My Second Life

Amsterdam II

Introducing the Virtual Economies of Second Life

Yesterday, I roamed the streets of Amsterdam like any curious tourist. Despite knowing full well that this European city is renowned the world over as a city of sex, drugs and rock n’ roll, I hardly expected it to be so at 9.30 am in the older areas of town. As I strolled past the antique trams, books shops and other lost pedestrians, I noticed two rather briefly dressed young women talking to an old man. Interested by their activity, I stood near them and began to listen to their conversation. “600 and no less old man!” yelled the blonde. “You think we stand here waiting around for nothing! We are here to make some money!” said the brunette. Surprised by their candidness, I turned to leave, not expecting to be the audience to a man flaunting a somewhat incredulous-sized penis. “Do you have to show that to the world? Don’t you have any tact?” I yelled. He simply put his hands on his waist and began to laugh. “You must be new honey. Don’t you know, anything goes around here!” he replied candidly.

Welcome to the ‘dynamic, mutable, an emergent’ world of Second Life!

Philip Rosedale - Creators vs. Consumers in Second Life

Thesis Statement

It is the aim of this essay (in the form of a blog) to explore the ‘dynamic, mutable, an emergent qualities’ of the online multiplayer game Second Life. Furthermore, the essay will analyse the issues involved with such features that rely on player involvement and investment when the game’s “structural difference places the player in a configurative role” (Humphries, 2005, p.38). Emerging issues of Copyright, Intellectual Property and Content-Regulation are becoming prominent, as in “places such as Second Life, user-created virtual worlds enable users to build virtual lives, with virtual bodies, virtual objects and virtual homes, that can have real, tangible value and meaning” (Lastowka & Hunter in Jones, 2006, p.4). In addition, many of these systems of regulation have become redundant and thus, as Spinello states, “we have not yet come to terms with the moral and legal status of intangible property” (2005, p.27).

I, Avatar

Second Life: Recreating the First

According to Humphries, Massive Multiple Online Games (MMOG’s) differ from older media because “they are structurally different text that exploit the multi-directional feedback loops offered by the medium” (2005, p.38). More importantly, they are sites created, developed and maintained by not only by the game developers and other producers alike, but also the actual players of the game. Therefore, we can presume that the “players are actants themselves” (Humphries, 2005, p.39), both within the game and the formation of game development. As Taylor indicates, “MMOG’s, at a basic level, are collaboratively authored spaces” (2006, p.132). However, it is also important at this stage of discussion to define exactly which ‘space’ these role alterations is taking place, namely virtual reality.

Therefore, virtual reality can be defined as:
a technology that convinces the participant that he or she is actually in another place by substituting the primary sensory input with data received and produced by a computer ... The “as-if” quality of virtuality becomes a pragmatic reality when the virtual world becomes a workspace and the user identifies with the virtual body and feels a sense of belonging to a virtual community (Heim in Jones, p.9).

Overall, “the goal of virtual reality is to foster a sense of presence” (Bolter & Grusin, 1999, p.22) within a seemingly parallel world. With regards to Second Life and its contribution to this reality, it appears Bolter & Grusin would suggest it is a “simultaneously automatic and interactive” (1999, p.33) space whereby both cultural and economical activities take place. Despite the fact that “Second Life is not what virtual reality purists would describe as an immersive virtual world” (Jones, p.10) (due to the fact that it does not require ‘goggles or tactile interfaces’), it does attempt to recreate seemingly realistic ‘avatars,’ architecture and provide social activities that rival the ‘real’ world.