MySpace launches in Spanish
MySpace en Espanol and MySpace Latinoamerica are live in beta, or test, formats in the United States and Latin America, according to the News Corporation-owned Internet firm.
MySpace said it is localizing a version for Brazil, where Portuguese is spoken.
"Were moving rapidly to build communities that reflect and respect the lifestyles of our diverse members," said MySpace International vice president Travis Katz. "MySpace en Espanol opens the community even wider, giving our Hispanic members the choice to share their experiences, connect with family members, and plan their social lives in either Spanish or English."
The new U.S. website, online at http://latino.myspace.com, spotlights Latino content, programming, artists and has an instant-messaging feature tailored to Spanish. The test version of MySpace Latinoamerica at Internet address http://la.myspace.com is a "pan-regional site in Spanish for Latin American users."
MySpace statistics indicate more than six million of its users claim to be of Latino or Hispanic heritage. Nielson Netratings indicates 43 percent of Hispanic Internet users in the United States visit MySpace.
MySpace has localized communities in Britain, France, Japan, Germany, Australia, Ireland and the United States. Beta versions of MySpace are online in Italy, Spain, Canada, New Zealand, and Mexico.