New World Notes

Other World Notes: How Habbo Beat Zynga at the Virtual World Game

If you think Facebook is the sole model of social games and virtual worlds, think again: With 15 million monthly users, a web-based world for teens with the odd name of Habbo is larger than most of Facebook’s top games, including Zynga’s virtual world YoVille, which counted nearly 20 million monthlies last year, but has since shrunk to nearly 9 million. Habbo, by contrast, has been growing fairly steadily since its launch in 2000. How did they do it, and what can social games learn from Sulake’s success? Read the rest here.

Coley's World: A Surreal Circular Dreamscape Called Enigma

ColeMarie Soleil explores Second Life's arts scene from her unique point of view

Enigma is a surreal circular landscape, filled with hidden stories inside beautiful sculptures. A strange and mysterious sim filled with unique artwork:

But Enigma is not just a place to come admire for the interesting landscape, it's also a place to hang out with friends. Anley has even placed out a few gaming tables for those who want to kick back and unwind while appreciating the sim. There are few sims that balance space like this with a keen eye for composition. Very open and vast but filled with emotional artwork.

Also currently hidden in the sky, Anley has shared her sim space to allow Loup Erin to create a dream box hidden in the sim. You can access this area from a teleport sign at the welcome spot in Enigma. It is more a place to see for yourself. Already quickly becoming a hangout for some very talented clothing creators and photographers, it's sure become a favorite spot for many more. [SLurl teleport at this link]

ColeMarie Soleil covers the Second Life arts scene for New World Notes when inspiration strikes. Before joining SL, she was a studio musician, a wandering gypsy, a graphic designer, and a solo artist who's performed at Whiskey a Go Go in Los Angeles and the Apollo in Manhattan. See more of her machinima here.

Second Life Documentary "Life 2.0" To Air on Oprah Winfrey's New Cable TV Network!

"Life 2.0", the acclaimed documentary on Second Life which I've written frequently about, has been acquired by the Oprah Winfrey Network (or OWN), a new cable network, and will air on OWN next year during a monthly documentary film club.  The series will include movies by Julia Roberts, Forest Whitaker, and other luminaries, so this is a tremendously prestigious venue for this movie about Second Life to be airing in.

"OWN has created a unique platform for documentary films," Life 2.0 director Jason Spingarn-Koff told me, when he shared the news, "and I’m excited to be a part of the Documentary Club and the tremendous exposure it will give Life 2.0." He hopes the wide exposure "will contribute to a healthy dialogue about how Second Life -- and online communities in general -- are altering our perceptions of reality and providing an opportunity for self-discovery."

It'll probably do that. Given Oprah's near-Biblical name recognition, I also think it will likely create another explosion of public interest in Second Life, which could certainly use it. Courtesy Jason (known as Jay Spire in SL), here's a clip from Life 2.0 featuring one of the movie's lead figures, a beautiful young woman who starts a life-altering affair with a man in SL that transitions into reality:

Air date will be 2011, when the movie will also hit home video (DVD and digital.) Here's my own take on the movie, included in an interview with Spingarn-Koff. It's powerful, provocative, and while I don't agree with all that was included (or omitted) about Second Life, it's inarguably a landmark movie about the world. Which Oprah will bring to your TV soon. (She owns the exclusive North American rights for broadcast and home video.)

LoveMachine's Crowd-Sourcing Tool Launching in August, Says Company "Interim CEO"

I just stepped into Cafe Ponte in Noe Valley where I often do my writing (try the mac n' cheese with bacon, srsly), and stumbled into the "interim CEO" (so to speak) of LoveMachine, the new start-up Philip Rosedale founded last year. Meet Ryan Downe, a fellow Linden alum from back in the day and LoveMachine's co-founder, who's captaining the company while Philip's busy back running Linden Lab. Ryan told me Philip's still actively involved in LoveMachine when he can spare the time away from Linden. As a mini-scoop, he told me the crowdsourced employee reviewing software the company's named after will be launching next month. The Love Machine code was first developed for Linden Lab staff, and is still in operation there, and now MMO company Outspark and Kevin Rose's Digg already use the new version of LoveMachine, currently in Alpha.

How to Create a Flashlight Effect With Kirsten's Viewer

I recently blogged a video featuring a flashlight projecting dynamic light and shadow into Second Life ala Alan Wake thanks to Kirsten's Shadowdraft Second Life viewer. Nalates Urriah has a handy step-by-step tutorial on how to make one of those for yourself. In Comments of his post, seasoned hacker Opensource Obscure notes that this effect can now be achieved in the official Second Life viewer too. Holy Heloise on toast I'd love to see Second Life machinima using this effect, he unsubtly hinted.

Update, 3:25pm: Here's a moody and evocative machinima by Toxic Menges incorporating projected lighting to dramatic effect:

New World Cinema: David Fincher Once Wanted To Make a Second Life Movie, Instead He's Made One About Facebook

This is a beautifully composed trailer to an upcoming movie about the Internet's largest virtual world -- that is to say, Facebook. The Social Network was written by Aaron The West Wing Sorkin and directed by David Fincher, famous for his dark visions of modern life in Se7en and Fight Club. (First rule of Facebook Club: Everyone talks about Facebook Club.) Be sure to watch in high definition for full Fincherian chiaroscuro flavah:

I'm somewhat less interested in the corporate geek shenanigans between founder Mark Zuckerberg and his former friends/partners, than the beautiful montage in the trailer's beginning, which really conveys the yearning people have to share select parts of themselves online, to their friends and their extended network of friends, while also trying to define who they are when they do so. Which is something a massive social network like Facebook and a niche but powerful one like Second Life share.

There's another connection to this project and SL. A few years ago, David Fincher actually attempted to make a movie about Second Life:

Ophelia's Gaze on Second Life Summer Swim Wear: Infinite Possibilities with the Infinity Bikini!

Exclusive to NWN, Iris Ophelia's ongoing showcase of all things stylish in SL

The last of my top three Summer bikinis (see my other choices here and also here) could actually have taken up all three spots on its own: Aranel Ah's Infinity Bikinis from BOOM [SLurl] are sold as separates, so there is a choice of two different tops, four different bottoms, and about a dozen different colours and prints. They feature pretty prim bows tying the back and at the hips, and I can honestly say I don't have any complaints about them! I'd originally picked up a black version of this floral print pair, which reminded me of an iconic Anna Sui print, but I had to go back and grab the green version to match my accessory of choice. 

And what might that accessory be? Keep reading to find out!

In Development: Software for Integrating Motion Capture Suit With Second Life For Full Body Interactivity

Want to interact in Second Life similar to the way actors in Avatar shot their scenes? Watch this video by Anton Bogdanovych (known as shaqq Korobase in SL), a researcher with the University of Western Sydney, demonstrating a remarkably kickass motion capture software he's developing to work with Second Life:

"The hardware (suit) is a commercial product from XSens," Korobase tells me. "It's similar to those full body suits that were used in filming Avatar. The software (something we develop) is what will be unique about it." More after the break:

Education Metrics: Second Life Used to Teach Accounting Over 40% Effective (But Much Less When SL Isn't Mandatory)

Responding to my search last Friday for meaningful metrics on the efficacy of Second Life as an educational tool, University of Central Florida lecturer Steven Hornik Tweeted to me this very interesting series of student surveys, for the accounting class he teaches at the school. Hornik uses Second Life to create and convey 3D accounting equations that are part of the classwork, and in the surveys, 40% more of his students on average agreed that they were useful in teaching the underlying accounting concepts involved. "I would say that any tool in which 40% or more students agree helps them to understand accounting is well worth the effort," he concludes.Those are some promising numbers, I do agree. On the other side of the ledger, it's worth making two more observations:

Philip Rosedale and Recently-Appointed CFO Bob "BK Linden" Komin Talk Future of Second Life in Second Life This Friday

Mark your calendar and put in your RSVP: This Friday at 10am SLT, Linden Lab's interim CEO Philip Rosedale and recently appointed Chief Financial Officer Bob Komin will, as promised, hold an in-world meeting and Q&A session to talk about the future of Second Life. Go here to request a seat or get information on catching the presentation streamed live on the web. A lot of NWN readers have a lot of questions for Philip, and it'll be interesting to see what he answers, and how.

Also worth noting: Far as I know, since joining the company last January, this is the first in-world appearance of Bob Komin, whose avatar has been dubbed "BK Linden", which reminds me more of hamburgers than metaverse executives, but maybe that's just my tummy talking. (At the moment, notably, he's the only Linden executive on the company homepage without an avatar.) As Linden's CFO, Komin is very likely the driving force behind the company cutbacks which led to laying off 30% of the staff. Some insiders have speculated to me that Komin is being groomed to replace Philip as Linden Lab's CEO after the interim period is over, so look for signs whether that's the case this Friday.