More ambivalent than lively

Google debuted Lively, a destination where users can participate in miniature virtual worlds. Instead of inhabiting a single virtual world like Second Life, Lively users can join tiny subject-oriented spaces, a bit like animated chat rooms.

Wagner James Au of GigaOm observed that Lively brings little to the virtual world industry. IMVU, its most comparable predecessor, already has a thriving userbase and a broad swathe of user-created content.

The effort was also critiqued for its lack of relevance to Google's true priorities: search and online ad sales.

In Lively's defense, Google 3D Operations head Mel Guymon insisted that "Google making a play validates the space like no one else. We’re basically saying this is a real space and everyone is doing this."

"Sounds like the 800 lbs. gorilla is just saying, 'Me too'," Au wrote wryly.

Lively currently only works on Windows Vista or XP, products by longtime rival Microsoft.