New World Notes

Two Virtual World Contests for Art and Halloween

Harper Ganesvoort has a Halloween photography contest for members of multiple virtual worlds (though you need to also have an SL account, to claim your L$ winnings.) Also, the University of Western Australia campus on Second Life in holding a massive Art & Design Challenge contest, and is taking votes on the winners from the public. Here's how to check out the art and vote on it.

How Do You Balance Virtual World Living With the Rest of Your Life?

Writing on her own blog, NightLight, New World Notes contributor Nightflower asks readers to tell her how they balance their virtual world activity with the rest of their life. As she notes, "Managing relationships, headspace, and pure emotional bandwidth are skills not taught in any time management book, but talents essential to survival when balancing two worlds." She's collecting suggestions there and here, for a follow-up to this now-classic post on a time when that balance was lost. So please share your experiences, here or there!

Blue World Notes: Meeting the Fool on the Hill

When I entered Blue Mars for the very first time, the first person I met was a Fool on a hill, wearing gold tights and angel wings. I logged off thinking I’d imagined things, but the next night, the Fool was still there, only this time, he wore a crushed velvet robe, and a paper bag on his head.

He’d been standing on a rock in the Welcome Area, he told me, since the Welcome Area began.

“It’s a more of a perch,” he clarified. “I can see people arrive, interact, yet somehow stay unsullied.”

Why's he there? As it turns out, for fairly interesting reasons.

Want to Attend the Smartphone Gaming Summit Next Week? Get the NWN Discount!

The Smartphone Gaming Summit happens in San Francisco next week, featuring heavyweight ninjas from Google, ngmoco, Aurora Feint, and other top companies. Thanks to my incredible animal magnetism, I've seduced the conference hosts into giving a 15% discount code to you, beloved New World Notes readers. (Well, writing for them on occasion probably helped too.) Use "SPNWN" while registering to get that action. I happen to know at least one other metaverse bigwig will be there, figuring out how we can stick virtual worlds into phones, and I hope to see more there.

Ophelia's Gaze on the Second Life of Mad Men: Dressing Down Joan Harris

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

I know there's been a bit of a delay in this series of SL-meets-Mad Men articles, so I figured I'd make up up to my loyal readers with this particularly tantalizing bonus homage to Christina Hendricks, a.k.a. Joan Harris (née Holloway). Hendricks' photoshoots in snugly structured girdles and corsets have become nearly as impressed upon pop culture today as the show that put the spotlight on her in the first place, and provided me with excuses as ample as Mrs. Harris' bosom for a slightly cheekier shoot with the avatar I created in August.

I changed Joan's hairstyle to something a little more lustrous, the Mia style by Queue Marlowe of Analog Dog [SLurl], before slipping her into Roslin Petion and CJ Carnot's The Tease lingerie set from 5th and Oxford [SLurl], and a pair of Pin Up XtremeHeel pumps from N-Core [SLurl]. Unfortunately the sheen of the stockings meant that it was a little tricky to match the prim foot 100%, so if you want to recreate the look without the hassle, try the new platform pumps from Gospel Voom of Gos instead.

Could I ever do just one sexy outfit for my favourite redheaded icon? of course not! Keep reading for the "sugar" to this outfit's "spice"!

MoCap Basketball: Pantomime Jump Shots in the Real World, Make Baskets in the Virtual World!

Here's the latest innovation from Anton Bogdanovych (shaqq Korobase in SL), the University of Western Sydney researcher developing software that connects a motion capture suit to a Second Life avatar: MoCap Basketball!That's right: Pantomime basketball jump shots in the real world, and see the results in the virtual world. Watch:

But is the motion capture input precise enough to calculate the physics of the Second Life basketball? I was a bit skeptical, but Anton insists that's the case: "[I]t is as precise as it can possibly be," he tells me. "I can’t think of any type of move it would not be able to register. And it’s extremely fast. There is simply no need for any better precision as in SL you wouldn’t notice it."

But how does he translate the body language of the shot into the physics of the virtual ball? Details after the break:

Blue World Notes: Male Avatar Fashion Tips for Blue Mars

Iris has some much-needed fashion tips for styling up male avatars in Blue Mars, like this shape/skin named "Mike", from Electron Tri-D. As I start chronicling the world's emerging community, my first project is to remake Hamlet Au for Blue Mars travel, I'm going to need this advice. I'm also hoping to find a Tom Wolfe-worthy white suit, which doesn't seem to exist yet in Blue Mars (he hinted unsubtly.)

New World Gaming: LOTRO Goes Free-to-Play

Nightflower's guest post yesterday, "Three Lessons Linden Lab Can Learn From LOTRO" garnered a lot of well-deserved praise, so it's worth noting that Lord of the Rings Online recently went free-to-play. (More on that announcement here.) So if you've thought of trying it out, now's a good time. And maybe you'll get to go questing with Nightflower. While it's very much an old school MMOG, I've long admired LOTRO's willingness to experiment with user-generated content -- for instance, you can play live music in-game (kinda sorta.)

Chestnut's Choices 9/16 - 9/22: Immersive, multi-media exhibits at Aho Museum, Halfway to St. Patrick's Day Festival, Kolor Fall Speaks About Art and Much More

Chestnut Rau's Weekly Roundup of Upcoming Events...

 The Aho Museum on the NMC Consortium Campus, curated by the multi-talented Tayzia Abattoir is one of my favorite places to spend a quiet hour wandering the grounds and enjoying the 3d art.  The Museum currently has a special ongoing exhibit of interactive 3D Sculpture, RL Paintings and SL Photography. 

Take some time to visit and see works by featured artists nessuno Myoo, Daruma Picnic & Jules Mandelbrot, Kira Westland, Ginger Lorakeet, Filthy Fluno and Winter Nightfire, and CHUCKMATRIX Clip. While you are there, don't forget to enjoy "simplexity" and "StormEye" which are amazing immersive multi-media-based virtual environments that will blow you away.   In NMC Campus West.  [SLurl teleport at this link]

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Thursday 9/16 

Ongoing through 9/30 -  UWA 3D Art & Design Challenge Grand Finale - People's Choice Vote

The year long L$600,000 UWA 3D Art & Design Challenge is finally drawing to a close. More than 840 entries were submitted and the Grand Champions will be announced in early October. Help decide who the People's Choice rand Champions will be by casting your vote! A TP HUD is available at the slurl to help you visit the monthly contest winners who are eligible for the big prize. Be part of the biggest art challenge in SL history by voting for your favorite art.  In UWA Winthrop.  [SLurl teleport at this link]   

2pm - Bridget Cassavetes Live at Jades Jazz Island

The music of Bridget Cassavetes is smooth and beautiful and Jade's Jazz invites you to discover her marvelous talent this afternoon.  Bridget sings Jazz tunes in English, Ialian, Spanish and French. In Jades Jazz Island.   [SLurl teleport at this link] 

5pm - Master your Inventory!

Everyone wants an inventory that works better. Go way beyond the basics and learn how you can get your inventory under control and then keep it there during a live class with teacher Wat Dinzel. When you arrive, TP to the Outdoor Classroom.  In Kinetix.   [SLurl teleport at this link] 

6pm - Grand Opening Live Classical Music Concert

The Duo Appassionato (Izabela Jaworower and Young Zeid) and the Schumann Duo (Kahuna and Clarissima Schumann) share this grand opening concert to welcome you back to a wonderful new season of excellent classical music in Second Life.  Thursdays at 6pm takes place at the beautiful Amadora Recital Hall.  In A piacere.  [SLurl teleport at this link] 

Also after the break: Skye Galaxy Live, Fashion Show to Benefit War Child, Ballet Pixelle Premieres new show and much much more...

Guest Post: 3 Lessons Linden Lab Can Learn From LOTRO

Nightflower in Lord of the Rings Online and Second Life

Editor's note: Before "Nightflower" officially joined New World Notes as a regular contributor, she sent this smart essay as a guest post -- opinions do not necessarily reflect those of the management etc. - Hamlet Au

During an extended break from Second Life, Lord of the Rings Online acted as my virtual world methadone program. Leaving the delightfully anarchic culture of SL for the sturctured, purpose-driven community of an MMOG was enough to give me a dizzying case of virtual world whiplash. But in making the switch, I made a shocking discovery -- I made friends, found community, and had a blast in LOTRO far sooner than I ever did in Second Life.

The reason? LOTRO has formalized social groups that serve to integrate new players into the game, train them to thrive, and introduce them to friends for the journey. These groups are commonly known as guilds in virtually every MMOG available today. They are nearly universal to the genre because they work, leveraging the power of the player base to build community.

No, I'm not advocating that Linden Lab institute a formal guild system - because they don't need to. The Second Life social landscape is already a beautiful mosaic of tight-knit tribes and affinity groups. The problem is that is that these vibrant communities are completely invisible to those who are new to our world. To overcome that challenge, I believe there are three ways that Linden Lab could learn from the the ways MMOGs leverage guilds to improve the new user experience - without altering the fundamental character of the world we love so well: