COM 125 BAZZAR!!

Thursday, April 05, 2007

"What is this? The SIMS? Hey! It's The SIMS! No?! Hmmm......" I stared at my computer screen in complete confusion. As I explored the Internet-based virtual world for the very first time, I was amazed and shocked by the functions of the program. Not only does Second Life consist the basic functions of a life-like game, just like the SIMS, its users, who are known as Residents, can explore, meet other Residents, socialize, participate in individual and group activities, create and trade items (virtual property) and services from one another (Wikipedia, 2007).

After a couple of hours of hands-on experience and consistent lagging, I began to notice the difference between Second Life and The SIMS. Basically, The SIMS is a simulation of the day-to-day activities of one or more virtual people (dubbed "Sims") in a suburban household located near SimCity (Wikipedia, 2007). Everything has been created for you in sequence and all you have to do is follow the hints to jump start the game. There will be a green diamond on your SIM that changes colour according to your SIMS mood, and if it has its expectations met. You get to choose and design your own character and after that, you'd be given a certain amount of SIM dollars to start off with your life.

The player begins to earn money and unlock items every now and then. At the same time, building a strong friendship or relationship bond can earn you more SIM dollars. It's a game in all forms (PC-oriented, PlayStation, Nintendo etc) and it is designed to be just like the way you experienced life, full of ups and downs. However, one thing that distinguish the SIMS from Second Life was that it is less interactive. Players who plays The SIMS via PlayStation can interact with the second player. That's about it.

As compared to The SIMS, Second Life has no limitions. As quoted from Edward Castronova, "There will be a world that fits the fantasy of any life you want to lead," (World of Warcraft: Is It a Game? 2006). I guessed that's the gist of Second Life. In that whole-new virtual world that's ever changing every single day, people create places, items, services, products they fantasized. It's almost like Utopia

in there where everything is perfect and just the way you want it to be. There are features in the program whereby you can fly or teleport yourself to a place, or a country. Unlike the real world, this only takes a few seconds. Besides that, you can socialize with people from all over the world and there is no boundaries for friendships.

We cannot see Second Life as an online game because from the way I interpret it, this is Second Life-your second chance to live life all over again. It is your world, your imagination, a place where you can be whoever you've always wanted or dreamt to be. It is a world filled with dreams, hopes and opportunities where we can't resist to not be a part of it. In the real world, there are many things that are beyond our control whereas in Second Life, you are your own boss. Besides that, there's no such feature in Second Life that your mood is determined by the expectations you need to meet. The player does not have to eat, does not have to go to the loo, does not have to sleep as compared to the SIMS. In this way, it actually saves a lot of time because there is so much to explor

e in that virtual world.

Unlike the SIMS, Second Life is "played" for real money. Whenever you log into the official website, there will be this page that encourages you to upgrade to premium membership. When upgraded to premium membership, you'd be charged immediately for the full amount of subscription plan specified-monthly, quarterly and annually. However, you'd be able to own land and at the same time, buy or run your own business. The Marketplace in Second Life currently supports millions of US dollars in monthly transactions. This commerce is handled with the in-world unit-of-trade, the Linden dollar, which can be converted to US dollars at several thriving online Linden Dollar exchanges (Second Life, 2007). How fascinating is that? You get the kick moving your avatar around, socializing, exploring places, shopping and build stuff, you also make money out of it if you start a business.

After some comparisons with The SIMS, I conclude that Second Life is more than just an online game or for entertainment. Anyone with a vision and plan can make his/her dream come true in no time. After all, according to Joi Ito, "Yes, it's just a game, the way that the real world is a game," (World of Warcraft: Is It a Game? 2006).

REFERENCES:

Second Life. (2007, April 4). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 11:40p.m, April 4, 2007, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Second_Life&oldid=120268909

The Sims. (2007, April 2). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 1:43a.m, April 5, 2007, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Sims&oldid=119832651

Levy, S. (2006). In World of Warcraft: Is It a Game. Retrieved 12.30a.m, 2007, from http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14757769/site/newsweek/page/3/print/1/displaymode/1098/.
Second Life (2007). In Second Life What is Second life?. Retrieved 1.15a.m, April 5, 2007 from
http://secure-web11.secondlife.com/whatis/

11:56 AMi hate HOMEWORKY

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