Sunday, March 2, 2014

  • Nicole and Devin Vosburgh met in Utherverse, a virtual reality game in which users interact via avatars
  • It has been called the Second Life for sex
  • Nicole and Devin's avatars hit it off after 'stalking each other'
  • Nicole was a security guard and Devin was making trouble wearing furry ears and a red cape
  • Six months later, they met each other in real-life and have been together ever since

By Daily Mail Reporter

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When divorcee Devin Vosgburgh joined virtual reality game Utherverse several years ago, all he was looking for was a laugh - instead, he found true love.

The New York man's furry-eared avatar was causing trouble in the virtual neighborhood when he was approached by Nicole, whose online persona worked as a volunteer security guard.

Nicole politely told the albino squirrel to tone it down - but secretly took a shine to him. The pair flirted online for six months before meeting in real-life. They've been together ever since.

The young couple, who shared their story with Mashable, is among a growing number of people turning to virtual worlds over traditional dating sites such as OK Cupid and Tinder to find love.

In real-life

In real-life: Nicole and Devin Vosburgh met in Utherverse, a virtual reality game in which users interact via avatars

In real-life: Nicole and Devin Vosburgh met in Utherverse, a virtual reality game in which users interact via avatars

As avatars in Utherverse

As avatars in Utherverse: Nicole was working as a volunteer security guard in the online world when she met Devin who, dressed as an albino squirrel, was causing a disturbance in her neighborhood

As avatars in Utherverse: Nicole was working as a volunteer security guard in the online world when she met Devin who, dressed as an albino squirrel, was causing a disturbance in her neighborhood

Utherverse is an immersive virtual reality game in the vein of Second Life, in which users create avatars and interact with one another inside an enormous virtual world.

Known as a virtual playground for people looking for a fling, it has been dubbed 'Second Life for sex'.

Nicole was single mother with two girls when she joined Utherverse as a player and then a volunteer.

When she met Devin, who was in the midst of a painful divorce, she was struck by his personality.

'He has a great sense of humor, but the people that he was expressing his humor to were not finding it so funny,' she said.

They began to chat and flirt, and it wasn't long before they started going on virtual dates.

'I was semi-stalking her, in a polite way,' Devin confessed. But the feelings were mutual.

Loved-up: Nicole was so nervous about meeting Devin, she vomited on the way

Loved-up: Nicole was so nervous about meeting Devin, she vomited on the way

Lovebirds: Devin Vosburgh originally signed up to to Utherverse to 'have a laugh' in the midst of a difficult divorce and didn't expect to meet his second wife, Nicole (couple pictured)

Lovebirds: Devin Vosburgh originally signed up to to Utherverse to 'have a laugh' in the midst of a difficult divorce and didn't expect to meet his second wife, Nicole (couple pictured)

As their relationship grew, they chatted via webcam or on the phone, and would sometimes watch movies together on Netflix, tethered by Skype.

Six months later, Nicole flew to Rochester, N.Y., to meet Devin in person for the first time. 

Nicole admitted she was cynical - she once virtually dated a man who pretended to have a brain tumor to get sympathy from other users - and vomited several times on the way to meeting Devin.

'I let a few of my friends know where I was going, what his name was, his phone number, because you never know,' she said.

'I might have ended up in a bathtub full of ice with my kidney missing. I might have ended up in a bathtub full of ice with my kidney missing. When two people get behind a computer screen, they can be anything they want to be.'

However, the pair hit it off and eventually got married.

Now they rarely use Utherverse - preferring real-life interactions - but use it occasionally to catch up with old friends.

Some of the characters you can find online

He's available, ladies: Users create avatars, or characters, with which to interact with other users and just have a good time

He's available, ladies: Users create avatars, or characters, with which to interact with other users and just have a good time

Romantic: More couples are moving away from traditional dating sites like OK Cupid and Blendr to virtual games like Second Life to find love

Romantic: More couples are moving away from traditional dating sites like OK Cupid and Blendr to virtual games like Second Life to find love

Utherverse follows in the service of other sites, apps and games where people have found love, including  OkCupid, Tinder, Grindr and even World of Warcraft.

But for Utherverse CEO Brian Shuster, the benefit of dating in a virtual world as opposed to meeting someone on a matchmaking site is the greater potential for immersive, real-time interactions.

'With web dating, people are sending emails back and forth, interacting in an asynchronous way,' he told Mashable. 'You don't get a feel for who the person is, you get a feel for who the person wants you to believe they are.

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