Decade-Old Second Life Innovations Now Embraced as "New" by Mainstream

Vega in SL in 2006; Marshmello in 2019

When Marshmello performed in Fortnite last weekend, more than a few people were irked that media outlets like The Verge proclaimed it as a "first" or "unprecedented" -- when in fact, Second Life pioneered live music performances over 13 years ago.  Which is actually not all that long ago! But as reader Madeline Blackbart writes, it took that amount of time for many Second Life innovations to finally seem acceptable to a mass market:

I think as mainstream culture and the average person becomes more and more involved in the virtual world we're going to see a lot more of this retreading of old ground being called "new". Things like virtual "influencers" and virtual popstars and concerts aren't new to those of us who have been playing in virtual worlds like Second Life but they are to mainstream media and the "average" person. To be honest, I'm noticing it more and more, and it's interesting how what used to be something "misfits and shut ins" did (AKA living a virtual life) is just now becoming commonly accepted. I think years from now even if Second Life isn't around anymore we'll still see concepts from it integrated into mainstream life.

This is very true. Along with real world musicians performing virtually, here's a couple other SL-based innovations recently treated by the media as the Next Big Thing:

• Virtual celebrities and models for real life brands (including Kim Kardashian)
• Virtual land rushes and real estate speculation

Best accept the collective amnesia made inevitable by the Internet's eternal present, because we're likely to see many more new (old) innovations arriving (returning) soon. Even though they never really left.

Comments

[Darling]

I could start by saying no they weren't first at any of that. But I think there is something deeper here. I have heard this from Second Life friends before. And I have had this argument before. And had fun showing them that they were wrong. But this is deeper. Maybe it has something more to do with a community of people. In a hobby that most people look down at. Outkast wasting their lives. Or losers that had nothing better to do with their lives. Now seeing the possibilities that they're happy might be going mainstream. Wanting to use this resurgence of interest in Virtual Worlds to make themselves look like trendsetters. Like I said earlier Second Life did not come up with anything new. And I do not see in fortnight a bunch of freaks in furry avatars trying to virtually simulate sex acts. Second life never made it because second lifers were a bunch of losers that couldn't figure out life and use Virtual Worlds as a way to hide. This new Resurgence is gamers gamifying what Second Life pissed on.

[Jared]

I agree that news outlets shouldn’t call them firsts but there’s something to be said about the scale of these endeavors. We also shouldn’t ignore the quality of the modes and environment. SL was never going to be appealing to a wider audience with such outdated graphics. Everything old is new again.

[Mobdro]

Thank you for the article, great one.