Sunday, January 27, 2008 . 7:34 AM

Real Life - with added benefits

You really don't know the truth about something until you actually experience it. I never fully understood the hype about Second Life until yesterday - when I actually downloaded the software and started exploring this virtual world.

Second Life is a virtual world where people can explore, buy and sell, and socialize online. It's roughly like a visual chatroom.The title of this post sums up what I concluded after my Second Life experience - the reason for its popularity is not just the money-making opportunities it provides. Above all, Second Life is popular because it is exactly like real life, only with perks.

Realistic roleplaying

Like most MMORPGs, people in Second Life can be what they want and do what they want under the mask of their avatar. But unlike most other MMORPGs, it is not a "game". Second life is literally a whole new world, on the web. That's why participants in Second Life are called "Residents" and not "Players". And that's why it appeals even to ordinary people.

Traditional role-playing on the Internet required people to imagine characters and setting. Second Life sets the individual free of this mental chore. It's like why people generally choose TV over books - information conveyed visually is far more convenient.

So, Second Life is like living the first life with privileges - the real "you" is absolved of the responsibility for your actions. Not only that, people can fly and teleport in Second Life. Now that's something you can't do in the real world.

User-generated content
Second Life Residents can literally shape the world they live in. You can create objects and design your own avatar. Knowing you make a difference is a powerful motivating factor for people to participate in anything.

Creating a wooden cube (on the right) out of nowhere.. 

Henry Jenkins, MIT professor who has written extensively on computer games, says of Second Life: "It represents one end of a spectrum of player experiences which maximizes player generated content and minimizes the prestructured experiences we associate with most computer games." This implies that compared to professionally created games, users like the power Second Life bestows upon them.

To read more about Henry Jenkins' views about Second Life and Games Culture, do give his blog a visit.