Krempasky.com

“This panel will explore the rise in popularity and sophistication of online virtual worlds suck as Second Life”
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Panelists:

• Moderator: John Tolva Program Mgr, IBM
• Eric Rice Slackstreet Studios
• Bill Victor Halcyon Worlds
• Jan D’Alessandro VP Business Affairs, Meez
• Benjamin Batstone-Cunningham Alt-Zoom Studios

Eric Rice (Slackstreet Studios): the value or virtue of virtual worlds is, in a sense, the sense of place or presence.

Ok, I can understand that – the analogy of renting a movie and watching it at home (the page model) versus going to a crowded movie theater.

Note: lots of smart people at SXSW. Lots of good insights. Proficiency using microphones: not so much.

Ben Batstone-Cunningham: it’s not hard to understand this appeal. Myspace users don’t email each other – in many cases, they just wait to see friends “online” for the opportunity to directly and instantly connect in real time.

Again – I get that, as more and more social networks offer that chance to have real dialogue in real time as opposed to the standard post & response model you can see in traditional web (and yes, in 2.0)

Eric Rice: Top down content creation (WoW, Sony) vs. near universal DIY worlds (Second Life).

An interesting discussion – but if you look at 8million + in WoW *paying for the right to use that top-down content* and what, a couple hundred thousand in Second Life, a much smaller percentage of them financially invested in the enterprise. I know that democracy at any cost (the cost most often seen – “quality”) is fashionable and popular to talk about it – but if the result of universal DIY is a Monet hidden behind to a crayon-on-black-velvet-Ford-Pinto piece, count me unmotivated.

Are there lessons to be learned from the gaming industry? Overlap?

Batsone-Cunningham: they’re not all that different. WoW is a good game, yes – but the real value is the critical mass of human beings – which is only supported by communities.

Eric Rice: “I hate conferences in SL. Can’t we just use the phone?” Amen. A thousand times Amen.

Panelist I’d like to have a beer with: Eric Rice.

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