If I understood the crew right (we recorded the segment last Friday), I should be on tonight's "Attack of the Show" from G4TV, debating David Ewalt of Forbes.com on that most perennial of topics, "Is Second Life overhyped?" Hard to know how I came across, what with my only direct connection to the show an ear bub and a microphone, trying to interject comments into a threeway crosschat, but hopefully I managed to work in a few solid points. The frustrating thing to me is that I'd welcome a meaningful debate on Second Life's prospects, but so far, it's been largely confined to a poorly-framed argument over user numbers.
Scalability and a frustrating user interface/first hour experience remain Second Life's most serious challenges, but then, these conversations rarely even get to those points (if the anti-SL side is even aware of them), and instead we're left debating whether the world has 3 million or 300,000 active Residents. (Or 20,000, or whatever number seemed relevant at a glance two or three weeks ago.) Like I told one of the show's producers, it might actually be better if I debated myself, because then I could at least make it look like a fair fight.
Anyway, show's supposed to air at 7pm, PST and EST. Check, as they say, your local listings.
I hope the debate will be podcasted or youtube'd. I can't watch the show yet the topic really interests me.
Posted by: Vincent | Monday, February 19, 2007 at 03:55 PM
You came off as a rude jerk. That whole 2nd life looks dumb anyways. Better to enjoy your actual life.
Posted by: yomomma | Monday, February 19, 2007 at 04:44 PM
Why did you keep interrupting the other guy, just because he disagrees with you?
You've got the cart ahead of the horse, a bit. You can't claim he doesn't like the game 'because he doesn't play it enough'. Rather, he doesn't play it, because he doesn't find it interesting.
Posted by: Marc | Monday, February 19, 2007 at 07:26 PM
I'd rather not interrupt, but it's hard not to, when you can't see who's talking to you, and the format makes it difficult for a meaningful back and forth. Ewalt's objection seemed to be that he didn't like SL as a gamer, so I was trying to figure out if he'd tried SL-based games like Samurai Island or Midian City.
Posted by: Hamlet Au | Monday, February 19, 2007 at 07:39 PM
yomomma, do you watch TV, read fiction, or surf the web? If so, you should pay attention to *your* actual life instead of getting in a twist about someone else's entertainment choices.
Posted by: Cyn Vandeverre | Tuesday, February 20, 2007 at 12:28 PM
I watched the episode and James you totally won the fight. The "over eager to make a name for himself" writer dropped the ball when he admitted that he "still logs on...all the time" and the other major point came from what sounded like poor proformance of his computer to run the game (I am betting he has a year and a half old, iBook and a very mid level one at that.)
There is going to be a bunch of backlash from the market due to the fact that SL is Free to all who want to use it...Not $49.95 plus monthly fees like most other "Games". We are going to hear more and more negative ads against SL from several segments of the market.
James your points were spot on and the admission that involvement in SL is much like the beginning boom of the BLOGS in the political scene.
Posted by: Tyrovant Talbot | Tuesday, February 20, 2007 at 04:56 PM
From the point of view of the audience, you came across as the big bully who only wins an argument by bashing the other guy's opinion. You interupted him often with "nuh-uh, you're a stupid-head"-style remarks and when he tried to interupt you (3 second delay and all), you basically told him to shut up and sit down (in tone, not words).Neither one of you really solidified your points and I almost felt like I wasted my time trying to figure out what those points were. My advice is to stay out of those booby-trapped debates like this one was.
Posted by: Disappointed | Wednesday, February 21, 2007 at 10:08 AM
Hey G4 SL is not WOW talk about smoke and mirrors!
I think you did a good job of defending the validity of SL. You looked cool and hip, verses the dweebish looking backpedaler from Forbes. We’ll see if G4 would run this segment again in a year when SL reaches the 1M daily users. I know I’ll be there. I also like the comment of the previous post about his PC, Someone should tell him if your going to be on national television talking about computer programs, at least do us a favor and get one that works.
Keep up the good work keeping us informed..
Posted by: Neth Paster | Wednesday, February 21, 2007 at 10:21 AM
I agree, you came off like a jerk. "Dude, let me finish". Then the next time David talks you interrupt him... real nice. Second Life would be better if it weren't so damn boring. Er, I mean edgy. ;)
Posted by: unimpressed | Wednesday, February 21, 2007 at 06:03 PM
Yay, we have the G4 Forum ranting on your blog! Wewt.
Anywho, I did watch it, and it seems that "forbes guy" never landed outside of Orientation Island / Welcome Area. The host and the "forbes guy" said their are only 20 - 30k playing Second Life and that the total users signed up means total downloads. You have to remember, they had a poll who had a 75%-ish of people that do not like Second Life. Personally, I think they had you on to down Second Life and not to help argue. I personally believe it was a 2 vs 1 battle against Hamlet and he just did what he could to get the point across.
Also, why is someone from Forbes, the big business magazine thing that seems only useful to entrepreneurs and accountants, get to have an advantage-review on a "game?" He reminds me of someone you see in a Staples commercial wanting to push the Easy Button. He dint have any proof other than "I didn't like it much, so don't ever play it."
I think the argument was originally supposed to be commercialism in Second Life and it turned into Why Second Life is bad "in my opinion" type of rant. I did like the "Dude" flair because the forbes guy, again, was a prick and probably played for no more than 10 minutes. Oh, Im sorry, he played "many times," so that means he played for 3 minutes, 4 times. Maybe it would have been a little more fair if they had someone from a credible source like a gaming magazine, even a popular science magazine if they wanted to argue like that. Oh, don't forget, this is G4 -- the "we can read a teleprompter of preplanned stupidity, and think we are kewl" set of shows who is mainly known for their excessive showing of Cops, Cheaters, and Star Trek WITH ON SCREEN STATS!
I applaude Hamlet for the interview. Everything his said was hard fact. Hamlet doesn't like to be interrupted and the Forbes guy didn't like to be proven incorrect on anything.
Sorry about the rant
--Ming Chen
Posted by: Ming Chen | Thursday, February 22, 2007 at 01:54 PM
Oh, to add on to my comment:
Anyone else notice that some of those who have "dissed" Hamlet in reply to this entry is:
yomomma
disappointed
unimpessed
all with fake links and email addresses. That shows maturity and probably their age.
Posted by: Ming Chen | Thursday, February 22, 2007 at 01:58 PM
You came across as a jackass. Second life is lame, your lame! live in the real world and get a hair cut.
Posted by: Dude | Thursday, February 22, 2007 at 09:33 PM