Bonus Question2: Why is second life not a game?


Firstly, let us ask ourselves, what does the term “game” means? According to Kramer Wolfgang, a game is any activity, which is executed only for pleasure and without conscious purpose. In this definition, every activity that brings pleasure is a game. For example, people dance, play musical instruments, act in plays, and play with dolls and model trains.

After exploring second life, I feel that it is not a game, rather a virtual part of you living in the virtual world. It is different from playing games. In second life, we have to first pick characters of our likes, aka avatars. Upon choosing, you be exploring yourself in a virtual world. While Second Life is sometimes referred to as a game, it does not have points, scores, winners or losers, levels, an end-strategy, or most of the other characteristics of games. (Wikipedia, 2007)

Furthermore, Second Life has its own economy and a currency referred to as Linden Dollars (L$).Residents create new goods and services, and buy and sell them in the Second Life virtual world. There are also currency exchanges where Residents can exchange US$ or other real world currencies for L$. These exchanges are open markets, except that Linden Lab sometimes changes in world Linden Dollar "sinks" or sells Linden dollars to attempt to keep the exchange rate relatively stable. There is a 3D modeling tool in Second Life that allows any Resident with the right skills to build virtual buildings, landscape, vehicles, furniture, and machines to use, trade, or sell. This is a primary source of activity in the economy.

In a game, there must be rules, goal, and competition. In rules, it defines and the stucture of the game. Everything that is in the rules is part of the game. Everything that is not in the rules does not belong in the game. The rules are the borders and the heart of the game. (Kramer, 2000) In every game, there is a goal. The goals of a game define the purpose of the game. Lastly, competition allows winners and losers- that provides players with a purpose and motivates them to get into the game. A competition needs a system, in which the game results can be compared. The competition and the measurement of the game results are criteria, which limit the game and the cause that certain feelings will not be fulfilled throughout the game as in books, movies, and music. (Kramer, 2000)

However relating the above paragraph to second life, it seems that second life is more of an simulation (an electronic equivalent of this type of role-playing and it serves to drive synthetic environments and virtual worlds) that game. Second life reminds me of “Sims City” A game with that is not considered a “real game”- mainly to build houses and estates. Second life can act as an entertainment or leisure, or something you do online with your friends to chat and to explore or create a virtual relationship together.




Citations:
Kramer, Wolfgang (2000, December). What is a game? Retrieved April 5, 2007, from Games journal Web site: http://www.thegamesjournal.com/articles/WhatIsaGame.shtml
Wikipedia, (2007, April 04). Second Life. Retrieved April 5, 2007, from Wikipedia Web site: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_life
Fishwick, Paul (1995, October). What is simulation? Retrieved April 6, 2007, from http://www.cis.ufl.edu/~fishwick/introsim/node1.html
Levy (2006). "World of Warcraft: Is It a Game?" Retrieved April 3rd 2007 from http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14757769/site/newsweek/page/3/print/1/displaymode/1098/
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