I have spent the last month visiting SecondLife. I return to RL (shorthand for Real World, that’s how SecondLIfe members refer to life outside the social network) convinced that I’ve seen the future.
If you haven’t heard of SecondLife I recommend you read BusinessWeek’s cover story on them and other virtual worlds. Briefly, SecondLIfe is a social network in a 3D virtual world. It’s not a game. There a is no goal. You enter SecondLife to talk to friends and make new ones; to express yourself and find entertainment.
But, unlike other flat, 2D social networks like MySpace where you only exist as a ghost, by the marks you leave behind (eg, blogs, pictures, comments), in SecondLife you exist as an avatar. You create a 3D, head to toe character. Of course, it doesn’t have to be a true representation of yourself but… so what?
In addition to SecondLife, other social networking 3D virtual worlds include Cyworld, HabboHotel.
Prediction: 3D virtual worlds are the end-game. MySpace and all the other web-page based social networks are just a stepping stone. In 3D virtual worlds will become better and better at offering individuals a rich interactive, personal experience. Brands should start experimenting with these worlds… go have fun and learn.
tags: virtual worlds SecondLife social networks metaverse
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October 31, 2006 at 6:29 pm
Update: Go online in 3D « Elusive Consumer
[...] The last 4 months since returning from my first expedition into SecondLife in has seen a flurry of activity in that virtual world with big brands like American Apparel, Starwood Hotels, Reuters, Nissan, IBM, Universal, PA Consulting and artists like Duran Duran and Suzanne Vega creating a in-world presence. This week the first pure SecondLife company, Crayon, announced their launch. [...]