Tech -- Culture -- Humour
Episode 4 has a news roundup, some discussion on why there’s been a decline in active Australian users of Second Life and an interview with Graham Sabre, The Metaverse Journal’s education writer.
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Sculptured prims became a reality in Second Life.
1. New Scientist – A virtual refuge from recession. “Do these two graphs look related to you? This blogger concerned with virtual world Second Life thinks they might be, using them to suggest that the current global “credit crunch” has driven the growth of virtual world Second Life’s economy.”
2. Social Science Research Network – Criminal Law in Virtual Worlds. “When does conduct by an online player in a virtual world game trigger liability for a real-world crime? In the future, will new criminal laws be needed to account for new social harms that occur in virtual worlds? This short essay considers both questions. Part I argues that existing laws regulate virtual worlds with little or no regard to the virtual reality they foster. Criminal law tends to follow the physical rather than the virtual: it looks to what a person does rather than what the victim virtually perceives. This dynamic greatly narrows the role of criminal law in virtual worlds. Existing law will not recognize virtual murder, virtual threats, or virtual theft. Virtual worlds will be regulated like any other game, but their virtualness normally will have no independent legal resonance from the standpoint of criminal law.”
3. Wall Street Journal – Sony Again Delays PS3 Virtual Community. “Sony Corp.’s videogame unit delayed for the second time the release of its much-anticipated virtual-community service for the PlayStation 3, showing the extra care it is taking in vetting products as demand for the videogame console is increasing. The 3-D service called Home, which originally was expected to be sold starting last year, now is expected to be available in the fall, the company said. The service will let users create avatar characters, decorate homes and interact with other users in a virtual world.”
4. IT Week – The virtual world is your oyster. “While the influence of social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace on firms’ sales and marketing initiatives continues to grow, some experts predict that their impact will soon be dwarfed by that of another Web 2.0 technology – virtual worlds.”
5. Times Online – McKinsey: ignore Second Life at your peril. “Virtual worlds such as Second Life will become an indispensible business tool and vital to the strategy of any company intent on reaching out to the video-game generation, one of the world’s leading consultancies has said. McKinsey & Company, the management consulting firm whose observations about corporate behaviour are closely watched, said that virtual worlds were on the cusp of a major expansion – particularly as a way to reach younger customers – and that companies were “ignoring them at their peril.”
6. CNET – Real solar homes come to virtual world ‘Second Life’. “It’s about time green architects invaded Second Life. The organizers of the Solar Decathlon are hosting an event in Second Life on Thursday where people can attend a virtual conference and then get a virtual walk-through of a house designed to be powered entirely by the sun.”
7. Indianapolis Star – Celebrate the Earth with eco-friendly sites. “If the celebrations of Earth Day (April 22) and Arbor Day (April 25) have triggered your child’s interest in “going green,” here are some fun online ways to further that interest. At the PBS Kids EekoWorld, www.EekoWorld.org, kids ages 6 through 9 can explore environmental issues by participating in two simulations.”
8. Sydney Morning Herald – Why games matter. “Madison Reed, an 11-year-old Spinal Muscular Atrophy sufferer, is sad and mad. It’s not because “my muscles don’t work right” as she says on her blog, because she’s “just like other kids” and loves life, even if she needs help with most tasks. The reason she’s sad and mad is because Disney has decided to close its Virtual Magic Kingdom on May 21.”
Terra Nova has a short discussion on the recent demonstration of hands-free avatar movement in Second Life and it implications for sexual activity in virtual worlds.
Sex play in virtual worlds is a favourite sensationalist topic for media outlets but as the Terra Nova discussion illustrates, it’s one of the many issues the wider population haven’t even begun to consider for its impact.
The Association of Virtual Worlds has released a free publication for download called ‘The Blue Book: A Consumer Guide to Virtual Worlds’.
You can get it here and it comes in at 41 pages. The bulk of that is a listing of the more than 250 virtual worlds launched or in development. Lists like these already exist, but the relatively new Association is committed to keeping it updated and its format is useful – although a full online version would be a great future addition.
The publication’s release isn’t all about altruism – there’s plenty of links to the Association and virtual news website iViNNiE – the same site that touts itself as the ‘Number One Virtual Worlds News Network’. I think there’d be a site or twenty with greater traffic and equal output and commitment to quality that may disagree with that claim. That said, the guide is a commendable addition to virtual world information out there.
1. HiPiHi Showcase
2. Annasue and Robert69 – I Just Called (Second Life)
3. Remembrance Day in the virtual world of Second Life
Hot on the heels of Babelswarm, the Australia Council has announced its next opportunity for virtual world artists: MMUVE it!
Like the previous funding, it’s available for three artists but this time the platform has been widened to any virtual world:
“With more than 73 million participants in MMUVE’s such as EverQuest, Second Life and World of Warcraft, and the recent introduction of motion-sensitive controllers such as the Nintendo Wiimote, there is great scope to develop innovative artworks in a highly networked environment that incorporates body movement and its relationship to real and virtual environments.”
There’s 30 thousand dollars on offer for development of “an inter-disciplinary artwork engaging the human body in a MMUVE of their choice.”
All the details are here.
The expectation of the successful applicants is that they ensure there’s cross-over between their virtual world creation and real world participation by the public – the Australia Council calls it “developing public exhibition opportunities”.
Applications close on May 16, 2008 and only Australian citizens or permanent residents need apply.
Well-known Australian Second Life resident Wolfie Rankin has some interesting news:
Hi Everyone.
Some of you are aware that I’m making a documentary with Shelley Matulik on Second Life.
Shelly made the Podlove doco which was shown on SBS about the couple who run the nightclub on Second Life.
It was called “Our Brilliant Secondlife” and can be watched here.
The new doco is mostly on Second Life sub-culture.
But Shelly has also considered the idea of finding famous people from “Real Life” who have avatars on SL, who might like to add their voice to the doco on their own experiences.
Now I thought about that and while it’s a nice idea, I was concerned about peoples covers being blown. so what we thought is that if you’re tempted, then it might be best to get yourself an alt which nobody knows and use that.
You don’t have to be a huge megastar, just have a face which makes people go “ohhh I know you”.
It’d help if you’re from Melbourne or Sydney, but Shelley may travel if need be.
If you think you might be interested, then drop me an IM so that we can get together in-world to discuss the matter in private.
All the Best.
Wolfie!
I’m aware of a celebrity or two in Second Life – it’ll be interesting to see the level of buy-in for this project from people who value their privacy so highly. Celebrities or not, it’s potentially an interesting documentary that’s likely to go beyond the standard Second Life angles usually employed.
Linden Lab have announced the appointment of their new CEO, former Organic Inc. CEO Mark Kingdon.
There’ll be endless analysis and speculation on Kingdon in coming days and weeks – the reality is likely to be a CEO who knows he needs to meet the expectations of a board whose chairman filled his shoes previously. It’s hard to imagine any radical change in business approach, although Kingdon’s previous role with Organic may be telling: they describe themselves as leaders in ’empathy-based experience design’. That’s something that can always be used with Second Life.
The full press release from Linden Lab:
Linden Lab Appoints Mark Kingdon As Chief Executive Officer
Former CEO of Organic to lead company into next phase of its evolution
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., April 22, 2008 – Linden Lab
Kingdon will lead the day-to-day management and operations of the company, working closely alongside Linden Lab founder, former CEO and current chairman Philip Rosedale.
Since 2001, prior to joining Linden Lab, Kingdon served as chief executive officer of Organic Inc. , a leading digital communications agency, establishing its reputation as a groundbreaking, innovative provider of user-centered design. Prior to Organic, Kingdon worked with idealab!, providing strategic guidance and operational support to emerging companies. Before that, Kingdon was a partner with the consulting division of PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP (PwC), where he held a variety of senior roles throughout his twelve-year tenure. He received an MBA from the Wharton School of Business and a BA in Economics from UCLA.
“Our search for the leader of Linden Lab demanded both tremendous business skills and a deep understanding and passion for Second Life and where it is going. Mark is the perfect choice,” said Philip Rosedale, founder and chairman of the board, Linden Lab. “His management style, unwavering leadership in the face of great challenges, and approach to team-building exactly matches Linden’s needs. He is a passionate believer in the potential of virtual worlds to change the world, and I look forward to working by his side while we watch it happen.”
“We wanted to find someone with an exceptional blend of strategic, analytic, business and leadership skills, but also with endless creativity and a passion for the company and growing the virtual worlds category,” said Mitch Kapor, founder of Lotus Development Corporation and a Linden Lab board member. “Mark has demonstrated all of these attributes throughout his career, particularly at Organic, which, like Linden Lab, puts an incredible emphasis on overall user experience and design.”
“Joining Linden Lab at this moment in its evolution, with so much growth and opportunity on the horizon, is incredibly exciting and I look forward to working with Philip and the Linden Lab team to help Second Life realize its limitless potential,” said Mark Kingdon, Chief Executive Officer, Linden Lab. “To me, the CEO role at Linden Lab combines perfectly my passions for art and design, business and technology. Until Second Life, we experienced the digital world passively in two dimensions. By enabling users to create a rich and immersive virtual world, Second Life is transforming the way we connect, collaborate, learn and transact online. I am thrilled to be part of this epic transformation.”
Kingdon assumes the position full time on May 15, 2008.”
Clever Zebra are holding their vBusiness Expo later this week.
35 speakers are confirmed from organisations such as Gartner, Forrester Research and IBM, with the key focus being “what is the practical purpose of virtual worlds?”.
Registration is free and there’s still places available. We’ll bring you key debates and issues as they occur.
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