Like Second Life, but without griefers, yet...

Google today launced Lively, a cartoonish, 3D browser-based online space. Users can create their own avatars and social gathering rooms. Sounds like a kinder, gentler Second Life.

Lively is a cartoonish 3D space which launches in a browser. At present it only works with Windows Vista and XP PCs using Internet Explorer or Firefox.

You can create an avatar, design rooms to virtually socialise in, chat and stream photos and videos to your friends.

Lively is already up and running and is speedy to set up and download. You can log in with any Google ID. It's in beta at the moment, but then again, so is gmail. Technically.

For more information, check out Lively.

Via Eurogamer.