Play’s Republic

Here are a few links for interesting videos created in Second Life.

The first video is a short clip from one of SL’s earliest build engines. This build was circa August 2001, when it was still called “LindenWorld” instead of “Second Life.” A couple of SL engineers recently ran the build and took this video with commentary to give us all a look back in time at SL’s origins. The best part, in my opinion, is learning that they used to have to throw grenades if they wanted to terraform! Really interesting clip, particularly in light of Garrison’s post on physics engines. Click here to check out LindenWorld.

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The second video was the winner of the 2006 Second Life Movie Trailer contest. Here’s what Linden Lab had to say about the contest:

Like most software companies Linden Lab uses promotional videos to showcase our product to business partners, customers, educators, and more. However, we face a unique challenge in that selling Second Life to the uninitiated is nothing like pitching a new soft drink, detergent, or cake mix to a generally disinterested public. The challenge here is how to convey such a protean and complex experience in a short, easily digestible format. To this end, we decided the visual grammar of the Hollywood Movie Trailer would be the best vehicle to ‘get the word out’ about Second Life to the world.
Since our operating philosophy includes a fundamental belief in the value of user-created content, it made the most sense for us to open up the crucial task of evangelizing Second Life to our Residents. We figured…who best to highlight the incredible potential of Second Life than the people who are the most actively engaged in its creation?

Incidentally, this is also a great example of “machinima” - the practice of making films within virtual game engines. Machinima deserves its own post (upcoming at some point), but the idea is that everyday users can become filmmakers by harnessing the awesome power of the physics engines, visual imagery, and recording capabilities within these virtual worlds. Click here to watch the 2006 SL Movie Trailer.

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The third video is an machinima clip by “Text 100,” a PR firm claiming to be the first real life PR firm in SL. Ostensibly this clip was created to spread the word about SL’s value to companies, but it’s pretty clear (and Text 100 doesn’t try to hide it) that this video is an advertisement for Text 100, and how the firm can help companies enter the SL world. Pretty slick, nicely realized, and a great example of the “corporate” side of SL. Click here to watch Text 100’s SL ad.

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After all these videos, you must be eager to jump into the Second Life world. But hang on…there’s a new kid in town with a pretty cool world for you to check out. Is the First Life world going to be SL’s new competitor?

If you compare the First Life world to the Second Life world, there are some limitations: teleportation doesn’t exist, nor can you fly; prims are often quite expensive; the sun and moon run on pre-set schedules that you cannot affect; and many residents are endlessly displeased with the time and energy needed to get a good body shape out of the shape-modification systems. But there are major upsides to the First Life world as well: you don’t need pose balls to get your groove on at the dance club (or anywhere else, for that matter); the sensory input grid leaves SL in the dust (wind, heat, scents, textures…it’s all here at no extra charge); and of course, there’s no lag. Ever. The system never goes down for maintenance, leaving you stranded in a nebulous black nowhere-land.

Check out First Life and see what you think. If you really like it, you can even show your allegiance with a spiffy FL t-shirt:

Pretty tempting, actually.