Is Second Life a game?

The best part about the SL is/is not a game argument is that it fully explodes the forum mob myth by highlighting the many individual thoughts and preferences of the myriad posters who are so often grouped into a dreaded they.

This is the viewpoint I personally subscibe to.

I do not have to 'refuse' to help you. Until this, you have not asked me to help you. You have instead, attempted to tell me what I am saying and why I am saying it. I do not believe you are so obtuse as to not know the difference.



My 'resistance' is very simply a refusal to take responsibility for what you choose to think, or why you choose to think it.

If you cannot find any other interpretation than the one you choose, then obviously the one you choose is the one you prefer.... so to what purpose would any attempt to provide you with another exist, but as an exercise in futility?

Suffice to say that my opinion is not likely to be of any overwhelming difference in the grand scheme of things, and I'm good with that.

Just call me Cassandra. (shrug)

Can we have this back on the FAQ page? Honestly it's one of the best descriptions.

I can't think of any good reason against it... but perhaps Lindens can please shed some light?

The current definition is, in my VERY simple opinion, very complicated and longwinded that would work if it had a quickread answer to tease and lead into it. A synopsis! Well, I guess that would be:



and under the main site banner it says:



Note emphasis on capitalization and addition of the word "Online", not to mention an extra comma thing!

LOLEX. So that's what I'll copy and paste.

Even with a definitive, canonical answer though, we'll still get Residents saying opposing things to Lindens, and as long as they're having a good time here, it's fine with me.

Historical lesson from techno music: the Roland TB-303 was designed to emulate a bass guitar. It sucked frog nipples at this, so some crazy bedroom producers (altho they weren't called that at the time) tweaked the sliders to make it sound like a squealing cat in heat, powering many dancefloor hits afterwards. Anyone here who has ever listened to the BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM of dance music has prolly heard a TB-303 or an imitator of it.

Lesson: The original manufacturer didn't foresee such a usage, and in response, in future synths, they included those sounds as stock presets, acknowledging their influence.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TB-303

Well let's see...

One can build a dungeon for sexual torture in Second Life, does that means Second Life is a sexual torture chamber?

One can also create avatars of children and have them perform acts upon one another. Does that mean Second Life is a pedophiliac's heaven?

One can build a replica of Auschweitz complete with gas chambers... does that mean Second Life is a Aryan playpen?

One can make a replica of the World Trade Centers and some 747's and plow into them over and over again, too.... does that mean Second Life is a terrorist planning grounds?

The above four sentences are an example of demonstrating absurdity by being absurd, folks.

Second Life is a game. What you do, or what meaning you assign to what you do has nothing at all to do with how it is labeled or why it is labeled. What Second Life is gets determined not only by how Linden Labs would like to market it, but also by how the rest of the world sees it.

Newsflash, the rest of the world, for the most part, sees it as a game.

If Linden Labs wants to change that, consistancy is key.

I'm done for now.

HEYYY CIENNA! What's up in the hood?

Yup, I agree, and I just don't know why "game" is such a bad thing though! It was like my mates trying in vain to get away from being called "techno" by using terms like "intelligent dance music". It just got very esoteric, needlessly so, and icky. I suffered in the short-term for being a simpleton but benefited in the long-term.

One thing though, LL can't change it on their own. A company's official view lends itself to being overriden by opinionated consumers. The most common usage can win out. (Good lateral example of this would be Enterprise's "These Are The Voyages", although technically canon, is not regarded by many Trekkies/Trekkers/ack words as such.)

In SL, I love the absurd! I also love what makes sense, which is sometimes absurd.

Girl, you know all that is ever up in the hood is the homies! Dayyyyumn.



I don't recall saying it was a bad thing. Only that it obviously isn't what Linden Labs wants to be known as, which is a pity, because that's what it is.



Exactly. The most common usage or 'lowest common denominator' is exactly how they are being classified in the market.

There's no doubt they could be more than a game. Hell, ANY game could be more than a game. But none of them make it beyond that because... well... that's another topic for another day.

Ooops I didn't mean to say that ~you~ said it was a bad thing. However, that seems to be the general perojative connection in discussions like these. Alas!

I say GO FOR IT! ^_^

So if the rest of the world jumped off a bridge would you do it too?

The whole thing is based on perspective. And what gets us in trouble is when anyone tells anyone else their perspective is wrong. It's best to take an open minded "It is what you want it to be." approach, which is what the former FAQ statement basicly stated.

An example is UT2k4, there are people who make a living building various parts that make it a "game", is it a game? Maybe to me, but to someone else, it's a job, it's a creative expression, etc.

Our world is built on perspective and a lot of conflicts start when others don't respect others perspectives. So to state "SL is a game" or "SL isn't a game" or to even ask "Is SL a game?" is just asking for a 70 page arguement.

Can't we all just accept that each person sees things differently and to let them make their own mind about things?

I think you're missing my point. The only perspective that matters insofar as Linden Labs succeeding in the marketplace is that of the market itself. You, I, others on the forum are customers, not prospectives. We are no longer part of that market (e.g., considering vs purchase).

What we may or may not think as individuals has very little, if any, bearing upon what the rest of the world (again, prospective, not customers) thinks. Less so upon these forums, to be sure.

"Respecting the perspectives" has nothing whatever to do with it. Understand that the perspectives on this forum are NOT the perspectives that matter when considering the question 'Is SL a game?'

Get it?

Now that's quite amazing!

That very word is the one that has been at the forefront of my thoughts whilst taking in your sarcastic, condescending responses.

I have asked for clarification ("help" in understanding the apparently profound statement contained within that first paragraph, mutiple times.

You are refusing to expand ("help" upon what you meant. I was fully willing to reconsider and/or suspend interpretation if you had indulged me by clarifying. Again, you refuse. That speaks volumes to me.

You have been argumentative, and dismissive.

You are correct, your opinion is not likely to be of any overwhelming difference in the grand scheme of things, and I'm good with that. That is abundantly clear at this point in time. The shame is, before this little exchange, I had enjoyed and appreciated your posts on these forums. Yeah, yeah, I know, you could care less what I think of you or your opinions - because you're so sure you're right anyway, and any counter thought be damned; right?

I have now come to the conclusion that you do in fact understand how that paragraph came off, are simply refusing to take responsiblity for it, and hiding behind rhetoric - "you have already made up your mind, so I am not going to indulge you". I can't even begin to address the logical fallacy contained within that type of sentiment.

An avoidance tactic. C'est la vie.

Now I leave you to your closed-minded, self-aggrandizing campaign. Enjoy!

(this smiley intended to exonerate myself from any responsibilty for any perception of slight that may be taken from my remarks)

The "perspectives on this forum" fall under categories of captive addiction and/or a strong sense of identification with the product. The "perspectives that matter" fall under categories of external marketing and are driven by appeals to gamers, developers, or common consumers who - as yet - have little in common with the forum perspective. And you say that LL has done a poor job in placing the product in a position to compete either as a game or a platform except among the ScrackL addicts who are already here.

OK... continue. What might LL do?

Without plowing through all of the posts explaining the deeper meaning of life I have concluded that Second Life is just something to do like reading a book or watching television. I don't see why Second Life, or anything else done on a computer, is so much different than any other activity.

It may or may not be a game but I don't personally give a rip as it is a nice way to spend some time each day messing around.

Passive-aggressiveness really doesn't work as well in text.

Fortunately, I had fairly well decided when you so grandly insisted I jump to meet your demands that you were on the verge of a temper tantrum and, much like my daughter, were doomed to receive the same level of support and enabling thereof (i.e., none).

So.... nice tantrum, it didn't work, you still need to work on your approach, and if disagreeing with me once sets you off from anything I might think or say in future, then all I can say to you is....

Good Riddance.

Note: My smiley is not to infer anything except my state of mind whilst saying, 'Good Riddance.'

True. Perhaps that is another reason I'll continue to say and explain why SL is not a game.

By the way... SO GLAD YOU ARE BACK TORLEY!! *HUGS*

Exactly; and to dismiss anyone’s perception of what they believe such an open ended "product" like SL is a huge mistake IMO.

I saw LL do that this week. I am used to certain ppl huffing and puffing with conjecture and insult to get their way. BUT never did I think LL would divide their own platform between its "subscribers". I can dismiss the opinions of the forum kiddies/bullies/assholes.

LL on the other hand; they are pushing SL in a certain direction. That is the part I find completely uncomfortable with. When I joined SL I understood that it was a wide open platform in which to do as I please. Suddenly I feel like a cow being prodded with a hot poker, you must go this way or else. Or else what? Leave. Hell of a choice after over 2 years of busting my ass, thanks.

I have in the past asked not once but twice in these forums for LL to answer the question "Is SL a game?" I asked this question over a year ago, around two years ago

I was told SL was anything I wanted it to be. At no time has any part of the community/player base/subscribers been told anything differently. Well, not until this week.

No that does not sit well with me. I question the motives/agenda of anyone that feels this is “just fine” What those ppl fail to realize is that this week it was this segment of the community/subscriber base/players. So which segment will be next? I am most certain this is just the beginning of the big push for a change in SL.

It’s fine to base any “game”/”platform” on a book, but a person might like to also read the ending of that book and the critics review of such a book. I believed that we would write the ending our selves, apparently that perception is a false one perpetrated by LL for the past 2+ years.

Snowcrash the book, the ending sucked and the critics hated it.

Cat

Cyan, the company responsible for MYST, recently launched URU Live, an unsuccessful concept similar to SL only set in the MYST multiverse (that's MULTIverse, NOT universe) A community of folks who wanted to continue in the spirit of Uru Live exist here on SL. A term I heard one Cyan staffer use to describe these MMO environments that use realtime 3D is:

"Persistent World"

SL is a political game, played with the Lindens on IRC and in the forums

for those who might not be aware, the irc channel referred to is #secondlife, on Efnet,.

Sluniverse.com used to have a chat room for this IRC channel, but at present when I try to use that link I get an "applet not found" message.

The @secondlife channel has some interesting chat and some knowledgeable folks in it, it's worth the time to give it a listen.

With the mIRC client, you may be able to use the text to speech function and set the voice such that you hear the chat delivered in a high pitched CThreeePio sort of voice as an etra added silliyness bonus.