avatars as media stars: second life as a global media event
TRANSCRIPT
1
Sebastian KlementProf. Dr. Caja ThimmIfK/Medienwissenschaft
Avatars as media Stars: Second Life as a Global Media Event
2
1. Second Life as a media event
2. Avatars as media stars
3. Media events in Second Life and Real Life
4. Future of Second Life
3
Facts about Second Life
4
Explore Create
Socialize Have fun
Second Life is not an online computer game
5
Cybermoney in Second Life: Linden$• 1 US$ = 270 Linden$• Buy and sell Linden$ from Linden Lab• Spend the money for …• Earn money, get rich (?)
6
Capitalbusiness magazine
7
DER SPIEGELweekly journal
8FAZ, national newspaper
9
Avatars as media stars
Getting started in Second Life:All you need is an avatar…
10
Avatars are…
• Internet user´s representation of himself or herself,such representations can explore the virtual universe
• avatars can be in the form of a 3D model (computer games)or a two-dimensional icon (Internet forums, other communities) • origin derives from the Sanscript word Avatara, meaning “incarnation”
• Use of Avatar to mean online virtual body was popularisedby Neal Stephenson in his cyberpunk novel Snow Crash (1992)
11
12
13
Who do you want to be? Editing the appearence…
14
15
Founder of Second Life“: Philip Linden
16
The Businesswoman: Anshe Chung
17
Real Life meets Second Life: famous ex-general manager Calmund talks about his involvement in Second Life
18
Rainer Calmund presents his Second Life project on TV (Stern TV)
19Calmund becomes an avatar
20
21
22His new appearence
23
Calmund as avatar in Second Life
24
64.000 virtual m² „Calli´s Island“
25
Real life meets Second Life
26
Media events in Second Life and Real Life
Mass media in Second Life
27
Newspaper: The Avastar
28
Avastar headquarters
29
• December 2006:German tabloid giant „Bild“ launched this in-world virtual newspaper
• provides news, entertainment, service and orientation for the residents
• issue costs 150 Linden$
• being sold through street vendors and self-service boxes
• 4 editors and many freelancers provide the news in Second Life
30
Television: Life-4-U
31
Headquarters Life-4-U
32
Animated anchorman
33
TV event: live broadcasting of Lang Lang´s concert
34
Also available in Real Life. Lang Lang on YouTube
35
Lang Lang in the press: coverage before and after the concert
36
Spreading the news: free television to go
37
News agency: Reuters
38
REUTERS News Center: Second Life and Real Life News
39
Headquarters: Reuters
40
The link between Second Life and Real Life
41
Reuters Auditorium
42
Live interview with Desmond Tutu
43
Mixed media event: Desmond Tutu and interviewer in Cape Town
44
Live avatar audience listen to the interview
45
The future of Second Life
• Second Life overhyped?
• Importance of Second Life as a space for social and technological experimentation
• eventisation, no future without media events in SL
• allowing its members freedom in how they create their world
place where we can try out the technologies, improve the interfaces and figure out what forms of social relationship work online
early stage in building usable and useful online environments
46
Thank you for your attention.
Kontakt:Prof. Dr. Caja Thimm: [email protected] Klement: [email protected]