Bonus Mission 2

Bonus Mission 2
Why is Second Life not a game?

The Sims and World of Warcraft both have the ability to create your own individual characters. Just like Second Life you are able to tailor the characters to your liking. Long or short hair, tall or thin, fat or skinny, Male or female, these games allow you to create a virtual image of your perceived self. You are able to create a totally new and cyber character which either resembles yourself or is totally the opposite.

In the real world you are unable to alter your appearances with a click of a button, or resurrect your dead character with a series of commands, in the real world if you get hit by a bus or a speeding train you are dead. However, in games like Second Life and The Sims you are basically immortal, the ‘superman’ of the virtual world. You are able to create that person you desire to be, you are able to be who you cannot be in the real world, you have created the ‘superman’ of yourself.

The distinction between the virtual and the real world has not much debate. The differences are there and it is very obvious for everyone to notice between a computer game and the real world. “The physical pain comes only from hitting a keyboard too hard, camaraderie is the norm and heroism is never far away” (Levy 2006).

How second life or other computer games be used more than just entertainment value. For one it functions as a social network that connects millions of users worldwide. It also enables the capitalist nature of the common individual to capitalize on the ventures of the virtual world. They set up virtual businesses and thus enable people who do not have any experience whatsoever a taste at starting up a business. It allows them to build their self confidence and also allow greater cohesion between other individuals. As figure show that Second Life uses has soared to 5 million users since it started up.

I say why people view Second life than more than a game is because that it brings out the real you. You can paint a false picture of yourself and you can do things that you cannot do in the real world. As Castronova (2005) said “There's a nascent politics. There's policy. There's speech and assembly. There's terror and reaction.” All similar to that of the real world, we cannot deny that these games are not making us who we really are.
References

Levy, S. (2006). World of Warcraft: Is it a game. Newsweek.

Castronova, E. (2005) "Synthetic Statehood and the right to assemble." , Date retrieved 6th April 2007.

QotW10: 2nd Death

Second life i think my features dont actually look a lot like me. But well its kinda a 20% fit dont you think?


This is the first place i travelled to and i found a damn cool dino statue and decided to take a pic in front of it. hahaha also cause i coundt teleport anywhere else!


Me just chilling around in an underswear shop... dont ask me why i was there but i couldnt buy anything cause i had no money whatever... donations are welcomed!

White hair is a symbol of the old wise owl. My avatar does not really resemble me that much, it was kinda a chore even to get him to look like that. Delaroche was a french assassin in one of the books that i read a million years ago and his character was portrayed as someone who was myterious and discreet, he never left a shadow when he walked. My myterious nature lead me to play the role in second life, and the clothing was designed by none other than me! not bad i have to say for someone who does not know how to sew.