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The Virtual Whirl: A brief history of Second Life, 2008-2010 and beyond
This week, we cover the final installment of our summarized history of Second Life and Linden Lab (check out the first installment or the second, if you missed them). It's only possible to cover a tiny fraction of the events that took place in the space we have here, but the highlights paint an interesting picture. We'll be working our way from 2008 to June 2010, and looking at what future directions we expect from there.
Cinemassively: The Future of Virtual Worlds
Forget for a minute that this is an advertisement for the virtual worlds development company, Millions of Us. It's also a great video that discusses the future of these emerging platforms. Narrated by Reuben Steiger, the CEO of MoU, we're taken on a journey through the three major past, present, and future developments in virtual worlds this year. From Sony's Home, to Google Lively, all the way to in-browser worlds embedded on your Facebook pages, the road ahead is pretty exciting![Thanks, Eric!]If you have machinima or movie suggestions from any MMO, please send them to machinima AT massively DOT com, along with any information you might have about them.
Cinemassively: Real Biz in SL chats with Millions of Us
Christian Lassonde, of Millions of Us, appeared on the Real Biz in SL show to discuss their work in Second Life. They recently announced that they would be bringing celebrity likenesses into virtual worlds, including SL. Cybergrrl Oh grilled Chris on the important questions, including their investment in the platform, their return on the investment, what kind of metrics they employ, whether it's worth being there, and if MoU will continue to stay. While most of the answers sounded prepared, it was still informative! To check out the full half hour program, visit the show page on SLCN.tv.If you have machinima or movie suggestions from any MMO, please send them to machinima AT massively DOT com, along with any information you might have about them.
Virtual Greats to sell celebrity likenesses
And not just likenesses. Metaverse developer Millions of Us intends to market likenesses, hair-styles, catchphrases, dance moves, signature moves, clothing lines, furniture collections -- you name it -- based on well-known celebs all under the banner business name of Virtual Greats. These appearances and digital accessories would be sold in dozens of virtual worlds, though you'll probably see them in Gaia Online, Habbo and Second Life first. Deals have already been done with Justin Timberlake, Elvis Presley Enterprises, Snoop Dogg, Paris Hilton, Raven Symone, Marvel (for The Incredible Hulk), and Tila Tequila, and more are in the works.
Virtual World ad agency already at home on Home
According to a recent report from the Virtual Worlds 2008 conference, Millions of Us, an advertising agency specializing in the production of marketing campaigns in virtual worlds, is already hard at work developing projects for Sony's Playstation 3-based Home. According to Millions of Us president and co-founder Christian Lassonde, "Certainly I think in the future, console manufacturers will get into user-generated content." We weren't aware that advertising for Pontiac was considered user-generated content these days, but we'll give them a free pass because we're probably taking that quote out of context.In any case, it may be telling that advertisers are getting early access to Sony's anticipated new virtual world while the would-be customers and fanboys are still waiting outside the gate trying to sneak a peak where we can, in the cold. It may also be raining, it's hard to tell. Home is seeming more and more like a transparently corporate tool for selling us on the next big product and less like the free-wheeling virtual wild west we're used to seeing from this category. We're OK with that, at least for now, just let us play the damn thing already!
Cisco opens virtual hospital in Second Life and IBM ... doesn't
Two hospitals opened up in Second Life today. Except only one actually did any opening. IBM's Virtual Health Center actually isn't open to the public. Rumors of its opening seem to be greatly exaggerated, and are largely confined to the press-release and coverage by folks who didn't actually try to visit it. We've asked IBM what's up with that, and we're waiting for an answer - so we can't even show you a picture of the place. So, the more interesting hospital (ie: the one we could actually look at) comes to us courtesy of Cisco, Palomar Pomerado Health, and metaverse developers Millions-of-us. The design of the hospital is exceptionally modern, and the Second Life version of the hospital is - essentially - a model of the physical campus that will be built (by the year 2011) in San Diego, California, all packed with top-of-the-line, medical-grade Cisco technology. Palomar West hospital has its own Second Life account registration portal, and a video tour. On the whole, the campus is very pretty. It's as 21st century as you could hope to see, without flying cars.
GDC 08: Entertainment content convergence in online worlds
We spent most of Monday ensconced in the GDC Worlds in Motion summit track, which made "standing room only" seem extremely spacious -- most of the sessions were packed to the gills and then some. It seems like more than a few industry types are interested in the intersections between gaming and virtual worlds. Case in point, the following session we've paraphrased (hopefully not too liberally!) from Reuben Steiger, CEO of Milllions of Us, a company that builds marketing campaigns and content for virtual worlds. Reuben: Storytelling is the bedrock of human culture. (Looking at a slide with a real campfire on the left and a user-created campfire in Second Life on the right) -- users in virtual worlds are recreating this storytelling tradition. I'm going to make a contention: the internet has failed as a storytelling medium. Instead, the norm is bathroom humor and ridiculous jokes. So virtual worlds: are they games or not? What defines a game -- linguists and semioticians get real worked up about it. The audience might say "virtual worlds are games without rules, competition, goals or fun." And it's hard to blame them. Extreme openness has defined virtual worlds, where fun can be in a way you define as opposed to what some game developer feels is fun. But the appeal of virtual worlds is that we can tell stories on a broader and less walled playing field.
Cinemassively: Sand, Episode 3.5
At last, we have a conclusion to the Sand series. Episode 3.5, also directed by PG Provenzano, while short, answers all the questions from earlier episodes.While two of the Colonists are struggling for control of the weapon that was previously aimed at Gwen, the third works on releasing her. As she is freed from her sleep state, the weapon goes off, killing one of the explorers. With another knocked out, the third searches for something on his body. Read on for more about the story conclusion ...
Cinemassively: Sand, Episode 3
We're down to the last two episodes of the Sand saga. In Episode 3, directed by PG Provenzano, we learn that the mysterious lady's name is Gwen. The Colonists find her in a sleep chamber, but she communicates with them through a video screen nearby. She explains that the war for sunlight saw many victims, including her family.As a scientist, she knew how to solve the problem, but she misjudged. Scion City's water crystallized and turned to sand. When one of the Colonists decides to avenge the death of the citizens, the others attempt to take him down. Tune in tomorrow for the exciting conclusion to the story!Read on for more tidbits about the filming of the series ...
Cinemassively: Sand, Episode 2
The plot thickens as Episode 2, directed by Trace Sanderson, of the series sheds more light on the downfall of Scion City. The citizens relied on the sun for power, but when a great darkness came over the island, they only had one hour of it per day. Some colonists fled to the outer asteroids, which is where the group of explorers, whom we now know to be part of the founding Interstellar Colonists, came from. This led to two factions being formed in order to horde the energy. The Augmentationists, or Auggies, converted their cars into armor, and the Immersionists, or Mershers, became human machines that merged their bodies with SciTek. However, neither side won, as they lost all sunlight.One of the colonists is still having a sense of deja vu and is determined to rescue the mysterious lady. With their vehicle destroyed, the only thing they can do is go further down ...Read on for more facts about the series ...
Cinemassively: Sand, Episode 1.5
Episode 1.5, also directed by Michael Verdi, was originally part of Episode 1, but they broke it up in order to keep them short. So far, the story has taken us to a hatch, which they've attempted to open with the vehicle that they found. As they peer down the now open hatch, another transmission from the mysterious lady comes through. She is apparently the last remaining citizen and is in some kind of sleep state. One of the explorers believes that he has seen her before, but he can't place her face. After some contemplation, they decide to go down ...What's in the hatch? Will Scion City be waiting for them if they go down there? Have you found any clues yet?
Cinemassively: Sand, Episode 1
If you're just tuning in, we've been following the storyline of Scion City in Second Life. So far, they've discovered a vehicle that allowed them to uncover a transmission device. A mysterious woman transmits a message to them, but it is not yet clear what she wants ...Episode 1, directed by Michael Verdi, sees one of the explorers doubting that any life could exist below the sand. The transmission device begins playing the commercial for Scion City, which gives them the idea that if they unearth the structure, they'll have enough power to save their colony. After a bit of digging, they find a vehicle with a skeleton in it, and a hatch that leads to something. When they struggle to open it, an explorer decides to use the vehicle they found in Episode 0 to help. Did they survive the crash? What's inside the hatch? Tune in tomorrow for more of the story!Read on for more trivia about the films ...
Cinemassively: What is Scion City?
It looks like Millions of Us has some kind of Alternate Reality Game (ARG) going on in Scion City. They are encouraging user submissions in order to uncover clues about what went on in the fictional Second Life city. The first video release is a promotional commercial about the origins of Scion City.In the clip, the island is portrayed as a place to escape from troubled times and explore a new way of life. The people are always on the move and have visions of tomorrow. This is made possible by SciTek, a nanotechnology bioalloy that is powered by the sun. What could this mean for the future of the people?Over the next week, we'll be exploring the strange events that have occurred. Each video will hopefully lead us closer to the answer that they're seeking. In the meantime, explore their website and see what you can come up with!
The Second Life Philip Linden/Gavin Newsom Fireside Chat, part 2
This is the second of two parts to the Fireside Chat between Second Life's Philip Rosedale (aka Philip Linden) and San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom at the New Globe Theater, a meeting held and sponsored by Millions of Us, a metaverse development company (MDC), with Reuben Millionsofus as moderator. This is the mp3 and transcript of part two of the chat. You can hear and read part 1 here. Enjoy![Mp3] Download the MP3 directly[Thanks, Celebrity!]
The Second Life Philip Linden/Gavin Newsom Fireside Chat, Part 1
As reported here, today saw the meeting of minds between Second Life's Philip Rosedale (aka Philip Linden) and San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom at the New Globe Theater, a meeting held and sponsored by Millions of Us, a metaverse development company (MDC), with Reuben Millionsofus as moderator. This is the mp3 and transcript of part one of the chat. I have chosen to edit out of the transcript, for the most part, verbal tics that don't contribute to the content of the chat, but these elements remain in the mp3. If you're unfamiliar with Second Life, every now and then you'll hear what sounds like a Polaroid camera going off -- this is the sound of in-world snapshots being taken of the proceedings. You will also hear typing sounds from time to time -- this is the default typing animation sound.Part two will go up tomorrow at this time. Enjoy![Mp3] Download the MP3 directly[Thanks, Celebrity!]
Mayor Newsom to make another SL appearance
Mayor Gavin Newsom's not completely a stranger to Second Life, having been interviewed by Reuters' Adam Pasick in Second Life at the WEF media event in Davos, twelve months ago. Well, Newsom's back at the New Globe Theater in Second Life for an discussion with Philip Rosedale over the parallels, opportunities and challenges of managing two famously diverse, tech-savvy and dynamic communities with global profiles: the City of San Francisco, and Second Life. Newsom will also be discussing his priorities for his next term, and both Rosedale and Newsom will be taking questions.
Cinemassively: UES Insider - Noob to Knockout
Warner Brothers created a promotional Machinima showing the Metaverse Mod Squad making over a newbie in Second Life. It is narrated by Gossip Girl, the character in the TV show that anonymously blogs all the happenings in Manhattan's Upper East Side. She starts out by explaining that there was an asian-themed party for Blair Waldorf's 17th birthday. All of the familiar faces were there, but a mystery girl stood out in the crowd. They go on to show how she went from "noob to knockout."The video, created by WB Worldwide TV Marketing – New Media, in conjunction with Reitz-Lange Productions, is a fun look at what goes on in the Gossip Girl sims. However, it could have been so much better had they not left the UI in the shots. You can clearly see chat going on in the bottom left corner. Another complaint is that the press release calls it an "animated video." This is supposedly the first in "The Upper East Side Insider" series, so hopefully next time they'll call it what it is; Machinima.[Thanks, Stormy!]
48 Hour Film Project in Second Life
Aspiring Machinimists, this is your chance to show the world your unique vision. The 48 Hour Film Project is an event meant to showcase the creativity and innovation of filmmakers around the world. The idea is simple: you have a weekend to create a movie. On Friday night, you get a character, a prop, a line of dialogue and a genre, all to include in your movie. Simple, no?Now it's been opened to Second Life, with the goal being a Machinima at the end of the weekend. Same structure, same rules. This event is being co-held with Millions of Us in conjunction with the 48 Hour Film Project. It all begins Friday, January 11th at 4:00 p.m. SL Time, and ends the following Sunday. Every entry will screen in the New Globe Theater in SL on Wednesday, January 16th and Thursday, January 17th starting at 5:00 p.m. SL Time. The winning movie will be screened in real life at Cinequest in San Jose, CA, March 2008. Start your planning now; it's harder than it sounds![Thanks, Celebrity!]
Second Life: sweeter than ever
Do you want to help make Second Life a sweeter place? Well now you can.Once you've logged on to your avatar, simply go to Splenda Island. Once there, click on the caramel apple, and you'll be provided with the information you need to submit your suggestions to the Millions of us team on how to make life sweeter. And yes, you can submit a picture, as well: just make sure that you've attached your name to it, so that it can be associated with your entry.So get your entries in as quickly as possible. The deadline is 30 November, and Second Life residents will have the opportunity to vote on the five finalists' entries once they've been chosen. The best part? Not only will the winner see their idea built out in Second Life, they'll also win a trip for two to Canyon Ranch in Arizona.[Via Millions of us]
Cinemassively: Video blogging as a form of expression
I know what you're thinking. This isn't Machinima! That's the beauty of vlogging, though. It could be. Vlogging, short for video blogging, is just that; a spoken blog entry recorded on film. It might consist of words on your screen, footage of your real life typist, Machinima of your avatar, or all three. It's also not limited to any platform, either. You could even vlog in WoW or LotRO.Michael Verdi, previously mentioned on Cinemassively for his Coca Cola Virtual Thirst video in Second Life, is best known for his vlogging site, freevlog. He is also an author of a book on vlogging, Secrets of Videoblogging. In this video, he uses all three methods discussed to showcase what goes on in his work with Millions of Us, a development company in SL and other worlds.I'll admit that the main reason I can't stop watching the video is the background music, created by Bart Cheever, VP of Production at MoU. However, it's also nice to see how surprisingly normal they all look. We see them chatting about business, bouncing around ideas, goofing off, and wearing their signature jumpsuits. While I'm sure their creative process isn't all fun and games, this gives us a glimpse of their routine. How do you choose to express yourself?
