IMVU products, cheap credits and content creation

IMVU is a 3D avatar based chat service that has user generated content at the heart of its business. Content creators (or 'developers' as they were originally known) make various types of item and products that can then be uploaded and made available for sale and purchase in was is touted as the "largest virtual world catalogue of items available anywhere" from which general users can buy using IMVU's own money system of 'credits'.

From a Content Creators point of view, although IMVU's own internal 3D artists and developers build their content using Autodesk's 3D Studio Max (originally Max 5, then Max 7, now versions 7 and 8, 2010 and 2011 have official IMVU plug-in tools available), it is possible to make products and items with other 3D software so long as its able to export to (the now obsolete) CAL3D format.

For example, using Blender 3D it's possible to make rooms and scenes for IMVU, furniture items and a limited number of accessory types including IMVU pets, hair, certain articles of clothing (boots, hats) and jewellery.

IMVU also gives users another way to make content through the use of 'derivable's'. These are products and items others have 'opened' for derivation whereby other users can override the original authors texture content by the editing or application of their own textures and effects. This 'derivation' can then be uploaded as a separate item in the catalogue of the user that made the alterations.

About IMVU

IMVU's creator program was originally advertised as a 'business' opportunity. Subscribers were able to make income (to and of varying degrees) buy making items that could be sold to the user base via a catalogue, 'credits' earned as a result could then be sold to third parties or resellers in exchange for real world currency, the resellers then offering reduced prices or cheap credits back into IMVU.