Click here to .. touch my tra-la-la

Leave it to the lads at Springwise to spring this one on us. The first truly adult social networking virtual reality multi-player game is about to launch. The game is called Naughty America and is launched by Safe Escape Studios. While I will let our friends at IGN review the project (slated for launch 'later this summer') it can only be described as straight-forward adultfriendfinder meets habbo hotel and if anyone remembers the old Leisure Suit Larry games, which have come a long way since Sierra - ever the visionary - launched the effort in the 80's, you are not too far off.

We are talking the baby-steps of actual interactive one-on-one (or one-on-many) virtual adult experience and I must admit the intro is not entirely un-impressive. The look and feel of the site seem catered to the male prototypical fantasy around what virtual sex is supposed to be like. This statement is well supported by the trailer just released. Whether this will fly with the different rights groups is almost irrelevant. This is the natural evolution from letter to email to IM'ing to SMS to social sites to interactive sites to complete virtual lives (insert the word XXX, dirty, lewd or risque in front of each communication format if you care).

I am thumbs up on this effort as it would happen at some point - and this does not seem to be a bad first stab at it. Now it is just a matter of time before creative people start playing around here. First you will have your virtual prostitutes - the classic shot of the middle-aged lady reading her sunday paper and answering 900-number calls (for non-US readers; the moan-phone line) becomes a bit scarier when ANYONE can become anyone. Remember MySpace is already having problems in this area. Second you will have the online sweatshops - before these preominantly asian kids were earning coin in a virtual slaying game - now they will earn hard cash in an even older (albeit still virtual) business - one that in its physical manifestation has already taken its toll on many youngsters in that area of the world. It is not currently obvious whether Safe Escape have included the ability to trade coin and initiate a virtual economy in their first launch, however this should again be considered a natural evolution. How SecondLife and other outfits look at this will be interesting to find out. These companies have managed to gain significant success by being early and providing a good product .. but that doesn't always bring you first over the finish line.

See you on the other side ..