Pretty cutting yet largely logical article about Second Life at Valleywag. It basically points out the hype around this virtual world and questions its seeming ubiquity. Here’s another one at Techdirt, and some great analysis at reBang.

Although I’ve found it amusing at best, I have to say I’ve found it strangely devoid of users. I was expecting something more along the lines of a larger city I suppose.

I poked around Second Life the other day, hoping to find a group of people I could annoy or be entertained by. I realized on the map you can see others in the form of green dots. When I tracked down an interesting-looking congregation of virtual humans, it was yet another scene I’ve found quite typical: a slightly seedy night-club type location, a few games and slot machines scattered around, and most of the people either asleep in chairs or on dance pads trying to earn money. Not too sticky, there.

There’s no lack of business environments: malls, office parks, clubs, castles, all of which are strangely devoid of people. I guess a lot of these locations are being built in advance of a rush of people still to arrive.

Second Life is described as a “try me” virus which is probably a pretty apt metaphor. Earlier today I remembered Pandora, and I remember trying that site about a year ago, and hadn’t been back since. I wonder if they still count me as an “active user”? Same thing with Skype. Or Fandango. Or even Slashdot, now that I think of it. There’s nothing wrong with “try me” at all. It’s of course pretty awesome to get so many people registering and checking out a site (Second Life claims two million?). But the second half of the equation is the “stickiness,” which I’m not convinced Second Life has.

Lastly, some comments about the whole idea of creating a virtual world. One thing that has already annoyed me about Second Life is how I had to “learn” how to play a slot machine. Ideally a screen should just pop up showing what’s on the slot machine panel (like a magnifier). Why should I be squinting at a simulated slot machine in a virtual world and moving a virtual hand to click virtual buttons? Recreating a physical environment exactly can obviously create more problems where there doesn’t need to be any.

An awesome virtual world should make clear distincions between what’s worth simulating and what’s not. It’s not worth simulating tooth decay and brushing teeth. Or turning pages in a book to read. Or driving a car by pressing a gas pedal and virtually turning a wheel. Daily inconveniences should be eliminated, but time must be invested into simulating activities that are pleasurable and fun. I can’t say I’ve had loads of fun in Second Life – mostly just felt broke and lost.

The awesome virtual world needs to pull in more thought from successful, entertaining video games. I’m thinking of The Sims and World of Warcraft. Where’s my Wii?

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