The emergence of Second Life and other internet-based virtual worlds has caused quite a boom in e-commerce recently-- actually a $567 million boom in 2009 according to the Linden Lab. Tens of thousands have flocked to Second Life to create virtual avatars of themselves both for business and pleasure.
Yet, what draws so many to Second Life? Is it the unnatural ability users are granted to shape and reshape every aspect of their virtual lives? The ability to create an image of themselves that reflects their wants, hopes, and dreams? For whatever reason, business is booming. Universities are creating virtual centers of learning, entrepreneurs are launching new business ventures, and real people are spending real dollars-- $567,000,000 a year to be precise!
Surely, Second Life is here to stay. What do you have to say about Gartner's claim that "80 percent of Internet users will have a second life in the virtual world only four years from now[?]"
What Harry Means to Me
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Instead of writing a review of how great Harry Potter and the Deathly
Hallows: Part II (because it's obvious how awesome it is), I thought I
would share wh...
12 years ago
First of all, I think the amount of business done on Second Life is incredible! I mean, people are running business just on Second Life. It's crazy. Secondly, I don't think that 80% of Internet users will have a second life in the virtual world, especially not 4 years from now. Virtual life creeps out too many people (myself included) and they will not convert to Second Life. Many people, particularly older generations, have never even heard of Second Life and will not convert. I just don't see it catching on.
ReplyDeleteSecond Life itself is very good idea. However, I think there shoud be more regulations. This is because more and more people spend much money to have their place or invest to real (? i think it's more virtual) estate, as you post. It would make enormous problem.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I also don't think 80% of people will have a second life within four years, although who knows what kind of virtual-world software is currently in the works...
ReplyDeleteWhen I hear this, I begin to think of the World of Warcraft community as well. I'm sure some of you may not be willing to own up to it, but I can be pretty sure that there is a small percentile of people who haven't tried it once. I know I have. WoW and Second Life have a HUGE online presence, and not to mention the other small virtual worlds people take part in. I find 80% of internet users worldwide engaging in some form of a virtual world in the next four years to be highly possible.
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