Google's recently launched virtual world Lively isn't intended to compete with Second Life, but is instead seeking to attract social network users away from Facebook and MySpace, according to an analysis piece published by technology research and advisory firm Gartner.

The group described Lively as inhabiting the low end spectrum of virtual world offerings, in between social networking sites and social networking virtual worlds such as Habbo Hotel and Club Penguin. Like IMVU, which shares Lively's virtual rooms metaphor, Google's service offers social networking with a visual flavor, resembling graphical instant messaging clients more than it does a full-blown virtual worlds.

Gartner also brought up several criticisms for Lively, pointing out limited avatar customization options and lacking user-created content development. In addition, the virtual world does not offer any in-world currency or an economy, which could eventually "limit the opportunities for engagement. "

Said Gartner analyst and vice president Steve Prentice in his analysis: "We believe this could mark the start of a transition to a new kind of three-dimensional social Web. Nevertheless, it is too early to predict whether Lively will gain market traction. The ease of integration with social networks would appear to make access easy, but this sector focuses as much on people and communities as it does on technology."

He continued: "To succeed, Lively must build a substantial and loyal user base by enticing millions of users (and their friends) away from their current haunts. That will pose challenges even for a company with Google's reputation and resources."