Second life documentaries2/18/2023 ![]() ![]() Now, of the thousands of people are in World of Warcraft at one time, how many can say that they are doing much more than fighting monsters, participating in linear questing, crafting, or socializing? What's more impressive - 20,000 unique activities or 500,000 of the same two or three activities? Each one might be building something, dancing, attending a concert, having virtual sex, reading a book, watching a movie, fighting, playing a game, roleplaying or any number of other unique activities. ![]() It's also interesting to note that of the perhaps tens of thousands of people who might be in Second Life at one time, they will all be doing something pretty much different from everyone else. Blizzard refers to any currently paying player as a subscriber, and it's common to see non-gaming media talk about World of Warcraft as though each player is paying $15 a month. I'm not claiming that this means that there is no profit being made, but it should be noted just how all companies provide a bit of spin about their product. The fact is that the bulk of World of Warcraft's millions of players are paying from rented machines or in chunks measured in minutes or hours. Interestingly the host asks whether Second Life will ever reach the massive success of World of Warcraft and its (then) eight million paying players, a spin on words as well. Sure, there's clever wording, but it's no lie. Linden Lab blatantly talks about the mere 10% or so of players who make it past the three-month mark in the game the company has always been forthcoming about its sign-up numbers. Linden Lab doesn't lie in the documentary, although some of the critics seem to claim that. The most interesting part of the documentary shines light on the criticism of Second Life as a company that inflates numbers to impress those who might not understand how to interpret them. "Interestingly the host asks whether Second Life will ever reach the massive success of World of Warcraft and its (then) eight million paying players, a spin on words as well." Both parties are sitting on their butts, but only one of them can show up in his pajamas. Even then, those who choose to do so are no worse than someone who works in an office 10-14 hours a day. Not only does it take a lot of work to make an entire month's pay from a virtual world, but it's not that common. The interviews with people who have made their living from Second Life transactions always entertain me. If you asked any person on the street what he thought happened in a virtual world, he would tell you "sex." The documentary shows just how important sex has been to shaping Second Life's public image. I couldn't be happier simply because the cheesiest thing in the world to me is virtual sex. Any illicit activities that feature kids have been routinely shut down (although I am not as familiar with cases from the last year or so), and adult and general areas have been mostly separated. In the film the officials from Linden Lab talk about their "hands off" policy concerning adult material in Second Life, but they have stepped in quite a few times. Name the last MMO documentary that featured art and positive social interaction more than virtual sex or gaming addiction and I'll buy you a hot dog. ![]() For the life of me, I cannot remember a single moment in this film that talks about how vibrant the art community is in the game. As with almost every single piece of documentary or serious reporting I have seen about Second Life, the drama gets most of the spotlight. Before that, the phone provided all the thrills, and before that, people wrote really long letters to each other. ![]() There has been virtual sex in chat rooms for as long as there have been chat rooms. Yes, there is virtual sex in Second Life. Of course, the video plays scary music and talks about the virtual sex and adult content that we have heard about so much over the years. I've chalked the negativity up to people being upset with anyone who obtains power in any form, virtual or not. I have heard such horrible things said about her that I often wondered what she looked like. She seems pleasant enough, and I imagine that she's no worse than any other successful person. The video introduces us to the infamous Anshe Chung, a land baron to the nth degree who has ruled Second Life quite a while. Do yourself a favor and see if you can spot the part where the reporter seems to be repeatedly pressing an arrow key to move forward instead of holding it down. NSFW warning: The video contains virtual sex. Hosted by Four Corners, it can viewed below or on YouTube. The documentary is called You Only Live Twice. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply.AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |