So apparently I’ve been living under a rock. I’ve never heard of Second Life (SL), the virtual reality game where you can live a second life in a virtual world. To be completely honest, I think that real life is hard enough - paying real bills, finding time to interact with real people, and working numerous real-life jobs. But with all that said, I think, if anything, this is such a fascinating marketing tool.
Of course marketing has used all the tradition media outlets – newspaper, radio, magazines and TV. But with Americans, particularly teenagers, spending hours on end in front of their computer, and with the popularity of Tivo, corporations need to find another way in. This accounts for the spark in internet advertising. This is why Facebook is getting offers for some $900 million. There is huge advertising potential. So I’m really not surprised that corporations have used Second Life as a marketing tool, creating virtual stores that sell virtual products for Liden dollars.
This article does a good job of explain the corporate presence in Second Life:
http://images.businessweek.com/ss/06/10/secondlife/index_01.htm
Though I can see this marketing application, I’m not sure if I can see how effective this is as an e-learning tool for the arts, social sciences, law, psychology, archeology, or even as a training tool for corporate culture. This Second Life seems more like an entertainment thing for bored kids and adults that are spending all there time online. It reminds me a lot of the Sims, which can be so fun, but time consuming to play. How people act in a virtual world and in real life are entirely different. Second Life and the anonymity of the Internet give users the option to take on a second persona, and do things they typically wouldn’t do. So to rely on this virtual world as a research or training tool, I question how effective this is.
I’ve never played Second Life, so I’m really curious to hear if anyone has a personal experience. What role do these corporations play in SL?
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I agree with many of your points save but a few (like your comment about the Sims). SL seems like a GREAT tool to push a marketing/advertising agenda. I wouldn't be surprised to discover that the tool was designed by a bunch of marketers. I like the idea to use people.
Basically I feel, your one comment sums up SL PERFECTLY: "This Second Life seems more like an entertainment thing for bored kids and adults that are spending all there time online."
Investing 5 minutes into trying to play, I was completely bored. It just didn't hold my interest. It did remind me of the Sims, because I had the same problem: 10 minutes into playing I was bored to tears. But I guess if it is attracting users then I better learn about it for my marketing minor...
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