For the most part, I’ve stayed on the outside looking in of all those multi-user 3D worlds, for fear that what little free time I had to try and grow a social life would be sucked up into my little digital avatar. But I kept seeing the name of Second Life pop up here and there, and for some reason, I decided to give this one a try.

Okay, so the fact that it’s free to join in and make your character was a big part of getting me logged on in the first place. But there just seems like there’s a lot more here than the typical gaming vibe of “leveling up” for hours on end. They give you the tools to make your own 3D objects and script how they act. If you pay a monthly fee, you can own land and make hugely intricate environments.

On top of that, the intricate can be active and educational, like this this virtual tsunami education center. Or you can just take the more base and instinctual path and use Second Life to have animated digital sex. After all, that’s what we were promised a decade ago when the media was just picking up on this internet thing, right?

What’s more, facets of the real world are making their way into this virtual one. Real shops like American Apparel have set up digital storefront to clothe people’s avatars in their trendy styles. Musicians Suzanne Vega and Duran Duran are making themselves Second Life performers. Even future presidential candidates are making campaign stops in the 3D world. Political glad-handing isn’t all there is to the world either. There’s even been some Second Life voting rights protesters (using the aforementioned American Apparel store as their first protest venue).

And I’m sure I’m just scratching at the surface of what there is to offer.   While I might not be an everyday visitor, and it will probably be a long time before I’m a full fledged, land owning citizen, it’s certainly has a much greater upside to it than some other online entertainment activites I’ve run across.   Linden Labs is to be complimented.

So if you ever run across “Alexander Gainsbourg” flying across the landscape, feel free to say hi.

Tags: Gaming

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