When it comes to virtual worlds, Second Life, which was created by
San Francisco-based Linden Lab, is hardly the only option. In
fact, in what are loosely termed multiplayer online games - thus
named because so many people, located in different places, can
participate simultaneously - Second Life is fairly small. By
contrast, World of Warcraft, a medieval-themed game in which
players battle for power and treasures, boasts more than five
million players worldwide. Other virtual worlds include Habbo
Hotel, There, and Entropia Universe. What distinguishes Second Life
from some of the other virtual worlds, though, is that players have
access to
3-D modeling tools and scripting technology, which allows
them to create homes, clothes, dances, and walks for their online
graphic characters, called avatars, rather than being confined to a
premade universe designed by a game company's programmers. In
addition, residents own the content they create, enabling them to
participate in Second Life's robust economy, in which $1 million is
traded each month.
The possibilities are endless: You could design an avatar to
represent you as a tall, fashion-savvy hipster (with a taste for
American Apparel clothes) or as a long-haired hippie; pounds can
disappear with the click of a mouse; and nothing requires people to
stick to their real-life gender - you don't even have to be human.
After establishing an on-screen persona, which users maneuver
through the virtual world with a keyboard and mouse, Second Lifers
join more than 940,000 other residents from all around the globe in
the game of, well, living.
At any given time, there are potentially
millions of people checking out of the physical world and pursuing
relationships, careers, and entertainment in one of the many
virtual worlds. While it might all sound bizarre (and, to some,
like a colossal waste of time), there's a fairly persuasive case to
be made that these virtual worlds, growing as they are in
popularity, are poised to have a profound impact on the way people
interact as well as on how companies operate, market to their
customers, and train their employees.