Archive notice: This article was originally published on February 2, 2008. Links and embedded videos are preserved as part of the historical record.
Second Life is a three-dimensional world – colourful, detailed and designed by the users themselves. To take part with one’s own double (avatar), all that is needed is a fast internet connection, a good
computer and the free software. Anyone who wants to buy land or clothing, however, must exchange real money for virtual Linden dollars.
Online since June 2003, the platform entered the public spotlight at the beginning of 2007. Reports appeared almost daily: about the first virtual city and the first virtual concert, about the first newspaper and the first company in the 3D world, about role-playing games and cybersex. Fuelled by the media hype, the number of users shot up: from one million in November 2006 to more than five million in June 2007. But the media enthusiasm cooled. On the one hand, many curious people signed up but never used their avatar again. Frequent program crashes and jerky graphics contributed to this, not least. On the other hand, it became clear that the parallel world had to struggle with real problems. The public prosecutor’s office in Halle investigated the distribution of child pornography, for example, while companies sued users over counterfeits of branded products.
Things have now become quieter around the 3D world. But Philip Rosedale, founder of San Francisco-based operating company Linden Lab, is convinced: «We are still at the beginning.» He is aware of technical problems but points out that developing the virtual environment is very complex. The number of crashes would be reduced significantly and the graphics software improved during the first half of 2008. Experts confirm that the software has become more reliable. There are now 11.7 million registered people; according to the operator, more than 500 000 of them actually log in each month and spend an average of 29 hours online. “Second Life” is therefore not depopulated, but it is nowhere near as large as social networks such as StudiVZ and Facebook, with millions of active users. At least: according to its own statements, operator Linden Lab operates profitably with its 250 employees.
For many, the platform has long been more than a game – universities and companies, artists and creatives have discovered it. Christoph Lattemann of the University of Potsdam, for example, invites people to the online seminar “E-Commerce in Virtual Worlds” – e-learning at the university. The students’ avatars sit on a staircase while two fellow students give a presentation. Afterwards, there is a discussion in realtime thanks to the software’s voice function. “The event is well received by the students,” says the lecturer.
Numerous companies and organisations use the platform for marketing – but they do not make money from it. «At the moment, we are in an experimental stage», says Manfred Heinze, whose agency TextLab develops PR concepts for “Second Life” and helps support the largest German colony, “Apfelland”. The activities to date were nevertheless not a waste of money, but important experiences. This is because 3D worlds offer real added value compared with the internet: “Anyone interested in a car gets in and looks at what the dashboard looks like,” he gives as an example. Experts agree that the internet is becoming more and more of a virtual world. «The ‘Second Life’ platform may be dead one day – the idea behind it will prevail», Lattemann is convinced.
