This week, I travelled back in time to visit the future.
It’s been roughly ten years since I first stepped into Second Life, probably the internet’s first attempt at creating the so-called metaverse, which every tech giant is currently rushing to create.
The term “metaverse” was first used in a science-fiction novel called Snow Crash in the 1990s as a virtual-reality successor to the internet, in which individuals spend a substantial portion of their lives in virtual surroundings.
With millions of users and hundreds of exciting headlines about people devoting hours of their daily lives to living digitally, Second Life peaked in the late 2000s.
I assumed it had died a long and peaceful death since then. But, boy, was I mistaken.
The platform appears to have a tiny, loyal, and potentially increasing population of “residents,” as they are known, who come on to see what the future of our metaverse might look like.
It isn’t innovative in terms of graphics.
It’s more akin to Roblox’s blocky, pixelated universe than a blockbuster game with stunning immersive surroundings.
The distinction here, as with Mark Zuckerberg’s vision of the metaverse, is that Second Life is not a game. There are no challenges, objectives, or storylines in this game. It’s merely a gathering spot.
Meeting virtual Rei
Rei was one of the residents I met.
After teleporting to a seashore realm modeled after a bizarre derelict 1960s Scottish fishing town, our avatars collided. After “becoming fascinated about all this metaverse stuff,” he said he had been spending time in Second Life for about four months.
Rei isn’t a fan of Zuckerberg’s metaverse concept.
“They’ll want to have complete control. However, I believe that the people should be in charge, and that it should be completely transparent “He informed me.
When Mark Zuckerberg, the newly renamed corporation Meta’s CEO, presented his ambitious intentions, he addressed these concerns.
“It’s a future that no single corporation can predict. That is something that we will all contribute to “In his Facebook Connect keynote, he remarked.
Microsoft, Epic Games, Roblox, and even Nike have all revealed ambitions to participate in the metaverse in some capacity.
Anya Kanevsky, vice-president of product management at Linden Lab, the corporation that runs Second Life, shares Rei’s fear about a metaverse monopoly.
Anya has been watching with curiosity as various tech titans have begun to discuss the new concept of an online life. Since 2003, Second Life has existed.
“I’m concerned about the dystopian tone in which the discourse appears to be taking right now,” she says.
“The introduction of a little oversized and outsized player into the sector appears to indicate to individuals that they are not the owners of it, that someone else will be setting the rules and running the show, and that they will simply be consumers.”
Second Life is similar to Roblox in that it allows users to create locations and invite others to play, although it has significantly fewer people.
Roblox’s concurrent player count is reported to be over 5.5 million, compared to 90,000 in Second Life.
Mark Zuckerberg has stated that he, too, wants to put a user community at the center of his metaverse, although he has yet to attract any residents.
Instead, he’s promised to hire 10,000 people across Europe to help him develop his worlds.
Some believe that giving people more influence isn’t even the point: a metaverse should be constructed exclusively by communities.
Setting out to construct a metaverse, according to John Carmack, consulting chief technology officer of Oculus, Meta’s virtual-reality headset branch, “is not exactly the greatest approach to finish up with the metaverse.”
According to Ars Technica, he stated: “I doubt that a single program will ever reach the point where it can take over everything. I just don’t think one player – one firm – will be able to make all of the appropriate decisions in this situation.”
Mr. Zuckerberg and others can learn more from Second Life’s story.
After high-profile virtual riots, Ponzi schemes based on the in-game currency, and even child grooming issues, the site earned unfavorable headlines during its heyday.
Even in my little exploration this week, I saw flashes of Second Life’s moderation difficulties. If a metaverse became mainstream, these effects would be amplified.
Certain keywords, such as “porn” or “drugs,” are prohibited while looking for events or venues.
Searching for “sex,” on the other hand, led me to virtual strip joints where I was offered digital lap dances in exchange for real-world cash.
“Governance in a virtual environment is complicated,” Ms. Kanevsky explains.
“Some of it can be automated, but a lot of it requires human intervention. It’s not all about escapism, nice outfits, and attractive avatars.”
Before I logged off in Second Life, I asked Rei one more question: why does he keep coming back?
“I prefer to dream with my eyes,” he said.
