Coming Soon, THE ZU

Imagine that when you enter a chat room it's more than just lifeless text where you type out instant messages to people hiding behind aliases. Imagine that what you enter is a 3-D virtual room. Inside, identities are represented by custom-configured 3-D avatars. Now go a step further and imagine that you're not in a room but a vast, cinematic virtual 3-D world that looks like a college campus-maybe even your own college campus. Welcome to Zilo Universe.

Part broadband multiplayer videogame, part next-generation virtual community, the ZU (pronounced zoo) is a revolutionary way for Zilo members to both interact with one another and shape an ever-expanding 3-D world. Since the ZU is open ended - and is permanently under construction by all who enter - you are contributor, developer and audience at the same time. Oh yeah, and it's all free.

Once you create your avatar's ever-expanding identity, you start the game in your dorm room (this is college, after all). Down the hall you'll find the Oracle - she's really smart - and a handful of ZU wizards, who will introduce you to the virtual adventure of the ZU, teach you how to contact other avatars, and acquaint you with all of the ZU's live 3D games, activities, and interactive tools. You can unwind at the dance club Zilopolis, where you can listen to music from unsigned bands (and submit your own in the JukeBox Hero contest), perform at Open Mike's, where we host online poetry slams and stand-up comedy, bowl a few frames at the ZU bowling alley - and even kiss that hot avatar you've been scoping.

Blur the lines between gaming and reality in the ZU. You can surf the web and watch Zilo videos from the comfort of your virtual dorm. And check this out: your avatar recognizes the emotions implicit in your messages and will react accordingly with graphic, emotive body language. The ZU's artificial intelligence Intel-e-MotionÔ is the first of it's kind and signals a new generation of interactive gaming.

Since the ZU is a brand new concept and we're still kicking the tires, we want to hear what you like and don't like about it. But the only way for you do that is to get in and experience the ZU firsthand. So create a virtual new identity and immerse yourself in this revolutionary animated universe. Play nice...there are no rules, just respect your fellow avatar!