Misoch, Sabina --- "Second Life: Game or Play? Sociological Analysis of Avatar Diversity in Second Life" [2010] ELECD 140; in Graber, Beat Christoph; Burri-Nenova, Mira (eds), "Governance of Digital Game Environments and Cultural Diversity" (Edward Elgar Publishing, 2010)

Book Title: Governance of Digital Game Environments and Cultural Diversity

Editor(s): Graber, Beat Christoph; Burri-Nenova, Mira

Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing

ISBN (hard cover): 9781848446830

Section: Chapter 5

Section Title: Second Life: Game or Play? Sociological Analysis of Avatar Diversity in Second Life

Author(s): Misoch, Sabina

Number of pages: 16

Extract:

5. Second Life: game or play?
Sociological analysis of avatar
diversity in Second Life
Sabina Misoch*
Internet phenomena are described by a variety of metaphors that range from
positive attributions like `a realm of unlimited possibilities' to negative ones
such as a `realm unrestrained by laws and norms' where deviant behaviour
thrives. Both descriptions fail to take into consideration that the Internet does
not exist as a coherent entity in this global sense. Rather, it is a conglomerate
of starkly different virtual areas, which only in their entirety build the virtual
space that we call the `Internet'. Depending on the perspective adopted, acad-
emic and policy debates yield a variety of viewpoints and results. It is thus
important that each analysis first defines the specific virtual environment it is
referring to in order to adjust its approach to the specific framing and condi-
tions that characterise the virtual area chosen. In this sense, it is appropriate to
note at the outset that the following analysis deals with the virtual environment
of Second Life, and all considerations relate exclusively to this specific area.


1. SECOND LIFE: GAME OR PLAY?
Second Life is a three-dimensional, virtual, multi-user environment operated
by Linden Lab,1 which enjoys great popularity (with over 12 million `resi-
dents'2 in 2008). This persistent virtual world is a programmed universe that


* This paper is the revised, extended and thematically newly focused version of
the article `Avatars as User Visualization and Their Social Function in Virtual
Environments' ( ...