Comments on: Second Life is the new Iraq http://forge.ironrealms.com/2007/06/15/second-life-is-the-new-iraq/ A blog on virtual worlds, games, and digital content, from Matt Mihaly Thu, 20 Nov 2008 11:23:26 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.3 by: Azor http://forge.ironrealms.com/2007/06/15/second-life-is-the-new-iraq/#comment-21070 Mon, 02 Jul 2007 05:43:26 +0000 http://forge.ironrealms.com/2007/06/15/second-life-is-the-new-iraq/#comment-21070 There's obviously a niche for a 3D content creation platform like SL, but as long as the software is proprietary and everyone has to host their stuff on the SL servers, it's not going to take off in any meaningful way. It's like if the internet had been invented by IBM, and everyone had to host their websites in one big building. That's really what makes SL crap, and it's why I won't participate. There’s obviously a niche for a 3D content creation platform like SL, but as long as the software is proprietary and everyone has to host their stuff on the SL servers, it’s not going to take off in any meaningful way. It’s like if the internet had been invented by IBM, and everyone had to host their websites in one big building. That’s really what makes SL crap, and it’s why I won’t participate.

]]> by: Dirk Singer http://forge.ironrealms.com/2007/06/15/second-life-is-the-new-iraq/#comment-19099 Thu, 21 Jun 2007 08:24:32 +0000 http://forge.ironrealms.com/2007/06/15/second-life-is-the-new-iraq/#comment-19099 There are so many holes in that Forbes piece, but I'll restrict myself to talking about three of them: 1) So the VP marketing of Lenovo says there is nothing to do except to "get laid?" He should get out more. The highest figure I've seen for sex and porn business as a % of the total is 30%. To put that into some kind of perspective, ten years ago one in five net searches were porn related....now that figure is less than one in twenty even though the volume will have gone up. I think virtual worlds are in a similar phase of development. 2) American Apparel complains that SL has been a failure. Just a thought, but perhaps their concept rather than the medium is at fault? I see three mistakes made by brands time and time again - copying your RL business, replicating what existing residents already do very well (in this case sell clothes), and seeing it as a one hit wonder or a money making venture. All three are a sure route to SL failure 3) The article talks about 'only' 30,000 online at any one time. This is the off peak figure you tend to get around 9am London and 4am NY time. Around 7pm NY time and the figures nudge 50,000. Bear in mind that a year ago, the number of concurrent users were around 8,000. Yes, the churn rate of new registrations is unacceptably high, but the numbers are nowhere near as bad as this article makes out. There are so many holes in that Forbes piece, but I’ll restrict myself to talking about three of them:

1) So the VP marketing of Lenovo says there is nothing to do except to “get laid?” He should get out more. The highest figure I’ve seen for sex and porn business as a % of the total is 30%. To put that into some kind of perspective, ten years ago one in five net searches were porn related….now that figure is less than one in twenty even though the volume will have gone up. I think virtual worlds are in a similar phase of development.

2) American Apparel complains that SL has been a failure. Just a thought, but perhaps their concept rather than the medium is at fault? I see three mistakes made by brands time and time again - copying your RL business, replicating what existing residents already do very well (in this case sell clothes), and seeing it as a one hit wonder or a money making venture. All three are a sure route to SL failure

3) The article talks about ‘only’ 30,000 online at any one time. This is the off peak figure you tend to get around 9am London and 4am NY time. Around 7pm NY time and the figures nudge 50,000. Bear in mind that a year ago, the number of concurrent users were around 8,000. Yes, the churn rate of new registrations is unacceptably high, but the numbers are nowhere near as bad as this article makes out.

]]> by: +8* | Plus Eight Star » Virtual Goods: the next big business model (TechCrunch) http://forge.ironrealms.com/2007/06/15/second-life-is-the-new-iraq/#comment-19070 Thu, 21 Jun 2007 03:17:55 +0000 http://forge.ironrealms.com/2007/06/15/second-life-is-the-new-iraq/#comment-19070 [...] The whole digital scene today is largely turning users into digital addicts (MMORPGs are a very good example of this) with no purpose but entertainment. Second Life is now seen by many as a repository for the sexually frustrated. (Forbes article here for members, quoted here for free, SecondLife Herald plays the ‘look, they hate us’ dialectic stratagem here). A relative of mine was trying out SL and another netizen kindly suggested she tried cyber-prostitution if she wanted to get some money. How thoughtful. [...] […] The whole digital scene today is largely turning users into digital addicts (MMORPGs are a very good example of this) with no purpose but entertainment. Second Life is now seen by many as a repository for the sexually frustrated. (Forbes article here for members, quoted here for free, SecondLife Herald plays the ‘look, they hate us’ dialectic stratagem here). A relative of mine was trying out SL and another netizen kindly suggested she tried cyber-prostitution if she wanted to get some money. How thoughtful. […]

]]> by: Nick http://forge.ironrealms.com/2007/06/15/second-life-is-the-new-iraq/#comment-18935 Wed, 20 Jun 2007 10:02:56 +0000 http://forge.ironrealms.com/2007/06/15/second-life-is-the-new-iraq/#comment-18935 I work in huge, multinational bank that's currently assessing Second Life for potential. I'm doing my best to sink it, but honestly, people are utterly taken in by the hype. A study group was put together to look at the game, and of course, none of them actually bothered playing it, they just looked at all the over-enthusiastic tech reports from years ago. Shambolic. I work in huge, multinational bank that’s currently assessing Second Life for potential. I’m doing my best to sink it, but honestly, people are utterly taken in by the hype. A study group was put together to look at the game, and of course, none of them actually bothered playing it, they just looked at all the over-enthusiastic tech reports from years ago.

Shambolic.

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