Doing Business in Second Life — or— Second Life? What About My First Life! Jason Hull [email_address] (434)409-8451

Automating the Science To Enable the Art

What Is Second Life? Virtual World 3 dimensional representation of Internet-based human-to-human interaction Computer-based representation of physical realities Not meant to replace true physics engines, but… Can replicate interactions with real world objects Automating the Science To Enable the Art

Virtual World

3 dimensional representation of Internet-based human-to-human interaction

Computer-based representation of physical realities

Not meant to replace true physics engines, but…

Can replicate interactions with real world objects

Who’s In Second Life? Automating the Science To Enable the Art

Who’s In Second Life? Automating the Science To Enable the Art

Automating the Science To Enable the Art Is There Critical Mass In Second Life? Paris Population Density: 9,560/mi 2 Richmond, VA Population Density: 537/mi 2 Second Life Population Density: 482/mi 2

Automating the Science To Enable the Art Who Will You Meet In Second Life? “ Normal” People

Automating the Science To Enable the Art Who Will You Meet In Second Life? “ Altered” People

Automating the Science To Enable the Art Who Will You Meet In Second Life? Furries

Automating the Science To Enable the Art Who Will You Meet In Second Life? Words Don’t Describe It

Automating the Science To Enable the Art Who Will You Meet In Second Life? Newt Gingrich

Why Is Second Life Important? Automating the Science To Enable the Art Level of Interaction Time Source: Peter Finn, IBM Individual Connected Inside

The Economy of Second Life Currency is Lindens—bought from Linden Labs Held in a wallet—can set limits to what you spend ATMS removed earlier in 2008 Automating the Science To Enable the Art

Currency is Lindens—bought from Linden Labs

Held in a wallet—can set limits to what you spend

ATMS removed earlier in 2008

The Economy of Second Life People shop often in Second Life… Automating the Science To Enable the Art

People shop often in Second Life…

The Economy of Second Life But they don’t spend much… Automating the Science To Enable the Art *$1 = ~270L$

But they don’t spend much…

The Economy of Second Life … which means few businesses make significant profits Automating the Science To Enable the Art *$1 = ~270L$

… which means few businesses make significant profits

What ARE the Business Opportunities in Second Life? 3-D Modeling Automating the Science To Enable the Art Stanford University Graduate Student’s Hypercube Model

3-D Modeling

What ARE the Business Opportunities in Second Life? Telemetric Printing Automating the Science To Enable the Art Jeans designed in Second Life Jeans printed and worn in real world

Telemetric Printing

What ARE the Business Opportunities in Second Life? Architecture and Real Estate Automating the Science To Enable the Art $3.1 Million Home Offered By Coldwell Banker

Architecture and Real Estate

What ARE the Business Opportunities in Second Life? Brand testing and awareness Automating the Science To Enable the Art Coke Machine in Second Life

Brand testing and awareness

What ARE the Business Opportunities in Second Life? Product rollouts Automating the Science To Enable the Art Bathroom of a Starwood aloft Hotel in Second Life

Product rollouts

What ARE the Business Opportunities in Second Life? Meetings and Conference Space Automating the Science To Enable the Art IBM Meeting Held in Real Life and Second Life

Meetings and Conference Space

What ARE the Business Opportunities in Second Life? Education Automating the Science To Enable the Art Harvard Law School Class Attended From Second Life

Education

What Will It Take to Get Started? Capital Time Commitment Personnel Automating the Science To Enable the Art “ Do not expect to undertake profitable commercial activities inside most virtual worlds in the next three years.” Steve Prentice, VP, Gartner

Capital

Time

Commitment

Personnel

What To Do Once Inside Second Life? Tie your Second Life experience to a real world experience Keep your events to a manageable crowd Take a leadership role Spend time in Second Life before spending money Automating the Science To Enable the Art “ The new market is DIALOGUE, the new currency is INTERACTION and the exchange rate is variable, based on ENGAGEMENT.” Grace McDunnough

Tie your Second Life experience to a real world experience

Keep your events to a manageable crowd

Take a leadership role

Spend time in Second Life before spending money

Challenges in Second Life Few companies are profitable Expect the unexpected It takes time to get used to the Second Life construct The technology is still young Automating the Science To Enable the Art “ Virtual objects aren’t really objects - they are graphical metaphors for packaging up behaviors that people are already engaging in.” Susan Wu, Principal, Charles River Ventures

Few companies are profitable

Expect the unexpected

It takes time to get used to the Second Life construct

The technology is still young

Alternatives to Second Life Automating the Science To Enable the Art Source: Peter Finn, IBM

Conclusions The move to virtual worlds is almost inevitable Don’t expect to get immediate ROI Define what you want to get out before you go in Look for the long term and learn the lessons now The “killer app” has yet to be developed; 80% of the lessons you learn now will apply when it is Automating the Science To Enable the Art “ The REAL power is in human beings inhabiting worlds where they are not who they are, and who they are is not who they become, and what they do may -- just may be -- who they really are. Within those nuances of play and passion and aggression is where we connect.” Jeneane Sessum

The move to virtual worlds is almost inevitable

Don’t expect to get immediate ROI

Define what you want to get out before you go in

Look for the long term and learn the lessons now

The “killer app” has yet to be developed; 80% of the lessons you learn now will apply when it is

Doing Business in Second Life — or— Second Life? What About My First Life! Part II: The Second Life Tour With AC Capehart and Betsy McMullin Jason Hull [email_address] (434)409-8451