achieved so I very much hope that they will make these ideas a reality. There were other entries that came close to winning prizes and many other great ideas that I believe will expand possibilities in the virtual world.
Second Life Fund Project
GMO-VP and paperboy&co. understand that Second Life differs from other online games in that anyone can demonstrate their own unique creativity by becoming a creator and that this means the world will grow rapidly. This applies not only to Second Life; we expect to see growing activity in online virtual worlds and the expansion of next generation CGM and CGS (Consumer Generated Society). We are paying close attention to these developments.
GMO-VP supports business through investment activity and paperboy&co is a company committed to providing support for creators. Together the two companies have launched this project in an effort to support entrepreneurs, engineers and creators inside the rapidly growing Second Life world.
Media Inquiries
GMO VenturePartners Inc.
E-mail: [email protected]
Paperboy&co. Inc. Corporate Planning Division
E-mail: [email protected]
GMO Internet Inc. Group PR Team
E-mail: [email protected]
The GMO Internet Group
GMO VenturePartners Inc.
The GMO Internet Group
The GMO Internet Group is a leading force in the Internet industry offering one of the most comprehensive ranges of Internet services in Japan. We provide web hosting, e-commerce tools, domain registration, Internet advertising, online securities trading and a host of other services to over 22 million individual and 550 000 corporate customers. Striving to redefine the industry and foster a vibrant Internet culture, the GMO Internet Group is continuously working to inspire enthusiasm in our customers and put smiles on their faces.
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Company Name
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GMO VenturePartners Inc. http://www.gmo--vp.com
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Address
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Cerulean Tower, 26-1 Sakuragaokacho, Shibuya ku, Tokyo, JAPAN
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CEO
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Masatoshi Kumagai
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Business Description
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■Investment, business expansion and joint venture support for IT Venture companies that are publicly listed in Japan or abroad and for private companies.
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Capital
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￥210, 000,000
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paperboy&co. Inc.
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Company Name
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paperboy&co. Inc. http://www.paperboy.co.jp
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Address
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Cerulean Tower, 26-1 Sakuragaokacho, Shibuya ku, Tokyo, JAPAN
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CEO
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Kazuma Ieiri
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Business Description
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■Web hosting
■Domain registration
■Blog Media
■E-commerce support
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Capital
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￥74,450,000
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GMO Internet Inc.
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Company Name
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GMO Internet Inc. http://www.gmo.jp/en
(TSE First Section Code: 9449)
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Address
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Cerulean Tower, 26-1 Sakuragaokacho, Shibuya ku, Tokyo, JAPAN
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CEO
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Masatoshi Kumagai
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Business Description
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■Internet Use Support (Infrastructure)
■Internet Advertising Support (Media)
■Internet Finance
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Capital
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￥7,148,290,000
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