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In response to the phenomenon that is Second Life, Darren Barefoot (an avatar-sounding name if there ever was one) implores you to Get A First Life, um, first. Something to do with pint-sized pirates, apparently.
This lighthearted parody comes with some background of the overhype treatment that Second Life has received, with which I concur. In fact, most of the media attention seems to be coming via Time Warner’s business publications, which makes me wonder if the editors at Fortune, Money, and Business 2.0 aren’t doubling-down to the extreme to avoid missing out on a perceived next-big-thing. The snowball-effect introduction of brand-name marketing and ad campaigns no doubt feeds this illusion: “Geez, if Nissan and Hilton are in on this, it must be major!”
Due to this, I’ve taken to calling the site/game “Sims on steroids”. Because, really, that’s all it amounts to, in my view.
Category: Internet, Media, Comedy, Videogames | Permalink |
I’ve never quite understood the Second Life phenomenon. Personally I like to hang out with living people. Maybe that’s just me. Still I can’t help but wonder if it is all just marketing if Sweden is building an embassy there. Link.
Comment by douglas.nerad — 01/28/2007 @ 10:20:19 PM
I think it stems from the same impulse that has people spending hours in chat rooms and message boards. The unpredictable back-and-forth is stimulating, and addictive.
Second Life is just prettier than Web 1.0 forums, and (this is crucial, believe it or not) lighter on the required reading. I’m convinced that the chief reason why the Web hasn’t become a true mass medium is that it’s still so text-oriented, and people hate to have to read; visual representations like SL provide relief.
As for Sweden, I think it’s just an instance of follow the leader (American Apparel or whoever it was). Similiar vein as when everyone was rushing to “lay claim” to their MySpace page, or MSN Spaces blog. Everyone thought it was critical to mark your territory on what looked like a world-beating new entrant; then the fad faded and it all turned out to be wasted effort.
Comment by CT — 01/29/2007 @ 01:28:42 PM
LIBERATION IN — BUT NOT FROM — SECOND LIFE…
Because there’s nothing more ornery than angry first-adopter geeks, the Second Life Liberation Army has sprouted up in Sims-on-steroids land.
The SLLA’s goal? To set off cyber atomic bombs in front of Second Life’s American Apparel and Reebok sto…
Trackback by Population Statistic — 02/25/2007 @ 03:19:25 PM