Muxlim Pal opens Muslim 3D world and Habbo mobile 3D world makes its mark
December 9th, 2008 by Tim Greenhalgh
Here are some gifts we can all celebrate - Muxlim Pal is a Muslim-friendly 3D virtual world launched today and Mini-Friday is a mobile virtual world that actually works.
Muxlim Pal was launched today and has been created by the Finnish-based company Muxlim.com, a social site launched two years ago and which is now claiming 1.5 unique visitors a month. The 3D world is an English-language environment and caters primarily to Muslims living in western countries.
The environment echoes Habbo Hotel in its isometric 3D display and in its “gameplay” where users can create an online persona, design their own rooms, buy virtual items and interact with others.
The virtual world will be free but some premium services will be offered. New users receive virtual coins for clothing and room decoration, with options to buy virtual currency , although no exchange rates have been established.
The owner is 23-year-old Mohamed El-Fatatry, founder of Muxlim.com, the social network launched in December 2006 and now drawing 1.5 million unique visitors per month.
El-Fatatry, who moved to Finland five years ago from Dubai, was quoted tonight on the BBC: “From what we have seen from our market research, most Muslims have a lifestyle that is not so different from everybody else. They all share the core values which are from Islam, then beyond that they actually have made identities, they have many interests. We are not trying to segregate anybody; we are trying to build a platform for Muslims to have a voice and dialogue with others.”
Also in the Habbo style, a mobile virtual world that bucks the trend and is building a solid user base. Mini Friday, from Sulake, is about to hit 1 million users. It seems to echo the growth rate of its parent, Habbo Hotel - 110,000 registered users in October 2007, 300,000 in February 2008 and 500,000 in May.
Brands – and trusted individuals in the brand environments – can talk to their customers and clients in these worlds. But each world will seed and develop a specific form of language and conversational style, which we will all need to learn.
Tags: Habbo Hotel, Mini Friday., mobile virtual world, Muslim 3D world, Muxlim.com
