Has anyone been using this Second Life online game? It's completely customizable. You can make your man/woman/creature/everyday object however you'd like (you start off with the option of man or woman first). They have Linden dollars which you can earn and use to purchase items or new clothes or even sexy walks! The game is free (if you don't want to own land and therefore rent out spaces for shops) and is completely open source! This means that people can make their own skins, objects, clothing, even characters (wanna be a giant hat? You can be a giant hat!). It blows Sims out of the water like you wouldn't believe!!! In fact the characters look way more realistic.
Any of you ever think "hey, as an architect, perhaps I could design buildings in video games!" Well, I'm a nerd so I have thought about that several times. Since this program is open source, you can do just that! And most importantly, thousands of people will use it. So give it a shot, but beware it's addicting!
I saw an article in the NY Times about a guy who makes a living building houses/developments in that game. I think he pulls in around 40k a year selling virtual real estate.
Check eBay and check out all of the stuff for sale for online video games. Its pretty amazing.
so I'll take this opportunity to bring up the general trend towards second hand living and vicarious life in general. How does everyone feel about spending inordinate amounts of time pretending to disco dance, pretending to study swordplay, pretending skateboard or bowl; tasks essentially so pedestrian anyone could perform anyway if investing equal time to.
Have we grown so timid to attempt things in earnest for fear of real failure, is this a childish fetish eventually to be outgrown, a manifestation of cultural lethargy (or any other grab bag theory).
I'm not looking to indict the video game world, I have been obsessed with the Civilization and SimCity series and a handful of other games in the past (in fact wish I had time for SimCity 4 every time I'm on a plane overlooking a city). I (obviously) understand the desire to create, and realize certain games allow you to do things otherwise impossible.
I suppose I just wonder what is happening to us that entire demographics prefer replicas of our world to the actual tactile thing. Any of you obsessed simulifers care to shed light?
And please don't say "try it, you'll like it",
that is partly what i fear.
SuperHeavy...that was heavy...teehee. Sorry, it was there.
Anyways, well yeah our society is so damn insecure and empty that we need ways to do the most trivial things in a new and safe way. A way in which we can hide behind our insecurities of personal and physical selves.
At the same time, it's here, and telling people to not play games isn't the solution. Mainly since the root of the problem will still exist. People will find another outlet such as booz or drugs. Now which is the lesser of evils?
At the same time, this game is completely customizable, and all the players (even the DJ's on the music channels and your sales clerks) are real. So unlike Sims or any other game, every person you interact with is an actual person. This can be considered to be a good or bad thing, pending your view.
Always one to throw my opinion into the hat, here goes this one....
I feel that this Second life thing is completely ridiculous. Like, just stupid. What a waste of time. And I rarely have strong feelings about anything outside of politics. I read about it in Dwell I think, and the entire article I was thinking to myself, wait, these people are selling virtual real estate and earning real money for it? Don't they have better things to do with their money than this?
But I have to say ditto to what SH said....and beyond that, instead of putting your nose to a computer screen and creating fake environments, why don't you, oh I don't know, get out some chipboard and design a real one? And instead of buying fake real estate with real money, why don't you donate it to real people who could use a real roof over their heads?
To qualify, I think most video games are a waste of time.
I don't even have time for one life, let alone a second.
Having said that, I'm glad I've never been into video games. The Sims series have been appealing to me forever, but I can't be bothered. I've got real-life things I need to get done.
So have any of you tried the thing yet? I tried to download, but had to pay something, which made me quit the thing. It looks a bit like another virtual 3D world, that was up a few years ago, I forgot the name, but it made quite a buzz back then.
If the quality of the 3D world is good enough it's a quite cool thing IMO. Imagine all the unbuilt masterpieces there is space for there.
i played the sims for a little while once because i had friends raving about it. i found it pretty boring, shit, why do i want to play a game about life when i have the real one? taking out the trash is bad enough in real life. why do i need to do it in a fake one too?
i hate computer games. About the only game i even like playing is RISK. I guess it is the tyrannical dictator gene most architects have.
The second life thing bothers me, reminds me of the matrix, minority report, and AI. Have we become such consumers that we prefer to buy a new life then to live the one we have. to not interact with people but to create your own world suited to you and only you. Sounds egotistical, and not very social.
I think we will increasingly have virtual experiences, and even virtual lives, Im not sure what that will look like, but Im not going to join. I liek the real deal, real experiences, life is too full to fill it with computer games.
Naw. I'm too honest to have a second life. Or maybe naiive is a better word (spelled correctly or not, it's a better word).
Or I'm just too busy to keep track of some alternate personality. That may be closer to the truth. In any case, I hate computer/video games and have ever since Pong.
hmm, and what about watching sporting events on tv? i mean you aren't playing and people often live vicariously through their favorite team or player.
i've heard peeple say that when they go to see a sporting event, they find themselves looking at the jumbo tron more and more and not the real game because they can see the jumbo tron better. i find that one really odd.
ap, you shouldn't have to pay. If you go to www.secondlife.com/join/ the little ($9.99) is only if you make more than one character which you can switch to something else in a heart beat.
As for the rest of you, stop being so idealistic. In video games you don't get a fucking hangover like I have RIGHT NOW! Uhoh, gotta run.
It's not idealistic, beatledud, just personal preference. I won't stay up all night playing Doom, but I will most definitely stay up all night on archinect (if others are playing too).
I have a cad hangover today. Headache, squinty eyes.
I think the interesting thing to look at in these computer simulations (sims, second, life, maya, 3d Max) is that they offer freedom, or degrees of freedom (if you want to be a giant hat you can be) but, of couse end up totally locking down other parameters. If you don't have any linden dollars are there freight trains you can hop so you can go looking for fruit to pick? If I have to buy the land to build my "500 story sky scraper" do I have to pay for the steel? Who am I going to rent all that office space to? Thousands of people who log onto a game every day to pretend to work in a cubicle analysing an imaginary bond market?
let me get a bit further on slipping the chains of this all too material world before I take on some virtual ones.
ok..so i checked it out, and am totally hooked on to it. I love video games for one, but its quite amazing how streamlined both virtual and real worlds are in the game. Also, the amount of money that changes hands within the game, is mind blowing.
I made my first 20$ (real money) playing the thing for an hour today...i'm a blackjack expert, so to speak, and its easier to play against the program. When i became an architect, i was hoping i'd get paid to do what i like. Now, i like what i do, but don't really get paid. In my Second Life though, its a whole different story.
For those interested in 3d modelling, its a fun interface, and the in game panning/zooming is like Maya, while the object primitives, and scaling etc is like 3d max...
I'll play again tomorrow since its sunday....and will die the day after (in my second life that is), so i can go be a real world "architect".
i used to enjoy computer games quite a bit, even learned to program in C back in highshool. but i haven't had time to play a video game for about 10 years now. it ain't about time management, just a serious bout of ambition exceeding available hours in the day...
i wouldn't say its silly to get into the virtual thing, but for me it would feel like a huge waste of time...must be getting old.
While I believe that many of the opinions, both for and against Second Life are valid, I think it is a significant development and a great arena for debate on both sides of the fence. It is amazing to see the extent that people customize themselves to be either just like they are in real life, or as completely opposite as possible. Just the title, Second Life, seems to carry with it some very heavy implications.
I have definitely tried it, and the first night, I got a good taste of it. But I must admit, I use it sparingly. I do have it installed on my computer even though I rarely sign on because it allows me to do a bit of social research on some papers I am writing. Also, I just got a new computer with a better graphics card, so I wanted to see how it would run.
If you use it, don't forget to eat and go to the bathroom, etc. If you do not use it, does this not seem like an impressive step towards virtualizing all that is left real? I think it makes the discussion of virtuality and globalization much richer with thse sorts of examples.
Second Life!!!!
Holy video game batman!
Has anyone been using this Second Life online game? It's completely customizable. You can make your man/woman/creature/everyday object however you'd like (you start off with the option of man or woman first). They have Linden dollars which you can earn and use to purchase items or new clothes or even sexy walks! The game is free (if you don't want to own land and therefore rent out spaces for shops) and is completely open source! This means that people can make their own skins, objects, clothing, even characters (wanna be a giant hat? You can be a giant hat!). It blows Sims out of the water like you wouldn't believe!!! In fact the characters look way more realistic.
here is the link to the game: http://secondlife.com/
and here is a trailer thanks to apple: http://www.apple.com/games/trailers/secondlife/
Any of you ever think "hey, as an architect, perhaps I could design buildings in video games!" Well, I'm a nerd so I have thought about that several times. Since this program is open source, you can do just that! And most importantly, thousands of people will use it. So give it a shot, but beware it's addicting!
no time for video games...
I'm a sims junkie
are you not happy with your first one?
I saw an article in the NY Times about a guy who makes a living building houses/developments in that game. I think he pulls in around 40k a year selling virtual real estate.
Check eBay and check out all of the stuff for sale for online video games. Its pretty amazing.
so I'll take this opportunity to bring up the general trend towards second hand living and vicarious life in general. How does everyone feel about spending inordinate amounts of time pretending to disco dance, pretending to study swordplay, pretending skateboard or bowl; tasks essentially so pedestrian anyone could perform anyway if investing equal time to.
Have we grown so timid to attempt things in earnest for fear of real failure, is this a childish fetish eventually to be outgrown, a manifestation of cultural lethargy (or any other grab bag theory).
I'm not looking to indict the video game world, I have been obsessed with the Civilization and SimCity series and a handful of other games in the past (in fact wish I had time for SimCity 4 every time I'm on a plane overlooking a city). I (obviously) understand the desire to create, and realize certain games allow you to do things otherwise impossible.
I suppose I just wonder what is happening to us that entire demographics prefer replicas of our world to the actual tactile thing. Any of you obsessed simulifers care to shed light?
And please don't say "try it, you'll like it",
that is partly what i fear.
SuperHeavy...that was heavy...teehee. Sorry, it was there.
Anyways, well yeah our society is so damn insecure and empty that we need ways to do the most trivial things in a new and safe way. A way in which we can hide behind our insecurities of personal and physical selves.
At the same time, it's here, and telling people to not play games isn't the solution. Mainly since the root of the problem will still exist. People will find another outlet such as booz or drugs. Now which is the lesser of evils?
At the same time, this game is completely customizable, and all the players (even the DJ's on the music channels and your sales clerks) are real. So unlike Sims or any other game, every person you interact with is an actual person. This can be considered to be a good or bad thing, pending your view.
Always one to throw my opinion into the hat, here goes this one....
I feel that this Second life thing is completely ridiculous. Like, just stupid. What a waste of time. And I rarely have strong feelings about anything outside of politics. I read about it in Dwell I think, and the entire article I was thinking to myself, wait, these people are selling virtual real estate and earning real money for it? Don't they have better things to do with their money than this?
But I have to say ditto to what SH said....and beyond that, instead of putting your nose to a computer screen and creating fake environments, why don't you, oh I don't know, get out some chipboard and design a real one? And instead of buying fake real estate with real money, why don't you donate it to real people who could use a real roof over their heads?
To qualify, I think most video games are a waste of time.
I don't even have time for one life, let alone a second.
Having said that, I'm glad I've never been into video games. The Sims series have been appealing to me forever, but I can't be bothered. I've got real-life things I need to get done.
I have time for three or four lives...the rest of you just need better management skills!
That or I do really poorly at each...nah.
-- on the economics of role-playing games
Don't remember who said that, but it is true:
"There is always time for everything" perhaps even a second life, Half-Life done well, too.... time to play!
So have any of you tried the thing yet? I tried to download, but had to pay something, which made me quit the thing. It looks a bit like another virtual 3D world, that was up a few years ago, I forgot the name, but it made quite a buzz back then.
If the quality of the 3D world is good enough it's a quite cool thing IMO. Imagine all the unbuilt masterpieces there is space for there.
ap
rather the masterpiece of an actual spoon than all the virtual taj mahal's in the 3D "world"
i played the sims for a little while once because i had friends raving about it. i found it pretty boring, shit, why do i want to play a game about life when i have the real one? taking out the trash is bad enough in real life. why do i need to do it in a fake one too?
i hate computer games. About the only game i even like playing is RISK. I guess it is the tyrannical dictator gene most architects have.
The second life thing bothers me, reminds me of the matrix, minority report, and AI. Have we become such consumers that we prefer to buy a new life then to live the one we have. to not interact with people but to create your own world suited to you and only you. Sounds egotistical, and not very social.
I think we will increasingly have virtual experiences, and even virtual lives, Im not sure what that will look like, but Im not going to join. I liek the real deal, real experiences, life is too full to fill it with computer games.
Does my archinect persona count as a second life?
Naw. I'm too honest to have a second life. Or maybe naiive is a better word (spelled correctly or not, it's a better word).
Or I'm just too busy to keep track of some alternate personality. That may be closer to the truth. In any case, I hate computer/video games and have ever since Pong.
hmm, and what about watching sporting events on tv? i mean you aren't playing and people often live vicariously through their favorite team or player.
i've heard peeple say that when they go to see a sporting event, they find themselves looking at the jumbo tron more and more and not the real game because they can see the jumbo tron better. i find that one really odd.
ap, you shouldn't have to pay. If you go to www.secondlife.com/join/ the little ($9.99) is only if you make more than one character which you can switch to something else in a heart beat.
As for the rest of you, stop being so idealistic. In video games you don't get a fucking hangover like I have RIGHT NOW! Uhoh, gotta run.
^don't get mad...so you drink (aka party) too...ok
sorry, it was the wine last night talking.
It's not idealistic, beatledud, just personal preference. I won't stay up all night playing Doom, but I will most definitely stay up all night on archinect (if others are playing too).
I have a cad hangover today. Headache, squinty eyes.
vid games also don't get drunk. dud.
I think the interesting thing to look at in these computer simulations (sims, second, life, maya, 3d Max) is that they offer freedom, or degrees of freedom (if you want to be a giant hat you can be) but, of couse end up totally locking down other parameters. If you don't have any linden dollars are there freight trains you can hop so you can go looking for fruit to pick? If I have to buy the land to build my "500 story sky scraper" do I have to pay for the steel? Who am I going to rent all that office space to? Thousands of people who log onto a game every day to pretend to work in a cubicle analysing an imaginary bond market?
let me get a bit further on slipping the chains of this all too material world before I take on some virtual ones.
I love video games. I remember playing on our Intellivision with my dad. Good times.
But right now I don't even have time for a first life...why in the hell am I even posting!?! I've got work to do!
ok..so i checked it out, and am totally hooked on to it. I love video games for one, but its quite amazing how streamlined both virtual and real worlds are in the game. Also, the amount of money that changes hands within the game, is mind blowing.
I made my first 20$ (real money) playing the thing for an hour today...i'm a blackjack expert, so to speak, and its easier to play against the program. When i became an architect, i was hoping i'd get paid to do what i like. Now, i like what i do, but don't really get paid. In my Second Life though, its a whole different story.
For those interested in 3d modelling, its a fun interface, and the in game panning/zooming is like Maya, while the object primitives, and scaling etc is like 3d max...
I'll play again tomorrow since its sunday....and will die the day after (in my second life that is), so i can go be a real world "architect".
im with driftwood.
i used to enjoy computer games quite a bit, even learned to program in C back in highshool. but i haven't had time to play a video game for about 10 years now. it ain't about time management, just a serious bout of ambition exceeding available hours in the day...
i wouldn't say its silly to get into the virtual thing, but for me it would feel like a huge waste of time...must be getting old.
While I believe that many of the opinions, both for and against Second Life are valid, I think it is a significant development and a great arena for debate on both sides of the fence. It is amazing to see the extent that people customize themselves to be either just like they are in real life, or as completely opposite as possible. Just the title, Second Life, seems to carry with it some very heavy implications.
I have definitely tried it, and the first night, I got a good taste of it. But I must admit, I use it sparingly. I do have it installed on my computer even though I rarely sign on because it allows me to do a bit of social research on some papers I am writing. Also, I just got a new computer with a better graphics card, so I wanted to see how it would run.
If you use it, don't forget to eat and go to the bathroom, etc. If you do not use it, does this not seem like an impressive step towards virtualizing all that is left real? I think it makes the discussion of virtuality and globalization much richer with thse sorts of examples.
i would love to work with blast theory or any Alternate Reality Gaming company one day...
'mixed reality lab'
meh....I tried it, I got bored after making myself look like an overweight drag queen with balding fuscia hair and puffy sleeves.
'There' is the same type of thing. Pretty cool. www.there.com
when you are bad, you are exiled to the cornfield.
TV/Video Game (Reality/Virtual??) Interchange: a Newsnight broadcast studio session from inside Second Life --
bbc
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