there com

April 22, 2025

There.com was one of the earliest social virtual worlds that tried to build community before the word “metaverse” became trendy. It launched in 2003, shut down in 2010, came back in 2012, and still exists today in a smaller but loyal form. The platform focused purely on hanging out and user creativity rather than combat or quests. Understanding how it worked—what it did right and where it failed—shows what makes or breaks an online world.

What There.com Actually Is

There.com (often just “There”) is a 3D virtual world created by Makena Technologies. It opened to the public in October 2003 after two years of beta testing. It ran on Windows and older Mac systems. At its peak, it claimed over a million registered users by 2009. Unlike most MMOs of that era, there were no levels, monsters, or raids. The whole point was socializing, customizing your avatar, buying or building stuff, and hosting events.

Everything was built around casual interaction: voice chat, text chat, emotes, parties, mini-games like hoverboard racing or paintball, and user-made homes. It felt more like a 3D chatroom than a game. This made it attractive to people who wanted a calmer virtual space compared to grind-heavy MMOs.

Core Features That Defined the Experience

Avatar customization

Avatars in There.com were highly customizable. Clothes, accessories, facial expressions, animations—users could craft a specific identity. Member-only features allowed even deeper customization with premium tools.

User-generated economy

Therebucks (T$) served as the in-world currency. Players could buy T$ with real money or earn them. Content creators designed objects, vehicles, furniture, and clothing using external 3D tools. These items were submitted, reviewed, and sold in-game. This system gave creators real influence.

Housing and land

Users could rent land or place portable lots (“portazones”). They could decorate these spaces or turn them into clubs, shops, or event locations. Owning space gave players a sense of permanence—something many virtual worlds still struggle to deliver well.

Events as the lifeblood

Instead of developer-led gameplay, There relied on user-created events. Dance parties, scavenger hunts, tournaments, social meetups. The platform made event hosting simple, which encouraged community participation.

Partnerships with brands

Major companies like Coca-Cola and MTV ran official zones and promotions in There.com. Coca-Cola even created a full district called CC Metro with themed activities. This was early experimentation in branded virtual spaces—years before Roblox or Fortnite events made it mainstream.

Why People Loved It

There.com’s biggest strength was its social design. It didn’t just throw players in a sandbox—it gave them tools for connection. Voice chat was built-in. Moderation tools made conversations safer than most competitors. Movement and animation felt fluid for the time. The design leaned toward approachability instead of complexity.

It also fostered identity. Users could own land, build communities, and sell virtual items they made. It gave people something to invest in emotionally. Many friendships, relationships, and groups formed there and lasted years.

Why It Shut Down in 2010

In March 2010, Makena announced that There.com would shut down permanently due to financial issues. The final shutdown happened on March 9, 2010. The platform simply wasn’t profitable enough to justify ongoing server and development costs.

Key issues:

High cost to maintain 3D world servers
Subscription and microtransaction revenue not scaling
Competition from games like Second Life, which had more buzz
Difficulty attracting new users at scale

When the servers went offline, everything disappeared—homes, items, friendships, memories. This triggered real grief in the community and became a case study in digital impermanence. Academic researchers even published work on how people reacted when a cyberworld dies.

The Relaunch: 2012 and Beyond

In May 2012, There.com relaunched under Makena Technologies. Founder Michael Wilson wanted to bring back the community. The new version switched to a paid membership model: about $10/month for full access. There was also a “silent trial” for free users, but those accounts had limited communication.

Most features returned:

Avatars
Events
Voice/text chat
Land ownership
Marketplace (for creators)

However, some legacy systems didn’t come back immediately.
Missing or changed features included:

Custom vehicles reset to default
Voozoo pets unsupported
Some interactive items broken
Mac client in alpha
No official mobile app

This created friction among returning players who expected everything to work like before.

The Community’s Current Reality

There.com today has a small, dedicated user base. Players still host events, design items, and run clubs. But most people admit the world feels quiet. There are comments on Facebook and Reddit saying things like “nobody is ever online” or events feel repetitive. New users sometimes log in, see empty spaces, and leave.

Still, the ones who stay care deeply. They organize technical help groups. They push for mobile/tablet support. They discuss how to revive player activity. They keep old traditions alive.

Interestingly, in 2025 a YouTube video titled “I Spent 30 Days in a Dead Game” brought millions of views and renewed interest. For a while, more people logged back in. Viral attention proved There.com still has nostalgic pull—but it didn’t permanently solve the population issue.

Why There.com Still Matters

Even if the user count is small, There.com remains important for understanding virtual worlds:

Social-first design can work better than game mechanics.
User-generated economies create long-term engagement—if supported properly.
Moderation and safety tools matter.
Nostalgia can resurrect old platforms—but not sustain them without new value.
A virtual world needs critical mass. Without daily active users, even great features die.

What Happens If Virtual Worlds Ignore These Lessons

If a virtual world fails to support user creativity, ownership, events, or identity—it becomes forgettable. If it relies only on novelty or technology, players eventually move on. There.com proved that real value comes from community, not just features.

But it also proved a harsh truth: even a strong community can’t survive if the business model collapses or if the world stops evolving. When features break or population drops, the world becomes stagnant. Events become empty. New users leave immediately. Once momentum is gone, recovery is incredibly hard.

Common Mistakes Virtual Worlds Still Make

Overbuilding tech without social tools.
Ignoring player-hosted events.
Treating users like customers instead of creators.
Assuming nostalgia equals sustainability.
Failing to offer mobile access in a mobile-first era.

There.com is stuck right now due to several of these issues. The technology hasn’t caught up to modern expectations. The barrier to entry (subscription + old client) limits growth. And without fresh features, it relies too much on legacy appeal.

Could There.com Grow Again?

Possibly, but only if it evolves. A mobile client would make a massive difference. Better creator tools and modern UI could attract new designers. Integration with modern payment systems or UGC marketplaces might open new revenue streams. Strong marketing could leverage its history as “the original social metaverse.”

The foundation is solid. Avatar identity, user events, land ownership, and creator economy are still relevant today. But execution matters. The metaverse isn’t about graphics—it’s about people. And There.com already solved many social challenges that newer platforms still struggle with.

FAQ

Is There.com still online?
Yes. It relaunched in 2012 and is still running with a smaller community.

Is it free to play?
There is a free silent trial with limited communication. Full access requires a paid membership.

Can I still access my old avatar?
If you played before the 2010 shutdown, you could usually reclaim it after the 2012 relaunch, provided the account data was preserved.

Does it have combat or quests?
No. It’s a social platform focused on chatting, events, and customization.

Why don’t many people play anymore?
Lack of marketing, old technology, missing features, and competition from newer platforms.

Will there be a mobile version?
Players have asked for it for years. As of 2025, no official release exists.

Why was There.com influential?
It pioneered social world design, user-generated economies, and branded virtual spaces before most companies even attempted it.

There.com isn’t just a nostalgic relic—it’s a blueprint. It showed what a virtual world could be when the goal is connection instead of grind. It also showed how fragile these spaces are if they don’t evolve. The platform may never return to its peak, but the lessons it taught the industry are still unfolding in every modern metaverse project.