www.viralavatar.com - study on SL with the course in game/design/research. Copenhagen university. jan 2007. WATCH MY EXAM http://one.revver.com/watch/144246 http://one.revver.com/watch/144259 http://one.revver.com/watch/144269

1. Second Life:Life:
a real new worldnew world
life, business and toxic immersion
Daniele Montemale
University of Copenhagen
16 jan 2007

2. • Second Life (SL) is the closest thing to a
parallel universe existing on the Internet
• It was made publicly available in 2003 by
San Francisco-based Linden-lab
• SL can be accessed for free
• SL is a MMO (Massively Multiplayer
Online Game), “a place where thousand
of users interact with one another in the
guise of video game characters, on a
persistent basis: many hours a day,
every day, all year around.”
(Edward Castronova)
WHAT IS SECOND LIFE?

3. Users in SL are called
“residents” and exist in
SL with the use of an
avatar, a graphic
projection of
themselves.

4. Naturally Second Life is
not the only MMO.
There are a lot.
some examples:

5. World of Warcarft

6. NORRATH

7. EVERQUEST

8. All these MMO are
Synthetic worlds:
“an expansive,
world-like, represented
graphically in 3D,
large-group environment
made by humans,
for humans,
which is maintained,
recorded,
and rendered by a
computer”
(Edward Castronova)

9. Other synthetic worlds
generally are fantasy or
medieval genres,
alternatively Second Life is

10. A muLTIUSERS
SOCIALWORLD

11. Where the people live on
islands..
this is only the center of the world (map)..

12. WHERE..

13. ..You can edit
your avatar,
then yourself..

14. ..or create
objects!

15. AND?

16. Second Life is a synthetic
world with its own currency:
the Linden Dollar

17. The Linden$ behaves like a real
monetary system and exchange
rates fluctuate on a daily basis.
The Linden$ can be traded with
US$.

18. US$ 1.00 = L$ 268.00

19. So, is there business in SL?

20. A LOT!

21. date_14-01-07

22. You can buy..

23. Islands…with a discount for educators and
acadamic insitutions (e.g. universities/school)
or no-profit companies

24. eyes

25. bracelets

26. hoop earrings

27. clothes..

28. pool

29. Cafè furniture

30. buildings

31. On eBay, the category 1654 is for internet games where the users
can buy or sell items for games..the last year there was over US$
100 millon traded in games..

32. But you can buy also..

33. ..a big penis

34. Yes! Because in SL you can..

35. ..go to the university for a
presentation on avatars..

36. ..and meet a girl..

37. ..dancing in
a disco..and
at least..

38. ..have sex!

39. “Ok, but it is only a game in
virtual reality!”

40. A game? I’ m not sure.. In SL
you can..

41. ..do “real” or synthetic politics..

42. ..watch a CBS synthetic news..

43. ..or watch a movie..

44. ..or a conference from the “real” world..

45. ..and naturally,
use the internet
(version beta).

46. Do you want to play?
OK..

47. Chess..

48. ..or hockey?

49. And what about the real
companies?

50. They are in!
Some examples

51. adidas

52. IBM - last month
invested US$ 100
million to develop
their company in SL

54. Nissan.
You can test drive
the new Nissan Sentra

55. Apple opened
some Apple shops

56. SONY-BMG openedSONY-BMG opened
a media island toa media island to
claim their realclaim their real
and syntheticand synthetic
singerssingers

57. Reteurs – the agency
opened a virtual news
bureau the last October

58. “Ok this is not a game but it
is virtual, that is not real!”

59. Yes it is! But it is synthetic.

60. Between the world
and the synthetic
worlds there is a
barrier!

61. The name of this barrier is the
Membrane

62. “The Membrane can be
considered a shield of
sorts, protecting the
synthetic world form the
outside world. This
membrane is actually
quite porous…people are
crossing it all the time in
both directions..as a
result, the valuation of
things in cyberspace
becomes enmeshed in the
valuation of things
outside cyberspace”.
Castronova

63. Ohh..so, but how many
people in the world are in
these synthetic worlds?

64. From Synthetic worlds, Castronova, 2005

65. Castronova says:
in 1814 everybody was on foot
in 1914 they were on trains
in 1940 they were in cars
in 2040 they will be 100 million
avatars in the synthetic worlds.

67. It will be more soon!
-SL was created at the end of 2003.
-October 18th 2006, the population of SL hit 1
million residents.
-January 14th 2007, the population on SL was
2,573,932..

68. With this speed of
growth in 9 years,
there will be 100
million people in the
synthetic worlds due
to the popularity of SL!

69. But is it not dangerous?

70. It should be!

71. a Toxic immersion
happens. “This occurs
when people voluntarily
spend all of their time
in these worlds.”
Castronova

72. A study on Norrath- 2001- Castronova

73. At last, my idea:

74. It is certain the coming of
synthetic worlds..
Governments, companies
and people have to work to
create a good membrane
between these worlds for a
future co-existance.

75. Contacts:
mail_ daniele.montemale@gmail.com
Blog_ viralavatar.com
Video of my exam:
http://one.revver.com/watch/144246
http://one.revver.com/watch/144259
http://one.revver.com/watch/144269