So Apparently IMVU Is Huge

Cristiano

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Pancake

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I spent a few days in IMVU several years ago, but I didn't get it.
I thought I could just easily slip in with all my elite SL skills, but nope.

I'd be willing to try again, even just to play dress up, but I'd have to learn a few things first because my new user experience was pretty underwhelming.
 
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WolfEyes

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I have no interest in going back. Too status focused for me. And the demographics don't even come close to including my age.

IMVU creators know that making is sharing, and sharing is status.

IMVU was rated the number 1 site visited by teens in 2017 according to comScore.
IMVU

I never did like the flat backgrounds. The "rooms" have always looked flat to me. I much prefer a 3d environment I can actually move my avatar around in by walking not just suddenly popping to the point you want to go. Or can avatars actually walk and run now?

Another reason (no offense intended) is Anshe still has her fingers in that pie as far as I know. Kind of goes against the grain for someone who has very little money to be supporting someone who has millions and made those millions off people who don't have a lot of money. Yeah, I know they all do it. It makes a difference though when you have a lot of knowledge of the individual and some unpleasant experiences with them.

I'm pretty sure IMVU is not the place for me.
 
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Oh yes my mind is constantly blown in VRChat when I talk to the furry communities there, either no one had heard of Second Life or they thought it died a long time ago, but they’ve nearly all heard of or played IMVU.

Keep in mind VRChat filters out the people not into VR or metaverses. I took it as a shock. Did not see myself as the odd one out.
 

RyanSchultz

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For IMVU, I tried it out again recently, and just shrugged. It can’t hold a candle to Second Life. I can’t get past the fact that you can’t move around freely; you basically jump from poseball to poseball. Nope.
 

NyteWytch

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don't look in discord....it got much worse. :p
 

Cristiano

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I spent some time in it playing around a bit with what I already had in my inventory and trying out the store. I do see why it appeals to a certain segment. It's insanely easy to have your own little space and play dressup and hang out with friends. Ultimately if you really think about it, in SL you mainly end up watching your avatar dance anyway or messing around with your inventory and changing outfits. IMVU's barrier to entry is much lower than SL's. You instantly have your own little interactive space. It doesn't have the freedom of movement SL does, but it has the interactivity down cold.

It also has the legacy of the ease of use that There had, since it was developed by the same people. It is different from SL, and probably doesn't appeal to those who do like SL, but I see why it is successful.
 

EmpressOfCommunism

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I am semi active on there in a support and modeling role for my friend, MonochromeReflection. If you like goth stuff and Soviet History, definitely hit her up.
 
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Val

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I don't think anyone I met played or heard of IMVU beyond their spammy banner ads. If you discount one friend who played it for a short while and our bad idea of making a temporary chat server (for one that was closing) there. It ended up looking precisely same as Cristiano's screenshots and ... we looked like straightest depths of SL. THERE WAS NO LONG HAIR FOR ME!



Otherwise it seems like article is more of advertisement as IMVU is very advert oriented and relies on various shady surveys for in-game currency. If I recall, it took me few hours to gather enough to buy a decent loft, few outfits and furniture. However, there is absolutely zilch to do if you do not have a private hangout ready as all instances seemed to be empty for me or full of bots.

I am curious if anyone really uses it regularly (beyond business like EmpressofCommunism mentioned) as it seems like a short spree for most, same as thousands other such ideas like Meez not that SL is doing much better nowadays.
 
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Oh yes my mind is constantly blown in VRChat when I talk to the furry communities there, either no one had heard of Second Life or they thought it died a long time ago, but they’ve nearly all heard of or played IMVU.
IMVU did buy out Fur Affinity, and the user base seems to skew young to begin with.