What Is IMVU?

IMVU is a graphical instant messaging client with more than 1 million users.[1] Currently, it is in public beta, and has been available since April 01, 2004. It is developed byIMVU, Inc., founded by Will Harvey, a video game developer and founder of There.

The primary focus ofIMVUis the ability to use personalized 3D avatars and environments that let the user interact with the person they are chatting with. The secondary focus ofIMVUis allowing the members to develop content that can be purchased by other members for use in personalizing their avatars and environments.

Contents [hide]

1 Features .2 Membership.3 Economy .4 Community .5 Adult Content Policies( 5.1 Access Pass Controversy 5.2 Age Verification )6 Business Record With Customers and Vendors .7 See also .8 References .9 External links .10 Press .

Features

IMVU is a 3D graphical instant messenger client, but it shares several features with other virtual worlds. IMVU users are represented by an avatar (often abbreviated to avi and avie). The basic avatar is human. Avatars may be of either sex and they may be clothed or otherwise customized to produce a wide variety of humanoid and other forms. Most items created by IMVU users are clothes, hair, eyes and other props that members can buy for their avatar appearance.

IMVU chat sessions occur in rooms, which are virtual environments owned by IMVU users. When users participate in chat sessions, their avatar appears within the room, and their messages appear in chat bubbles above their avatar. While in rooms, IMVU users can move their avatars around to nodes through the room, often attached to furniture objects. Recently, IMVU has introduced Public Rooms, which are rooms publicly visible and usable; Previously all rooms were private and required invitation from the room owner.

Membership

IMVU membership is free, allowing users to register an avatar name, utilize the 3D chat client, purchase virtual content, and customize a homepage. Free accounts are denoted by the prefix 'Guest_'. Users can purchase their avatar name to become a full member, removing the 'Guest_' prefix, and to participate in the content creation program. Full members can purchase additional account upgrades, such as VIP membership, Age Verification, and various passes, including an Access Pass, which allows access to restricted material.

Economy

IMVU contains its own economy with a currency system based on IMVU Credits. The credits are used by members to purchase virtual items like fashion pieces (hair, clothes, skins, furniture and accessories), pets, and 3D scenes. Credits can be purchased via a variety of payment methods, both from IMVU and third-party resellers. Additionally, IMVU provides free promotional credits to encourage member participation and referrals.

A primary element of IMVU's economy is member-created content; consequently, IMVU allows members to participate in the Content Creator Program. Members can use IMVU provided software utilities to create virtual products, and can sell their products by listing them in the online IMVU product catalog. Content creators earn credits when their items are sold and are allowed to resell the credits they earn.[2]

Community

IMVU features an active and creative community. Many IMVU users are content creators, creating and selling products in the IMVU catalog. Users also devote time to customizing their individual homepages, setting up public and private rooms, and assembling and showcasing outfits. Additionally, as with most online communities, there are numerous user produced third-party websites providing additional forums and resources to the IMVU community.

Adult Content Policies

[edit] Access Pass Controversy

The Access Pass, or AP as many users refer to it, has been a source of controversy in the IMVU community. It was originally intended to allow access to "Restricted" content. Many users bought it to access mature or "Adult" content. Due to concerns expressed by their payment processors, IMVU recently changed its Terms of Service to disallow "Adult" content in IMVU, terming it "Unfit for IMVU" or UFI. "Restricted" content was consequently limited to content similar to that allowed in an R-rated movie. As "Adult" content had been previously submitted, sold, and purchased, IMVU had to remove the newly UFI items from users' inventories. IMVU additionally refunded users the credits spent on such items. Many AP purchasers continued to be irate as they believed that such content was and would continue to be allowable, since to purchase and use an AP one was required to self-certify they were 18 and have a valid credit card.

Many customers now complain that the "Restricted" content available is more of a PG-13-rated nature rather than of an R-rated level. Additionally, the updated Terms of Service now explicitly allows IMVU to remove content from customer's inventories without compensation, though the previous Term of Service allowed this, though it was not detailed in an explicit manner. In addition, some animations produced by IMVU, which were originally bundled with the AP, have been rated by IMVU as UFI and subsequently removed; this, in turn, has lead members to make a point that even IMVU management has itself been confused over what is and what is not "fit" for IMVU.

Age Verification

Subsequently, IMVU implemented a stronger form of age verification, through a third-party identity verification process. IMVU has named this product Age Verification Token. IMVU has not disclosed to its members the third-party company providing the verification process. Some IMVU members feel they have a right to know the identity of the firm to whom they're providing their personally identifying information, such as social security, drivers license, passport and home address information.

Age Verification is voluntary, and requires a fee. Age Verification is free with the purchase of the Access Pass, but is not needed to buy or use the Access Pass, or Access Pass Content.

Business Record With Customers and Vendors

IMVU has an "unsatisfactory" rating from the Better Business Bureau.