Car nuts hate Second Life?
Ok, you guys know I don't normally write about stuff like this, but I was kind of surprised and rather disappointed when I read the comments people have left on Autoblog's article entitled More automakers leading a Second Life. Most commenters stated that they found SL boring and stopped using it after only an hour, then uninstalled it from their computers.
I can't really argue against someone's opinion of SL; but I just can't help but wonder why they feel that way, and the rest of us (my blog audience, my friends, and probably millions of others) feel completely the opposite way.
Discuss!
20 comments:
The RL Mr. B. and I are car nuts. I love SL. He can't get into it. He'd rather sit in front of his computer for hours at a time watching car videos, windowshopping for modifications for our 2004 Mustang Mach1, and talking to other car enthusiasts, than being in SL.
He says that he finds FPS's to be more engaging for him and that SL is frustrating, just because of the learning curve and because there doesn't seem to be as much "action."
He'll sit in front of his PS2 and drive pixelated cars on Gran Turismo 4, for days at a time, without interacting with anyone else (except maybe me), and finds that to be stimulating.
All I can tell you is, I've always been a chatter, a networker, a social person even online, and he hasn't always been -- that seems to be our big difference in personalities. I show him the amazing things I can do and see in SL and it'll keep him engaged for a short time, but never for long enough that he feels like he wants to be a part of it.
Oh, I probably should have come clean in my post and said that I am not quite a "car nut" but something of an auto enthusiast and a fan (and owner) of motorycles.
Admittedly, while there are a bunch of offerings for the car and motorcycle enthusiast in SL, they pale in comparison to dedicated simulations that you can get by playing a game console. The experience of driving a vehicle in SL is often unintentionally humorous and fun, or it can also be quite frustrating, depending on how you look at it. While I can understand a car nut being very disappointed in SL as far as that goes, there's so much more to see and do.
However, even *I* find myself hardly ever riding the three motorcycles I own in SL, and one of them is a custom-made replica of a bike I own in RL that Chloe had made for me (I still have to take a picture of it sometime).
I think far too many folk come into SL expecting it to be a "game". In the sense that it offers interactive virtual entertainment it is a game, but it lacks the purpose, structure, rules and strategy of a traditional game and that throws people, car nuts or not.
Creating an SL account is like being given an enormous box with a limitless supply of every single type of Lego brick. It not a matter of "what can I build?" (anything you want!) but "what do I want to build?" Most people will not (or cannot) commit the time, energy and imagination to explore, learn, and foster new friendships. Do that much and you soon enough choose one of what will doubtless be many different personal paths.
Without wishing to sound elitist (cos I am not) I think SL is a better place for being populated by such a high percentage of folk who really are trying to find that path. I've played a few MMORPGs and I find the usual crowd in those places to be dull lot focussed on accumulating points, wealth and/or reputation :)
I think that as media like SL become better understood (they are here to stay in one form or another) people will have a better idea of what to expect from them and they'll arrive with a better idea of what they want to do.
I hope! ;)
Now if I could just convince you to ride that motorcycle instead of the RL one . . . :)
There are many reasons some people find Sl boring.
Large part of that group expect a game, defined goals and score system. They hate what keeps most of the SL'ers in SL: freedom to chose the path, activities and absence of scoring system and score pressure.
One part will find learning curve too steep, which is something that always puzzled me.
After all, we all have our ways to kill time and have fun.
Very well-put, Wolf! I agree with you.
Haha, Chloe...riding a motorcycle in SL is nowhere near as fun or satisfying as riding one in RL. I wish it were! It would be a *lot* safer =)
Absolutely, Dandellion. There's a learning curve, and you *will* need more than an hour, but it's really not *that* bad. And actually I found the learning part quite fun, as I'm sure most others did/do.
I agree with Wolf. I have played a few MMORPGs starting with Ultima Online and the last one I left was Star Wars Galaxies (I was a dancer for the social aspect =D). Most of these games are populated with power gamers who grind and grind and grind and grind and grind etc etc. YAWN. I love SL as it offers a choice of an infinite array of themes to roleplay in and there is no grinding only creative story telling. It is what I craved all along. SOCIAL CONTACT with people at the keyboard! Though this isn't for everybody as some people prefer structure and a goals based leveling system and actually do enjoy it. So I guess it is each to their own.
Ok, I have to repeat one comment here because it made me laugh out loud, and I believe it was completely sincere:
"Second Life is dead. There was a great article on it in Wired. It was all about clueless companies dumping money hoping that it would become the next Myspace."
It was in Wired, so it must be true! Just ignore the ever-growing signup rate and concurrent users. Ha!
Obviously these guys never made it to the nude beach... I wonder if they ever got beyond the orientation island or even interacted with the locals.
Haha, it's true, Gin! They couldn't find the stip clubs in under an hour, so they gave up ;-)
It takes a special kind of kjinx tnot to get into strip club in SL in the first hour of life.
I'm also guessing that "auto enthusiasts" would rather be in the garage tinkering than sitting online in sl tinkering. Just a thought
Not necessarily...a lot of car enthusiasts are really into playing videogames too, especially driving ones. Or at least the ones I know, anyway.
Second Life sets you free. There are no quests, no levels to work towards. One can't slay a dragon for its scale to sell in the marketplace. As in real life, there are people incapable of building their lives around free will and creativity. That's my two-cent opinion.
Very true, Sera!
Rosie, Wolf and Dandellion all made a good analysis. You can't expect all humans to like the same thing. Moreover, our 'time' we can spend on stuff is limited, so we put priorities. If driving a hot looking car is one, well.. it's more easy on a PS3. Especially if you want speed, detailed car and tracks, ... . If you want to drive a semi-hot looking car, pick up your friends and decide on the spur where you guys are going on a roadtrip, you should use Second Life. ;)
Im a carnut and I love SL. Im not only a carnut but I work on cars for a living, and I love coming home to be able to sit down relax and talk to some good friends.
You have to remember carnuts alot of times cannot concentrate on anything more than a few seconds, least i know thats how most mechanics are. SL isn't a game to be generalized as one group of people will or will not like it. Its one of those : you either like it or you dont : type programs. A glorified chatroom almost.
Some people like action. And some like interaction.
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