This article in Forbes is the first time a serious publication has held a tough, penetrating lens to Second Life (SL), a virtual world which has received enormous and band-wagon hype. Much attention has been given to all the companies that have set up shop in SL in an effort to increase sales and brand awareness.
Remember, people going into Second Life are mostly running away from a first life. Forbes shows how this creepy place is quickly showing signs that it is dying a slow death, that it can be weird and embarrassing to those companies that have moved in quickly, and that it is a very unlikely place for real-life branding. That said, if you are looking for new and far out sexual experiences, it might just be a great place for you.
Submitted: Jul 9, 2007
Views: 227
Comments: 4
Likes: 10
Email to someone |
Print Content |
Add to reading list
Comments Received:
Second Life is like the wild west. Eventually the company will have to put some controls on it. Still, I wonder how much time people want to invest in a virtual world. Who really has hours to spend? I think that's the biggest limiting factor of these virtual worlds.
Posted: Jul 9, 2007
It is about time that somebody points out how absurd the entire race to build brands on Second Life is. These companies seemed to think at first that it was like paid placement in a movie or sitcom, only better. Now, they seem to be discovering that their brands might be easily contaminated by being associated with it.
Posted: Jul 9, 2007
I think it is essential that people see Second Life and other places like it for what they are -- escapes and places to play out fantasies (sexual and others). Avatars can be whatever and whomever you want -- pretty silly and dangerous stuff.
Posted: Jul 10, 2007
@markmac
I'm not sure I would describe it as dangerous, or even that silly. People have always looked for places to congregrate. For many, it can be liberating to become someone else in a relatively harmless environment. It might be be therapeutic.
Whether it is a good business is another matter. It seems that after the major PR push the company made last year, the site's traffic has fallen. Interest seems to be waning. I still think there are a limited number of people who have the time and energy to really maintain an alter existence.
Posted: Jul 10, 2007
