The Second Life online game is the most popular virtual world available today. The site boasts over 1 million dedicated users who visit and exist within the Second Life virtual world.
You may be asking what exactly Second Life is and why it matters. Well, according to industry experts it matters quite a bit – the Second Life online game has been called the next wave of the internet revolution. Second Life users conduct business as well as live out their “second lifes” and fantasies in this unique virtual realm. Corporations, universities, non-profits and governments also use Second Life to enhance their productivity.
Getting Started
It is easy to get started with Second Life. Linden Lab, the site’s creator, offer two types of membership – free and premium. The premium membership requires a paid fee but allows you to own land and get a 300 linden dollars, the Second Life currency, weekly stipend. The type of membership you sign up for depends on what you will be doing in the Second Life virtual world, just having fun or developing serious business.
To interact with other Second Lifers you will need to have an avatar. Your avatar is your representative in the Second Life online game and can be realistic or a total fantasy. The site has an easy to follow module that allows you to create the perfect avatar.
Once you have customized your avatar you are ready to begin socializing and exploring the Second Life site. It is highly recommended that you spend time visiting the many different sites and locations in this virtual world and meeting as many people as possible before making any firm decisions or commitments as to starting a business or joining a group.
Chatting
Avatars communicate with each other via real time chat in the Second Life online game. You can speak with anyone and will find that many users actually network for their real world careers in the virtual Second Life world.
Currently, chatting is accomplished using a texting format. Users type in what they want their avatar to say and it instantly appears on the screen. Ditto for the response you will receive. There is another more sophisticated way to communicate orally through voice chat. You speak directly to a microphone and everybody near you in-world can hear your real voice.
And On it Goes
You will see that the Second Life game has endless possibilities and applications. Many users are just there to have fun. Entertainment centers have games, bars and clubs and sponsor real world band concerts and singer performances. Art lovers can visit famous museums and expositions all over the world and it is always fun to shop in the many Second Life stores and malls.
Second Lifers also use the site to create an economy. Stores selling goods and offering services abound in the Second Life online game. You will find educationally opportunities and real world business platforms. Several enterprises and educational institutions have created public and private online 3D spaces in Second Life.
Second Life – it is everything you want it to be and so much more.