IMVU Reviewed

IMVU is part of a new generation of social networking and avatar building sites which allow you to create your own graphic identity and use it in multiple places on the web.  What makes IMVU unique is its incredibly sophisticated graphics, and it’s extremely trendy style.  This particular community really appeals to the young and hip, and is not just used for socializing or networking.  It has several advanced design tools that can be used to create clothing, design furniture, and decorate space. 

Signing up for the application is very easy.  However, I was a little disappointed at the limited selection of ‘identities’ you get to choose from initially.  I picked the one that I thought most resembled me; but to be fair, none of them were that appealing.  They all looked like they belonged in music videos—very wild hair, flashy clothes, etc.  Once I ran the installation, and verified my email, I was able to log in and I was surprised to find out how there are many more options for setting up your profile.  However, the majority of the clothing, hairstyles, and other options are the same as the initial styles—extremely sexy and trendy.

Your profile page has several modules including “My Music”, “My Blog”, and “My Messages” that you can set up to represent your interests to the other members.  There’s a place to publicize your clothing and room designs, and modules for keeping track of your friends, your groups, and your visitors.  When you go to edit your personal profile, you have a lot of preferences to choose from, including a wide range of security settings. 

Almost everything that you do on MIVU requires credits and these must be purchased with real money.  They start you out with 1500 promotional credits, and you can earn more credits through some of the activities, but to really make the most of it you need to pay at least the minimum membership fee of $6.95 per month.  While there are other free sites that you can play on, IMVU has really amazing graphics and a lot of features that make it similar to an interactive game.  In that view, paying a small fee to play on the site is not a big deal.  This site has a great deal of options that afford the users a chance to be creative and try out their design skills with lifelike 3-D models.  It has an extensive “education center” in the form of tutorials, FAQ’s, and instructional posts about how to use the many features on the site.

The site lets you connect with other members by using one-on-one chat features, traditional message board style forums, and different public “locations” or graphic chat rooms that resemble things like night clubs.  There are groups of people that have common interests, or from common real life locations that you can join as well.

The overall feel of the board is much older than some of the other sites.  Parents with kids under 16 should really consider whether it is appropriate for their children at all.  For kids over 16, parents may want to have a serious talk with their kids about the adult environment, and the need to be safe online.  There happens to be several excellent security controls within the personal profile which ought to be considered for younger users.  Adult users are able to meet up with other adults freely, and for another level of socializing, they can purchase an “Access Pass” which gets them into the adult sections of the board—for flirting and cyber dating.

IMVU won’t be everyone’s cup of tea.  It caters to the young and the creative, particularly those interested in fashion and interior design.  It can be a fun place to meet up with people, but if you’re not willing to pay a monthly fee to use it, you can find other places to socialize online for free.  The real draw to the site is all the creative aspects and the 3-D graphics that are only found on a couple other sites—and certainly not in this much detail.  The site is beautiful and sophisticated, but it will require a commitment of time to really get your money out of it, and to learn everything that they have available.