New Service Delivers an Easy Way for Internet Users to Personalize Their
Experience on IM, Blogs and Social Media Sites
SAN FRANCISCO, March 28 /PRNewswire/ -- Donnerwood Media today announced
the beta launch of Meez.com, a groundbreaking new Internet service that makes
it easy for anyone to create highly-customized 3D avatars. Meez(TM) avatars
can be built in minutes and used as the virtual identity that teens, college
students and other consumers display as they chat, blog, gawk and play online.
"Young people spend countless hours communicating with each other via IM,
blogs, social media sites and other online services," said Meez CEO Sean Ryan.
"Meez adds a visual element to this online world, enabling people to build
avatars that express who they are, what they wear, and what they do in real
life -- and to have fun doing it."
Meez is entirely browser-based, with no need to download additional client
software, and it works on Windows, Macintosh and Linux PCs. Users customize
their Meez I.D. by choosing from a huge selection of free clothing,
hairstyles, tattoos, accessories, backgrounds and fun animations that enable
them to express how they wish to be seen online. Users can further personalize
their Meez by purchasing premium items that reflect their personal passions
and interests. After creating their Meez I.D., consumers can use it to
represent themselves almost anywhere on the Internet.
Powerful Personalization Platform
Meez is the latest entry in the growing category of personal media
products (like mobile ringtones) that give consumers the chance to turn the
act of communicating into an art of self-expression.
"The teen/college audience feels an intense desire to give voice to their
personality and to stand out among their friends," said Peter Zollo,
President, Teenage Research Unlimited. "So it's not surprising that they put
a premium on customizing and personalizing everything around them."
"Meez allow users to personalize their communications in a completely new
way," said Ryan. "Our ever-growing selection of clothing and accessories gives
consumers millions of possible ways to turn their Meez I.D. into a personal
statement that can be shared on their favorite online services."
Using Meez
Meez is easy to use; consumers can create a 3D identity in minutes through
a simple point-and-click process. Users can modify the appearance of their
Meez I.D. by adjusting individual physical characteristics like head shape,
skin tone, hair style/color and eye color.
Consumers then "Gear Up" in the MeezMall where they can choose from a wide
range of clothing, hairstyles, piercings, accessories, backgrounds and fun
animations. The MeezMall includes thousands of free items, as well as a
collection of premium items consumers can purchase to tailor their online
identities to their interests. At launch, premium branded content will include
baseball jerseys and caps from Major League Baseball(R), as well as hockey
jerseys from The National Hockey League(R). This premium collection will
expand in the coming months to include branded apparel from major retailers,
fashion houses and well known musical bands.
Meez I.D.s are built using the same technology that producers use to
create video games, so consumers can animate their Meez. With a single click,
users can have their Meez I.D. engage in the activities they're passionate
about -- playing the guitar, riding a surfboard, juggling a soccer ball, and
many more.
Once a Meez I.D. has been saved, users can export it to any program or web
site that accepts a digital image. Consumers now have the ability to create a
customizable identity they can use as their personal icon for instant
messaging software, blogs, and social media sites. In the coming months, the
company will expand this feature by allowing users to export Meez I.D.s in
animated form, as well as use them on cell phones and insert them into casual
video games, giving users a way to take their Meez with them everywhere they
go.
About Meez(TM)
At Meez, our mission is to make online interactions more expressive and
fun. Offering advanced avatar-building technology and a huge selection of
content options, Meez.com enables users to create highly-customized 3D avatars
in minutes. Meez I.D.s can then be used all over the Internet as a personal
identifier. Meez was developed by Donnerwood Media, an online entertainment
company based in San Francisco and backed by Battery Ventures, Transcosmos
Partners, Allen & Co. and other individual investors.
Meez: Your 3D I.D.
|
