[Each day, Worlds in Motion will be taking a closer look at individual virtual worlds. We'll start with a nuts-and-bolts overview, then move on to an in-depth tour, to be followed up with a conclusion-- all with the aim of bringing you all the essential info and details on each world in the rapidly-developing virtual landscape.]

We're looking at There this week, a social MMO from Makena Technologies. Generally considered to be one a competitor of Second Life, there has a similar mix of shopping, exploration, play and socialization, with a lot of the world shaped by users creating their own homes and objects.

Name: There

Company: Makena Technologies

Established: October 2003

How it Works: There requires the download and installation of a 94mb client. Navigation and gameplay are accomplished via mouse and keyboard input.

Overview: There is an online virtual world with a 3D client. Similar to Second Life, the world consists of several islands upon which users can explore and socialize. Users can create items using several provided tools (StyleMaker, Painter ToolKit and Builder ToolKit) though it takes time and costs money to have these placed in the world (through a submissions process) though from that point on users are able to sell these items freely to other players, receiving "Therebucks" in return -- which can be exchanged for US dollars in the world's banks.

Payment Method: There is free to play, though there are premium memberships on offer for one-time fees of $9.95. The world generally earns revenue through microtransactions (users can purchase Therebucks, and must pay to create items), and licensing.

Key Features:
- Large "Second Life" style world
- User generated objects to purchase and interact with

Useful Links:
ThereCare (official info site)
There Fun Times (official blog)
The Voice of There (news site)