In the words of Monty Python, "And now for something completely different." Google has introduced a new 3D chat room tool called Lively.

Lively only runs on Windows and requires a plug-in. It runs through a Web browser instead of requiring a separate program, and it requires either a Google or Facebook account to log in. Users can choose and customize avatars to wander through cartoonish 3D virtual chat spaces.

Customizing content just means arranging the already created content or streaming YouTube videos on virtual TVs. However, Google indicates that they plan on adding the ability for users to make their own content in the future. There's also the potential for commerce, since download prices and creators are listed. (So far, it's mostly "free" and "anonymous.")

There are already a lot of comparisons to Second Life. Lively isn't a Second Life replacement. The better comparison would be IMVU with a pinch of Animal Crossing. The focus of Second Life is user generated content, not chatting with strangers.

This tool is very unusual for Google, but it's hard to say if it's the wave of the future or a silly fad.

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