Philip Rosedale, founder of virtual reality world Second Life, is back. After 13 years of abstinence, he popped back into the operating company Linden Lab in January with money, a team and a number of patents. What is he up to? It is widely believed that Mark Zuckerberg accidentally reactivated it when he renamed his corporation “Meta”. Because what Meta, Roblox, Epic Games & Co envision about an upcoming Metaverse, Rosedale already envisioned 20 years ago and has long since de-envisioned.
The idea was: We all stumble as avatars through a 3-D internet that we build and develop ourselves, in order to shop there, for example. It did not work. The new idea is now: back to this future, only this time with virtual reality glasses. As a Second Life native who owns land, that doesn’t leave me indifferent. After 13 years of abstinence, I also want to see what’s still going on there. I’m as excited as I am before a trip home that I haven’t seen in a long time. “A new world is waiting…” I read, and boom, here I am. My lot is still perfectly sloppy, the teleport to the skybox intact. Fine.
In the south, the typically angular lichen wasteland has spread a little further. To the west, a new neighbor put up a wooden fence, probably to keep his customers from seeing my trash. He runs a 24-hour shop, but only for invited guests. I crash into his digital barrier, stagger and continue flying through the empty, reluctantly building area. Further to the west, a new part of the city has emerged – including the extinct one. Everything as usual. Nothing is going on. Although 200,000 of the 70 million registered log in every day, they are difficult to find. Even the most popular places have a maximum of 30 people, including “Baroness Deville”, “Lesbian” and “Huge Penis Haver”. Could I impress them with a virtual Gucci handbag? Recently one was said to have been sold on Roblox for 4,000 dollars, the real counterpart of which only costs 500.
Cell phones and computers hardly exist in Second Life
Brilliant, think the meta-visionaries. There could be concerts in front of a million avatars, a ticket for five dollars. It’s going to be so good: musicians don’t have to tour anymore, they can see their children instead. The programmers cough. Currently, 100 people can be well organized in one spot. Philip Rosedale thinks little of VR glasses. Because when you have them on, you can neither use your cell phone nor type. “That’s really incredibly bad.” He was right and accidentally named the poodle’s core: Cell phones, computers, VR glasses and game consoles are hardly widespread in Second Life. Avatars stand around and talk, sit by rippling water, stare into campfires in front of caravans.
What is that supposed to be? Digital detox, escapism in pre-digital worlds, longing for the analogue. Scenes like this don’t go unnoticed! The new Metaverse needs better role models. It’s simple: instead of logging me out, my avatar simply pulls out his cell phone, puts on his VR glasses or goes to his work computer. While he creates such a pleasantly authentic atmosphere in the Metaverse, I can go about my business on Earth.
70 million avatars gambling and otherwise digitally busy remind me: Too much earth screen time is not good for you, report back to the Metaverse soon – via mobile phone, computer or VR glasses. If we want our avatars to truly represent ourselves, then they need digital devices. Otherwise it is clear how this ends again.