SAPARi

SAPARi
	File:SAPARi Logo.jpg
Developer(s)	Sony
Initial release	February 6, 1997; 27 years ago
Stable release	1.0.1 / February 16, 2001; 23 years ago
Written in	Java
Platform	Windows
Website	pc.sony.co.jp/sapari/

SAPARi（Japanese: さぱり）was an online 3-D virtual world service developed in Java and ran by Sony. Users could speak to one another and join chat lobbies by using a dedicated server browser called the Community Place Browser. Upon selecting a server, users would appear in a 3-D virtual world as an avatar in the form of a human or an animal. The service's name is a shortening of the name Sampo Park Relaxation. From 1997 to 2001, the service came pre-installed on Sony's VAIO series of computers. The official SAPARi service was discontinued on January 31, 2003^[1].

Gameplay

Worlds

Worlds were 3D virtual spaces written in Virtual Reality Modeling Language (VRML) and ran on Sony's dedicated servers. At the time of the service's launch, only one World, named "Park", was available to users. Numerous other Worlds were added as the number of players increased.

Browser

SAPARi used its own dedicated browser for use by clients that could run VRML. Called the Community Place Browser, it was organized into a main window used for displaying 3D graphics, and a second window containing the chat lot titled "Multi-User Window". It also handled another piece of software which came pre-installed on the VAIO series developed and sold by Sony called the "Internet 3D Pack". Even though the servers are no longer in operation, it is still possible to browse the internet in VRML by operating a SAPARi avatar.

Avatars

SAPARi avatars consisted of over 100 human and animal models, and allowed for customizable colors and scaling. By default, players would begin as a pink cat. Certain Worlds would have restrictions on which Avatars could be used on them.

Communication

Multiple users were able to converse with each other within a certain proximity. When a user spoke, their message would appear above their avatar for a short period of time and would be logged in the chat window. Users were able to perform actions with their avatars, such as waving or sleeping.

History

February 6, 1997 - Beginning of the SAPARi Service
November 1999 - "SAPARi Premium" β version release
January 2000 - "SAPARi Millenium" official release
September 1, 2001 - A usage fee is added to the service (300¥ monthly)
January 31, 2003 - End of the SAPARi service

Since SAPARi came pre-installed on VAIO systems, it reached hundreds of thousands of users at one point. However, server fees, military fees, and the lack of a business model relating to the increase in new users stopped the user base from expanding. After this, control of SAPARi was transferred to So-net, which added fees to previously free material. Users actively disliked this, which led to the collapse of the community, causing revenue to sharply decrease and eventually the entire service to shut down at the end of January 2003. However, in 2020, two private servers were made thanks to reverse-engineering and fan efforts.

References

^ Service discontinuation announcement Archived 2003-02-24 at the Wayback Machine

Notes

^ Developed by Sony Architecture Lab and Workstation Unit divisions, and then moved to the VAIO Development Unit.

External links

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[2] Service discontinuation announcement Archived 2003-02-24 at the Wayback Machine

[1] Developed by Sony Architecture Lab and Workstation Unit divisions, and then moved to the VAIO Development Unit.

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