Tim Guest just wrote a book called Second Lives, and came here to talk about virtual worlds and television. I’m keeping this a bit shorter as I think the readers of this blog probably know Virtual Worlds 101 anyway.
Guest made an interesting comparison with the American emigration, and thought the incentives to move into virtual worlds today where pretty much the same. A sense of liberty, identity and the possibilities to start something new. Philip Rosedale, CEO of Linden Lab, said that “Second Life was an antidote to TV’s “Faustian Bargain” – experience without risk”. A life without death, gravity and real loss. Interesting angle.
Some short stats:
* Guest said that Google valued Linden Lab to 1.4 billion US dollars. An impressive sum, considering they only spent 20 million so far.
* IBM have 3000 active participants in virtual meeting. An IBM exec told Guest that the shift from the internet to virtual words was as large as the one from the command line to the desktop.
Over to TV and Virtual Worlds then. Guest listed three strands:
* “Machinima”: filming for real TV in virtual worlds. Guest showed a clip of film made in Second Life for regular television. The easiest way to merge to two obviously.
* Using virtual worlds to extend TV properties. Apparently, CSI are creating an island where viewers can log on and see more of the set from the episodes. Therefore they meet other viewers and also can continue the experience after the programme is sent. Guest also showed the first live broadcast in both regular TV and in Second Life, a project made by himself and the consultancy Rivers Run Red.
* Virtual worlds as a medium for TV itself. The example Virtuallife.tv was brought up, where you can watch real TV together with others in a virtual world. It connects with the thought of the modern campfire that was mentioned in my previous post.
A good presentation, many interesting slides and clips were shown. Hope someone is filming this.
tags technorati : timguest hd highdefinition svt movingimages2007 virtualworlds secondlife
tags bloggar.se: tim guest, hd, highdefinition, svt, movingimages2007, virtuella världar, second life