Real Life Dating Service to Offer Virtual First Dates

Here's something fun.

An online dating service is considering adding a feature by which two people getting to know each other over the service could have a first date be a "virtual date." Basically, it will provide a setting like Second Life, and the service will make photo-realistic avatars based on real photographs of the users.

http://www.pcworld.com/article/159576/awkward_first_date_send_your_avatar_instead.html

If one is using a dating service to meet real-life potential partners, a virtual first date seems to be an unnecessary delay or distraction to making that happen.

But the question I always ask myself, when I see a company emulating something that Second Life does, is why this isn't already happening on Second Life?

Second Life has already developed the 3-D space. It has a wealth of pre-made content. Photo-realistic avatars are already possible- and though too expensive for the average SL user at this point, I can't see where this dating service would be able to do it for its users cheaper. Why doesn't some enterprising person try to use Second Life as a platform for a dating service for people who want to meet up in real life? (I know Second Life has dating services, but those are for avatar-to-avatar dating, not eventual person-to-person dating.)

It would make sense if one of these dating services in SL started to offer that... but not sure the draw would be there. Besides, when I get to know someone after talking to them through their AV is when i then want to meet them in RL... though it never happens lol

Well, doesn't it already?

I have seen 'dating services' or 'matchmaking services' in SL, (usually in malls selling girly clothing - lots and lots of pink lace) and some people prefer their avs to look as much like their 'person' as they can manage. Some people also use SL to search for their RL special someone.

I'm sure there are those who combine all of the above.

As for me, no on all three. Lol.

/me nods, isn't that one of our first questions that comes up when we meet a romantic interest in SL? What level of RL contact we both desire? IMs? Emails? Skype? Webcam? Cell phone? Physical travel?

I also wonder if that company might be using Linden Lab's grid product/service/whatever that is? Wouldn't it be funny to use their service only to find you are downloading the familiar viewer software and connecting to "dating grid"?

I've never used any of those services in SL, but I imagine part of their questionnaire would be if you are seeking a RL connection or not? Kind of like a dating service's "how far away" or "seeking marriage" screening question?

Among most I know in SL, their relationships have gone in the RL direction, I even know several who have moved to other continents!

Thank you for sharing Amity, it's wonderful they believe such a service is marketable enough to have invested in all the technology and software to do it! (Certainly beyond a "Polaroid", which was the analog predecessor to digital cameras for those who don't know! LOL)

I'm with the last commenter Jake, on this.

I met my fiancee online, through a text-only application. We could concentrate with clearer heads of getting to know each other. I'm not decrying those who do meet up in SL and take it onwards but the visual is floss, cosmetics, aesthetics and a long way from real .. a distraction I think.