Ever since I first read Neal Stephenson’s Snow Crash, I’ve been fascinated by the idea of the Metaverse. A virtual world that completely destroys physical boundaries, allowing us to interact and mingle in a virtual space across vast distances with similar realism as being physically there. I’ve seen several virtual worlds rise and crumble, but none as persistent as Second Life. I first tried Second Life back in February of 2006, and after a single day I never returned. It was interesting, but almost overwhelming in its potential so I left it for a “later date”, which never arose.
Recently, there has been a lot of press about how Second Life is dying. Reports from the BBC ask “What happened to Second Life?” call it a “lackluster experience” and claim it’s dying as Mobile applications grow. Gotham Media says Second Life is on “Life Support”, still alive and kicking but “marginalized” in today’s internet experience. Most recently, a report from PCPro proclaimed the death of the premier virtual sandbox once again.
We at VizWorld, doing our usual duty, pointed to the article as something worth checking out. Little did we know the uproar it would cause! That article quickly rose to the #1 article on VizWorld, and currently hosts 11 comments, all decrying the original author’s poor investigative skills. Seeing an opportunity, I decided that the “later date” had finally come, and decided to re-enter Second Life and see first-hand what’s really going on in the virtual world. That PCPro article was quickly usurped by our own Call to Action (currently playing host to an impressive 31 comments and suggestions), showing that someone out there is definitely using Second Life.
Matthew Perreault Concert in SL
And so began what was originally intended to be a single 2-3 page article on either a) PCPro is Right, or b) (my personal hope) that Second Life is alive, but just misunderstood. Well, I’m both happy and sad to report that won’t be the case. What I’ve found in Second Life is so huge and diverse that I don’t feel I can do it proper justice in a single article. Over the next few weeks, look for a series of articles on Second Life, where I plan to cover the exciting ventures into online interactive entertainment, online media production, commercial enterprises, scientific research, education, and much more.
To those of you that say Second Life is dead, I suggest that perhaps you haven’t looked hard enough to see what’s there. And that is what our first report is one: Common Misconceptions of Second Life.
The Biggest Problem: Comparison
The single biggest problem that I see in several different reviews is a failed attempt to compare Second Life to a computer game. While it certainly has elements present in several modern MMO’s: in-game chat, walking around an avatar, changing clothes and appearance, trading, etc; It is better analyzed as a genre to itself. People expecting a “game” land in the world and quickly begin to search for the first “objective” or “event”, ie “Where do I go first?”.
The Cotton Club, from Virtual Harlem. Sadly Vacant when I visited.
Unlike a video game, Second Life is much better compared to your First Life. When you get off the bus/plane/taxi/fuzzy-quadruped transport, the first thing you do is usually either a) Get situation if you plan on being there a while, or b) Do some research for what’s fun around. Second Life has tools in-game to help with both of those in their Search function. You can search for “places” in general if you’re interested in shopping, renting property, or finding something specific, or you can use the in-game Event browser to see scheduled events nearby. Just like in real-life, the first event may be a dud. If it is, you simply move on or ask someone nearby what’s popular?
In my 4-ish days of traveling around in-game, I’ve had no problems finding events and people. Some of the most popular places I’ve found have been night-clubs, completed with 20-30 dancing and mingling people, live music, and plenty going on.
The Next Biggest Problem: Description
The next problem that I see is that Second Life doesn’t fit into many of the currently popular descriptions of online content. It’s not a video streaming service, it’s not a social network, it’s not an MMO, it’s not a blog.. This leaves most journalists as a loss for how to describe it, so they wind up making poor comparisons to the various other popular items.
The true power of Second Life is that it’s honestly not much more than a platform, an SDK of sorts. It is a completely open-ended environment with tools and systems in-place to allow the users to turn it into anything you want. If you want to hang out and mingle, there are plenty of places for that. There are plenty of options for role-play, ranging from Medieval Europe to Victorian Steampunk to Vampires to Starfleet. There are zones for combat, if you feel the need to grab a laser rifle and start shooting people. There are zones for vehicular races, careful contemplation, romantic excursions, and much more.
What is Second Life Really?
A scene from a machinima shoot
In my time so far, I’ve come to realize that Second Life, much like the internet in general, is still in that young stage of huge potential, but few realizations. People are still experimenting with several business models and in-system products, trying to figure out what works and what doesn’t. Some people, such as Pooky Amsterdam and Draxtor Depres see it as a virtual media platform, complete with configurable studios and environments and capable of everything from sitcoms to documentaries, game-shows to music videos. Companies see it as a great way to advertise their wares without the physical requirements (and costs) of expensive travel and brick-n-mortar installations. Scientific installations like IEEE and the extensive “SciLands Project” see it as a way to collaborate and share research and technical information.
The real power (and lure) of Second Life is in the Potential. As Pooky Amsterdam, head of PookyMedia, told me:
Imagine an in-game event, a talk show with 3 or 4 hosts who all attended a recent popular technical show. During the show, at a publicized time, various 3D models of some of the popular gadgets could be shown in the virtual world along with photographs and video all streamed in. While the hosts discuss the project, attendees would be able to watch all of this media and see the 3D model of the device, enabling a degree of interactivity and information not available anywhere else.
Pooky Amsterdam, PookyMedia (summarized)
But the reality is even more than that. Connecting a virtual world up to a HPC model of some physical event (a blast simulation, a weather prediction model, maybe even some quantum molecular simulation) where the visualizations are shown real-time in the world, turning Second Life into a computational steering system. In fact, groups are already working on this via a project called ScienceSim.
Take it in a different direction, you can see how Second Life can be used to bring education to corners of the world currently unavailable. Projects like the One-Laptop-Per-Child (OLPC) and various other nation’s projects to bring computers to the less fortunate make it possible for students and adults alike to log into Second Life and attend courses at some of the most prestigious universities in the world via the SimTeach project. MIT, Hong Kong Polytechnic, Notre Dame, and many more have in-game universities dedicated to bringing education to the world.
The Inside of the Dresden Museum
But there’s even more. There are impressive art collections via locations like the Dresden Gallery in Second Life, who have digitally reconstructed their entire collection with amazing accuracy and resolution. There are several in-game live concerts and music from the likes of Kyle Beltran (Bronsdon) (9:31pm Spelling Correction, sorry `bout that!) and Matthew Perreault, giving artists a whole new audience and venue to reach out to. I do look forward to what other amazing stuff I’ll discover in the coming weeks, and I hope that you’ll continue to read along and comment on your own experiences and discoveries in the world. If you haven’t tried Second Life yet, I highly recommend you at least take a few days to check it out. While the new-user experience is still a bit klunky, it shouldn’t take anyone long who’s had any experience with an MMO or FPS to get the hang of moving around and talking, and there are plenty of people willing to help out from there.
Over the next few weeks look for a series of articles on:
- Second Life, Machinima, and Video Production
- Second Life and Science
- Second Life and Business
And be sure to come back in for the first one or come visit in-game, as I’ve been invited to be a guest on tomorrow evening’s episode of The 1st Question!
To prove some of my points, check out the pictures I’ve taken over my first few days. Contrary to the public reports, I’ve had little problem finding people to talk to and hang out with. Each of the pics are individually titled, showing some of the impressive, fun, and simply beautiful things I’ve seen in Second Life. These were all taken on a previous generation MacBook so the graphics quality is a big sub-par, but it does show that Second Life is designed to run on a wide-range of hardware.
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- A scene from a machinima shoot
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- The “Big Daddies” 80’s club
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- The “Bootyliciouz” night club
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- Kyle Beltran putting on a live performance
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- Closeup of Matthew Perreault
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- Matthew Perreault Concert in SL
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- A Quiet Romantic Couple
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- The Inside of the Dresden Museum
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- The Cotton Club, from Virtual Harlem. Sadly Vacant when I visited.
Hi Randall,
Thank you for your insightful post and willingness to delve into the inner workings of Second Life (SL). If you have any doubt that SL is alive and well, I urge you explore the work being done by The Virtual Worlds Story Project (TVWSP) and Karuna (the NLM funded island devoted to HIV/AIDS). Their recent collaboration on the “Uncle D Story Quest,” designed to de-stigmatize HIV/AIDS while conveying vital information about prevention, has caused quite a stir both inworld and in “real” life. Why? Because it demonstrates the power of a 3D immersive and interactive space to engage, educate and entertain. In short, Second Life was used as a content generation and distribution platform. This, in my humble opinion, is where Second Life’s real untapped potential lies and where it is vibrantly and undeniably alive. I mention this project in particular because I had a hand in creating it and therefore have firsthand experience talking and collaborating with the hundreds of avatars who have come through the Quest and with those who have contributed outside Second Life via Facebook, blogs, Twitter, nings, Flickr etc. These “Questers” have come from all walks of life and are eagerly looking for ways to incorporate the Quest model into their own work in Second Life. The conversations I have had are rich with creative ideas and plans for practical implementation. The question is not “if” Second Life will continue, but in what new and exciting ways it will grow. I invite you to visit the Quest for yourself and join the very much alive community that is growing out of it. Sincerely, Jenaia Morane (Jena Ball in my first life).
Randall,
While in your ventures of Second Life, I am not sure if you are aware that there is a different style of community that is not well known. The Child Avatars,
Many people seem to miss understand or miss construed what a child avatar truly is, Second Life being the platform that it is, allows people to be who they want to be. And for thousands of members this is a child avatar. Child avatars are not children in real life playing as children in Second Life. What it is, are adults who choose to play as children. No these people are not crazy, what it does is give those who grew up not having a true childhood life a chance to have one in second life, filled with mother, father, and siblings. Owning a in world child adoption agency I have had many chances to talk with a lot of child avatars, and one of the common questions that I ask is, Why a child avatar?
A lot of the answers is quite unique, some have stated that *as I said above* its gives them a 2nd chance to live a childhood life, that they didn’t get a chance to have growing up in Real life. Some have said that it gives them a chance to have siblings, for they have always been a only child in the real life and never got the chance to have that brother/sister connection. Others say they choose it, so they don’t have to deal with the every day Adult issues within Second Life, with the Adult Drama, Adult Sexual behavior etc. They are there to have fun, they have to be a adult in real life, why be one in Second Life?
I myself am a Adult in Second Life, however I have adopted some daughters, Ayllssa Brandes, Forever Ashdene, Tindra Miles, and Tishara Whitfield. And I will say having a strong connection with my daughters, without having to deal with the Adult aspect of things, is quite refreshing. It has giving me new meaning to second life, to give me the family feeling, the ability to be a proud father, when one of my daughters accomplish something they have worked so hard on.
As I wrap this post up, all I am asking is to take note, that within Second Life, there is another form of life that is outside the Adult world. If you ever have any questions, please contact me in world and I will gladly show you around, and introduce you to this small world, and way of life.
Thank You,
Daryl Rubble
@ merry.gynoid
I think the big problem with OpenLife is they’re trying to reinvent the wheel that OSgrid.org invented while being more restrictive (along with a lot of the other OpenSimulator based grids, like Legend City Online, etc). These more restrictive OSgrid wannabes are probably going to be doomed to failure because OSgrid fills that market niche already (and is the second oldest, second largest grid outside the SL walled garden, to the point where OSgrid even attracts Lindens).
I think Secondlife should be see as a complex open framework which needs the residents to function. Without the avatars (real people) secondlife doesn’t work – see openlife or other ‘clones’ to see what I mean. Please get your hands dirty building some things 🙂
Hi Randall, I’d just like to echo what others have said about your decision to come in-world and see for yourself what Second Life is and why its users love it so much. For myself, I don’t have a business there, I don’t log-in for work or for educational needs or to do scientific research, I’m just here for fun and a creative outlet I’ve never found anywhere else. I explore, write funny acts for a travelling show (http://tsmgo.blogspot.com), roleplay in the steampunk town of Steelhead (http://steelheadsl.ning.com), take photos and write tales for my blog. To me, SL is not a second life, it’s just part of my life – it’s my hobby, it’s fun, it allows me to spend time with friends and be creative both in-world and on my blog.
I hope you enjoy your time in SL – one word of warning, once you ‘get’ SL there is no escape. You may be logging in for work now, but once the bug has bitten you and you have friends in-world and a social life outside what you do for this website you won’t want to leave and you’ll find yourself a resident rather than just an interested visitor 🙂
p.s. One thing I’ve always said to people about SL is that like RL you have to have a reason to be there, whatever that reason may be. For some it’s work, others it’s socialising, others it’s playing, others it’s learning, others it’s creting – whatever it is, people seem to need a reason to be there otherwise they drift off and leave. Find your reason and enjoy this new branch of your life.
@ Randall Hand
simply “inworld”
what is this place? is this all about the second life game?
Very nice to read this, good write-up, thank you. 🙂 And yes, most regulars in SL say “in world”, not “in game” because as you so well noted, it isn’t a “game”. Well done!
Baloo baloo,
Why keep putting me down like a juvenile? Maybe you should show us your ID for age verification. lol Also, I have a job, where do you think I am writing this response from. 🙂
Anyway, I am not here to be condecending to you, I was only here to make a response about SL. But you seem to take offense of anyone speaking bad of SL, maybe it is your only life…..sure seems so. 🙁 I hope things get better for you Baloo. 🙁
Try Kannonji Zen Buddhist sim for LIVE Dharma talks
International Zen Doshos and Dharma teachers give hour long talks and discussion afterwards, sometimes more than three different lecturers in a week
These talks on voice are Standing Room *meditation mats* Only
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Snowlion%20Mountain/210/96/22
@ Moni Duettmann
No kidding, Amadeus is clearly a jobless loser with a bone to pick. Now, I can’t fault him for not having a job, the recession sucks. But given that he’s a failure at first life /and/ second life, maybe it’s time he gave seppuku a shot.
@ Randall Hand
I like “in world” or “in-world” as Georgianna suggests.
Great article and great comments. Thanks!
Excellent beginning to the series, Randall — nice to see some genuine journalism on the subject, for a change. Looking forward to the rest!
I use to love Second Life, they kicked me out for having an argument with another guy, they then wanted me to actually produce real life ID to them! Thats when I threw the towel in the ring to say good bye! I now think of how many actual paying players have unexperienced, egotistic, delusional “Lindens” thrown out just because they could. No wonder they are drying up! lol
After that episode, I hope they go down in flames. Goodbye Second Life! muuwahh!
Baloo,
Do you like the Oxford dictionary? You might not like it as well, because it has also been around a little longer than Google. 🙂
http://www.askoxford.com/concise_oed/game_1?view=uk
SL is a game bud.
Moni,
I did not get “kick out” of SL, I clearly stated that I now need to show ID to SL. But since I am not going to……that’s that.
SL is a game, anyone that thinks it is not a game…..needs to stay in Second Life because they can’t deal with real life
Take a look at the interactive second life map with images and videos: http://www.threadmap.com
ThreadMap lets you see how each region in Second Life looks life without having to teleport into the regions one by one. This is very helpful for novice users trying to find nice places to visit.
@Franklin: You surely haven’t been “kicked out” of SL, just for having “an argument” with “another guy”. It sounds rather noncredible.
Baloo, I was standing in a sim called “Inspire” which is adult content. If you have never been to Inspire, then I suppose you have not played the game of SL too often. I don’t exactly know why you are getting so up tight with me from the initial comment up until now but….I think the bottom line is you should try RL, it’s a pretty cool place. 🙂
Thanks for the Google dictionary direction, they also say; A game is an activity. lol You are too funny! lol You should try reading “1984”, especially the parts in it about “doublespeak” and how they were trying to shorten the dictionary. lol Too funny, lighten up my friend, it is only a game. 🙂
Glad to see you taking an in-depth look rather than repeating other peoples’ negative hype. May I suggest you check out the Frideswide sim, where the University of Oxford’s First World War Poetry Digital Archive has recreated an aspect of the Western Front? Or the Frank Lloyd Wright Virtual Museum? Or the University of Bristol’s recreation of a house in Pompeii, as recreated in the Crystal Palace in London? And do visit Caledon, New Babbage, Steelhead and the other steampunk “Steamlands”. We’ve covered some interesting stuff in our TV show, Designing Worlds: http://designingworlds.tv, might give you some additional ideas.
Franklin, Websters also thinks a rubrik is a kind of bush. There’s a reason why they haven’t been relevant in 30+ years. Try Google Dictionary or the English Wiktionary for a modern definition.
http://www.google.com/dictionary?aq=f&langpair=en|en&hl=en&q=game
And given that they were asking you for a real life ID, and real life IDs are only required to go to the “adult” continent, that kind of narrows down the scope of your activity there, don’t it?
SL is not dead but is very alive…… if you have not found it ask me i can help
nahhhh Baloo, I was not there to “troll” as you say, nor was I there to be a “griefer”, I had been in SL for 4 years Baloo.
Because I travel the world in real life, I was in there for the adventure to travel and meet people from around the world as well. So, my anger towards SL was and is legite. They did not ban me for life, they wanted to see my real life ID. That is simply where I draw the line, since SL is only a game. You seem so sagacious Baloo, why don’t you know the definition of the word “game”? 🙂 1a (1) activity engaged in for diversion or amusement. As said in Webster, not according to Baloo
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/game
I was so busy getting ready for the show tomorrow night, I just read this! It is wonderful to see a real reporter go out and find things and make the true comparisons. This is a great article! Thank you.
Good work enjoy Pooky’s show!
Paisley Beebe
http://www.tonightlivewithpaisleybeebe.com
Good on you! Glad to see someone out there actually doing their homework before dashing off the obit-du-jour. We have our share of challenges on the Grid that Dares Not Speak It’s Name, but all in all it makes for a wonderful place to meet folks from all over the world who share common interests. The greatest thing for me is that world news has much more immediacy for me now, since I probably may know someone affected. Well that and the shiny new husband I found there 🙂
Just one quibble – the photo of the Cotton Club. I am sure I am not the only one who noticed you are not acutally alone there! Those unrezzed clouds in your photo are other people, you just can’t see them. My computer has similar issues due to being antique by SL standards. Check the mini-map if you think you are alone, you might be surprised. Usually the more people there are, the less likely you will see them with any speed.
And come visit Caledon if you can, we are a generally friendly bunch and the funny clothes and offers of tea are just a front for our scandalous conduct when nobody is looking!
Hey Randall,
Gotta tell you, it’s kinda refreshing seeing commentary on SL that seems to be looking at it in depth, realistically, and without pre-conceived notions. It also doesn’t hurt that apparently you’re not a dry-humpin’ moron, like most of the other goobers who’ve been spouting lately about the death of platform or whining that it needs to die, because it’s not one of the following:
A.) WoW
B.) Twtitter
C.) Facebook
D.) Chocolate
E.) All of the above
The other side of this is that I hope you will keep your eyes and ears and mind open. Keep in mind that yes, SL is an amazing platform because it has no point, other than the point each of us chooses to give to it (and consequently has almost as many points to it as it has active users). But like anything in this world, it ain’t perfect. as a friend pointed out to me the other day, while there may be no limits as to what imaginations drive us to create or organize in-world, but the slightly clunky technology and the occasional bizarre policy decisions made by LL do impose some restrictions that we have to work with (or around).
There’s a lot of us who look on SL as still being in some sort of wacky extended Beta–it’s still very much an experiment–being a transitional product as well as a product in transition–and the stuff we use it for are essentially experiments as well. it ain’t always pretty, it don’t always work too smothly, but by golly it sure as hell offers some surprises and the occasional “oh wow.”
That said, I hope you’ll also look into some of the historical roleplay as well as the fantasy/sci-fi rp stuff, the virtual library experiments, and maybe even the new genre of virtual literature/storytelling that is being spawned…or not. That’s cool too. It’s just nice to know that you’re actually out looking around beyond the usual tourist traps and naughty bits.
Have fun, and don’t forget to write.
Well done, Randall. You deserve respect for taking a honest and informed look at what SL really is. Thank you!
Franklin, games have objectives and can be won or lost. Virtual realities are open-ended and are self-directed, a reflection of your real life. Based on your initial comment, it really sounds like you were only there to troll, it’s no wonder you got popped by the Linden’s G-team. Given the frequency in which you’re trolling this thread, I strongly suspect you’re probably jobless as well. This should tell you something about your attitude towards life, virtual and real.
@Georgianna: Ok.. Well, I’ll think about it and try to use a more “appropriate” word in future writeups.
Randall – we simply refer to it as “being in world”, some use Metaverse, some use Immersive Internet, the thought leaders struggle with finding a term everyone can be comfortable with, but as a collective we’ve agreed to not use the word game. (smiles)
SL is a game, anyone that thinks it is not a game…..needs to stay in Second Life because they can’t deal with real life 🙂
@Georgianna: I kinda felt bad using it, but wasn’t sure what term to use instead. in-virtualworld is a bit of a mouthful. What’s considered acceptable?
Thanks for doing some original research on the subject and taking the time to do some footwork “in country.” I look forward to reading the rest of your series!
I’m so happy to see you take a leap of faith and come back into SL to see what is REALLY going on in there, instead of dismissing the importance of this medium like so many have. One piece of advice… drop the term “game” when reporting… it’s frowned upon by most residents who work very hard everyday to create viable solutions for real life education, science research and business.
I use to love Second Life, they kicked me out for having an argument with another guy, they then wanted me to actually produce real life ID to them! Thats when I threw the tile in the ring to say good bye! I now think of how many actual paying players have unexperienced, egotistic, delusional “Lindens” thrown out just because they could. No wonder they are drying up! lol
After that episode, I hope they go down in flames. 🙂 Goodbye Second Life! muuwahh!