501derful.org
The expansion of real-world-like activities being experimented with in Second Life is reported by a Washington Post article. Singer Susan Vega reccently did a small concert in Second Life via her avatar. There’s a long way to go to make virtual reality appealing to the average person, but the appeal is identified in this quote:
"A virtual world brings something to the table that a Web site doesn’t
— it’s building a more immersive experience. . . . You kind of lose
yourself in it," said Ethan Kaplan, director of technology for Warner
Bros. Records, who said he has played around with Second Life for
years. "It’s really cool and a lot more fun and creative than just
putting a MySpace page up."
This hints a what–for my money–the emerging technologies of so-called Web2.0 brings: the opportunity for people to stop being passive consumers of news, videos, and entertainment. My hunch, the entertainment revolution emerging is the former audience as active participants in the story through game-like activities. Less sitting in a darkened theater munching popcorn and more getting in and playing a role.
