I know some people are unholstering fire-arms, drawing katanas or just fast-searching their inventories for that gun that was useful once or twice, just because I said that second life is a game. The G-word! But, in a way, it is. The game.
Sometimes we speak about levels in the second life. If there are levels, it might be some kind of game. But, actually, the point is not in the levels. This is not an average kill'em'all with the big evil enemy on the end of each level. Big monster you have to shoot a thousand of times before it mega-explode. Nope.
This one is a long-run. Without previously given direction. But, the one you can lose by losing a direction. One gets lost in a labyrinth of sims, groups, lindens, all kind of information streaming between our builds. This is a crazy and very busy world, you know.
So, how do one knows that e is on the good track? Well, e is still in the game. Still running. Still on feet. That's enough to know. Sometimes running, sometimes flying, sometimes ducking. Or dancing. Once you're out of the game, you know you have lost it.
Now we know what is the problem of retention in second life. Those people just see GAME OVER before they really started to play. Every gamer knows that feeling. We all get killed too early from time to time. Some games are just not our battlefield, that's ok. Whether running keeping the head low, silently sneaking out, elegantly driving in a fancy vehicle or blowing ourselves to bits loudly, we all just teleport to the other genre. Next sim, please. Or one can take a longer break.
Second life, though, is not just one game. There are many games of second life. Not only games which Onder Skall writes about. Not just combats or sports. Not even a role-playing that crosses the border of the lifestyle and becomes a life of its own. Shopping is one of the games. So called cybering or SLex, too. Making money. Doing business. Anshe Chung is playing her game. The 42.805 rezzidents who are logged-in in this moment are playing their own games.
In the months and years to come second life will grow. It will have even more games. New sims will open. There will be new things to do. New games to play.
And those that lost once before, might take another chance. They evolved. The game, the world, evolved. Rules are changing in vivo, while we are playing the game. Stars above us are cycling. So are possibilities and the reasons to take another turn. To play some other game.
Images has been taken on SLonopoly Sim. It is one of the stunning places that are not just an attempt to reproduce so called real world and real life. It is great to be an avatar, to live on the monopoly board placed on four kitchen chairs. Like the Earth that, long time ago, was a disc on the backs of the elephants that stands on the shell of the great tortoise A’tuin.
Funny thing is, the first part of the word SLonopoly ( llGetSubString(”SLonopoly”,0,3); for scripters) is slon, which is Serbian for the elephant.
[...] The Game Of Second Life I know some people are upholstering fire-arms, drawing katanas or just fast-searching their inventories for that gun that was useful once or twice, just because I said that second life is a game. [...]
Isn’t life always a game? Real life and SecondLIfe? You both can play how you like it. In SL and RL, you can just watch how others play their game of life, and complain that you don’t have it. Or you can be creative, entrepreneurial, interact with other people and enjoy it the way you want it. Of course there are always some rules you have to apply to but don’t let them stop you to live your dream, to play your own game, RL and SL!!!
Isn’t life always a game?
oh yes, yes it is.
Not much left to say except that this is one of the most interesting posts I’ve ever read and one of your best too.
Good work!
*smiles* Thanks dear.
I think people get touchy about the term “game” becuase it’s so often used as an excuse to do mean stuff to people. “It’s just a game”.
Your definition of a game – a series of challenges you set for yourself for the purpose of enjoyment and fulfillment – I can totally agree with. I really feel like my time in SL is filled more and more with goals I am pursuing for my own enjoyment and for the entertainment and enjoyment of others, and I’m liking it a *lot*.
Hiking, stories on the LJ, my future house, the Extropia SIM, better ways to moderate the salons we’ve been going to, building, scripting, shopping – so much to do, so little time ^_^;
Thanks for once again putting into words something that I’ve been thinking about lately but haven’t been able to articulate.
–Argent out
Yes, I completely forgot about that. “It’s just a game” is a bad excuse to do mean thngs. I usually think that problem with mentioning the game is connected with someone’s fear of ruining the immersiveness. Which, most of the time, makes not much sense.
great article. And a lovely sim too :P For myself I started off thinking Second Life was just a silly game and that it was a complete waste of time, i put off for months even trying it out, i had a preconceived notion in my mind of what it was and that i would have no part. Then I finally tried it out and within days i was totally hooked, and for me it became quickly more than just a silly game, for those lacking vision i could s ee how they could label Second Life as “Just a game” i was the same way before i opened my eyes to the possibilities, but those who can see past the now and into the future can see that Second Life is not only more than a game but its a soon to be way of life and quite possibly the future of the internet and more. I quite enjoy expressing myself in many ways in Second Life that are just not simply possible in real life. The SLonopoly sim is a good example, when i was building it I wasn’t doing it for any other reason than to just make something interesting that others could enjoy, Second Life is an amazing place to release your creativity and to me that is much more than just a game, and those lacking the vision to see that will probably always just be playing games, in Second Life or Real Life for that matter.
Second Life is a special place.
The one thread I’ve seen is the
people in SL are uncommonly intelligent.
Zippora took the words right out of my mouth and phrased them even better then I could, so I second:
Isn’t life always a game? Real life and SecondLIfe? You both can play how you like it. In SL and RL, you can just watch how others play their game of life, and complain that you don’t have it. Or you can be creative, entrepreneurial, interact with other people and enjoy it the way you want it. Of course there are always some rules you have to apply to but don’t let them stop you to live your dream, to play your own game, RL and SL!!!
With the minor difference that in first life you are somewhat forced to play, if you do not wish to starve. ;)
Really interesting article. In my opinion this not makes SL exactly a game, at least no more then RL, so it will be a game (SL or RL) if you want it to be.
Nebadon, I would not agree that SL is the future of the internet. That is said so many times, and I think I even started a post about that…. gotta find it and hit the publish button.
Sera, I’d rather say that we find people that are adequate to us. If one search long enough, there must be a stupid’s sim somewhere.
Vint, you hit the point. FL forces us to play.
Raul, exactly my point. I was not thinking a game necessarily as a computer game. There are many ways to play.
life is sometime a game i wish i was a vampire .so i can live forever .love .
is all so a game in life to love is nice sometimes but not all the time to love .
but love is nice to have in your heart and soul .i love a women and she was in my heart and soul we were soul mate .i wish i married here but now she is married. and been married for about 21years now .she was my love .and my solu mate…………….so love is like a game and brokeing hearts and soul.in life …………..from valliten…………..
work is like game all so you have to be at work all day long and pay bills all day.
so that is like a game and dancing is fun in life all night you can have fun all the time on friday and satueday all night long on the dancefloor that is like a game .
because you are looking for a women for the night to have fun al the time .and to now here name .and to be friends with here all so……….from valliten rihgt soon asap…………:)