Kotaku
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virtual worlds
Second Skin Coming To DVD In August
Second Skin, a documentary about virtual worlds and their inhabitants that we've been keeping tabs on since it started casting in 2006, is finally coming to DVD this August. More »
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By Mike FaheyComment by NewSpecies: I'm sorry. But they sound like their defending MMOs. So because their social lives don't extend past their couches, were... 18 Responses | Other threads
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legal
Texas May Force Sex Offenders To Register Gamertags
Legislators in Texas have proposed a bill that would expand what registered sex offenders would be required to disclose, including the release of online screen names. That could potentially even cover online gaming social networks. More »
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Comment by Sammo21: Good. The more we can do to protect kids from these idiots, the better. While this won't really... 15 Responses | Other threads
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news
TASER Sues Second Life For $75,000
A lawsuit filed in Arizona on April 17 charges Second Life creator Linden Lab and a slew of other individuals for trademark infringement on TASER's handheld self-defense device. Insert zap joke here. More »
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By AJ GlasserComment by ZeroIXI: TASER is filing a lawsuit on Second Life? I'm shocked! 39 Responses | Other threads
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second life
Lawyer-Mans of Dune Smack Down Second Life Arrakis
The lord high executioners of Frank Herbert's estate have demanded that all Second Life areas (inhabited by all of 130 people) remove all references to Dune IP. Drat. There goes my 36-inch sandworm cock. More »
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By Owen GoodComment by FlagshipFighter: When I say this, I mean it... I barely know anything about the Dune series, but I absolutely LOVE (and own)... 10 Responses | Other threads
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lawsuits
Worlds.com Targets World of Warcraft, Second Life For Patent Suit
Virtual world patent holder Worlds.com filed suit against NCSoft in December, claiming its games, including City of Heroes and Guild Wars, were violating its patent for multiplayer virtual environments. And it won't stop there. More »
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Comment by Derek Rumpler: How do you really patent this stuff? At its core concept, its a chatroom. Are you saying video games can't have... 14 Responses | Other threads
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Virtual Romance
Cheating Second Life Husband: The Movie
The Canadian Broadcasting Company documentary on cheating spouses in Second Life has aired, featuring a look at the women in the life of Dutch, the Second Life cheating husband we've come to love. More »
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By Mike FaheyComment by SirGeekelot: 40 thousand marriages? Really? 2012 ... I welcome you with open arms. 10 Responses | Other threads
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podcast
Kotaku Podcast: The Drinking Game!
In this month's in-game podcast Mike McWhertor, Mike Fahey, Adam Barenblat and I are joined by our Kotaku Editor for a day winner in Grand Theft Auto IV. More » -
virtual goods
Linden Lab Buys Second Life Virtual Marketplaces OnRez And Xstreet SL
Second Life creators Linden Lab have been shopping for shopping, acquiring virtual goods marketplaces OnRez and Xstreet SL in order to integrate them into their popular virtual world. More »
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By Mike FaheyComment by ReidP: So people sitting on their computer at home can play a furry penis, sitting on its computer, in its home,... 6 Responses | Other threads
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dude or not a dude?
Second-Life Hooker Bares All
"We have street prostitution here in Italy, and I have always wanted to be one of them," says "Palela Anderson," who is a high priced escort in Second Life. More » -
Furries, Nekos, And Tinies
A Field Guide To Second Life Animal Hybrids
As some of you were confused about the difference between what Second Life denizens call furries and what they call nekos, or hybrids, I thought I would take a moment to clear things up. More »
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By Mike FaheyComment by ZetaCrossfire: n....N....N!!!!!! SCND LF HS NVDD KTK!!!W RS P MY FLLW KTKNS FGHT TH MNC!!! 184 Responses | Other threads
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Virtual Romance
Second Life Cheating Husband Surprised by Movie Deal
The man at the heart of the Second Life story, which Pirates of the Caribbean director Gore Verbinski seeks to turn into a movie, was caught off guard by news of the film adaptation. More »
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By Mike FaheyComment by egoods: "Here's hoping the loving couple stays un-fucked." Poor choice of words? 17 Responses | Other threads
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feature
PlayStation Home And Second Life: Worlds Apart
Ever since PlayStation Home was first announced in January 2007, people have been calling it Second Life for the PlayStation 3. We take a look at what separates these two very different virtual worlds. More » -
second life
Pirates of the Caribbean Director Lands Rights To Second Life Film
Filmmakers and novelists have a long history of plucking stories out of newspapers and turning them into something wonderful. But this is not one of those cases.
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Comment by Komrade Kayce - Hero of Soviet Kotaku: I hate to be a first comment and only say this, but: What. 29 Responses | Other threads
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second life
U.S. Army Invades Second Life
You know the United States Army is hard up for recruits when they start poking around in the unicorn-filled virtual world of Linden Labs' Second Life. More »
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By Mike FaheyComment by Twoflower: Hooray for more Kotaku gross stereotyping all of Second Life, as usual! Now if you'll excuse me, I'll be getting back... 36 Responses | Other threads
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virtual death
Google Kills Its Second Life-like Lively
When Google launched Lively, its web-based, browser-embeddable, Second Life-esque virtual world chat space, we said we'd "check back in with it soon" and "dig deeper to see what Google has in store." That was a lie. We never had any intention of firing up Lively on our Windows XP box ever again after hitting Save on the post. Fortunately, we'll never be tempted to make right on that fib, as Lively will never make it past beta, nor will it survive into 2009. Google announced it was shutting down Lively at the end of the year today. More »
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Comment by SecCom: Maybe Google realized that only a handful of people actually use Second Life anyway. On a sort of related note, the... 7 Responses | Other threads
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facepalm
Second Life Marriage Ends the Way Many Real Ones Do
Amy Taylor and David Pollard (that's them at left) formerly married for about three years — including in a lavish online ceremony in Second Life — are separated and seeking a divorce, because Amy caught David's avatar banging another avatar and it wasn't hers.
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Science Is Fun
Scientists in Second Life
I was recently discussing the mainstream media's love affair with Second Life, and how the bloom appears to be off the rose. The Denver Westword News recently followed around a Denver University 'media specialist' who is working on SciLands, where NASA the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and other scientific groups have a virtual outpost; while Jeff Corbin, the 'media specialist,' and other academics are practically beside themselves with the potentials for nuclear research in Second Life, the other side is presented: More »
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Comment by VenomIreland: Jeez Second Life sucks even Runescape has better graphics and more people onlone than this 2 Responses | Other threads
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second life
So How Many People Actually PLAY Second Life?
Remember when you couldn't drunkenly fall out of bed in the morning without landing on some kind of Second Life news? Things were getting pretty serious for a while there, to the point where a lot of reports started spinning around that millions and millions of people were "playing" the thing. Millions? Really? Hardly. New Linden Lab CEO Mark Kingdon has, in an interview with VentureBeat, laid out a new userbase disclosure model the company are working on for Second Life. They're not counting registered users as "users" anymore, because while over 15 million people have signed up for the service, nowhere near that many actually use it. No, the number of "simultaneous users" is around 68,000. That's it. 68,000. Sure, that's the number logged on at once, not the total number of "active" users, but the total can't be more than a couple hundred thousand. Chin up, Lord British, there's hope for Tabula Rasa yet! More »
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Comment by DaveKap: 'm gng t stp y ll rght hr Lk. Y'r dng wht th md ds bst nd tht's tk... 8 Responses | Other threads
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politics
Former US Secretary Of State Albright Speaks In Second Life
Former US Secretary Of State Madeline Albright was streamed into a discussion in virtual world Second Life last night. More »
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Comment by 2NinjasTapedTogether: I hate this woman. HATE. THIS. WOMAN. Putting her anywhere near one of my favorite hobbies is deeply insulting. ... 3 Responses | Other threads
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dogs and cats
Cops: Jilted Second Lifer Tried to Kidnap Virtual Ex
Kimberly Jernigan isn't much of a dog person. Lions are more her speed. In fact one was her boyfriend. In Second Life, of course, but never mind, it felt real. And when the romance went down the crapper in their virtual world, it got even weirder in the real one. No surprise that someone ends up locked in the bathroom with their snout duct-taped shut. And probably not much of a surprise it wasn't either of the humans, but the dog.
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By Owen GoodComment by Đipic: Just... wow. @Mr.DuckSauce: I'm still trying to figure out what she was planning to do with the laser. 1 Responses | Other threads
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second life
Presidential Candidates Sticking To First Life
The Houston Chronicle wants to know why none of the US Presidential candidates (by which I mean the two that could possibly win - sorry, independents, maybe next time) aren't using Second Life in their campaigns. More »
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Comment by bobtheduck: @bobtheduck: though, according to dictionary.com, the plural is penises. But people say cactuses, too, and we're always told it's... more » | Other threads
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Comment by cshakarian: Hi There, Thank's for your interest in our report. The next report is actually on in-game advertising - we use our... more » | Other threads
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Lively
Google Launches Its Own Second Life
Google launched Lively today, a 3D virtual world that can best be described as the search and advertising giant's take on Second Life. Currently, the service is for Windows users only and requires Internet Explorer or Firefox, as well as a Google account, to take part in. We quickly downloaded and fussed about with Lively earlier this afternoon, a process that was rather simple, but did have a minor registration hiccup. It was also painfully slow on my Windows box, which is by no means state of the art. More »
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Comment by McPaper: Google, Sony and Microsoft. No difference, honestly. more » | Other threads
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second life
Second Life Celebrates Five Years
Linden Labs is celebrating the five year anniversary of the launch of their virtual world Second Life, and you're all invited, even if most of you won't come! In honor of this milestone, the Lindens will be holding a two-week long Virtual World Fair, complete with parties, roundtable discussions, and exhibits that highlight thegenitaliaperversioncreativity of the world's residents. More » -
spore creature creator
And You Thought SL Was Bad - More Naughty Spore Creatures
Why is this Spore creature, crafted by PC Zone UK forum user Apophis_dd, so very happy? Perhaps because it's come to the humorous realization that despite how vehemently gamers rail against the supposed sickness of people who dress up like furries or cavort with unicorns in the virtual world of Second Life, given the right tools they have the potential to create things just as nasty, if not more so. More »
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By Mike FaheyComment by freespeech: PEOPLE ARE SICK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! more » | Other threads
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free to play
How Casual MMOGs Are Making Money
Lightspeed, a venture capital firm, checked out the average revenue per user for some casual, free to play MMOGs (Club Penguin, Habbo Hotel, Runescape, and Second Life), establishing that other that SL - which pulls in a little over $9 a month in ARPU, thanks mostly to virtual land upkeep - these sorts of casual MMOGs pull in around $1.25 ARPU per month. Which, until one considers the user bases of games like Club Penguin, seems like a damn hard way to make some money: More »
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Comment by andrewmedina: @Velops: Ding! you're correct sir. might i add that a large number of the free players typically don't play a... more » | Other threads
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research
Paralyzed Man Walks in Second Life
And happily, no one was on hand to grief it. A 41-year-old Japanese man who suffers from a progressive muscle disease that has left him almost totally paralyzed, moved his Second Life character about a virtual environment using his brain waves, reports Agence France-Presse. More »
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By Owen GoodComment by hollowfreak: this is nice and all but we all know eventually he'll end up here ... [www.ihumpthings.com] more » | Other threads
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virtual worlds
Virtual Worlds Getting Ready To Explode
Sure, laugh when I tell you that I spent the better part of last night DJing a virtual wedding in Second Life, but the next wedding I DJ could be yours. In a report released today titled ""Market Forecasts for Virtual World Experiences", Strategy Analytics predicts that over the course of the next decade, 22 percent of broadband users around the world will be subscribed to one or more virtual worlds. More »
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By Mike FaheyComment by DaveKap: Heh. Sorry to say this, but if you still think "virtual world" and "MMORPG" mean the same thing, you'll... more » | Other threads
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nsfw
Second Life Flying Wang Attack Goes IRL
Remember when Room 101 griefers issued a flying penis attack on Second Life "real estate" "mogul" "Anshe Chung" during a virtual interview? How could you not? It's just about the only interesting thing to ever happen in Second Life. Now, it has happened in the real world, only on a much smaller, much briefer scale. More » -
law
Virtual Property Disputes Landing in Real Courts
Ok, so virtual property disputes aren't exactly new, but there's a little wrap up on some of the current issues over at a Canadian website. Most of the issues discussed revolve around Second Life, but the questions of virtual property and other virtual issues are getting increasing attention: More »
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Comment by foog: Here's one for you amateur legalists: I have a character in World of Warcraft that was temporarily banned for a "reference... more » | Other threads
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second life
Linden Labs New CEO Slowly Rezzing
After last month's resignation of Linden Labs founder and CEO Philip Rosedale, Kotaku readers have had only one question on their minds - is there any way I can get Grand Theft Auto IV early? The answer, of course, is no, but the knowledge that the Second Life company shall soon be in good hands will help massage the disappointment out of your collective furrowed brow. Former CEO of digital communications agency Organic Inc., Mark Kingdon is only one alphabetical space away from having an awesome last name. What he does have is an MBA from the Wharton School of Business and a BA in economics from UCLA, and he's just thrilled to be here."To me, the CEO role at Linden Lab combines perfectly my passions for art and design, business and technology. Until Second Life, we experienced the digital world passively in two dimensions. By enabling users to create a rich and immersive virtual world, Second Life is transforming the way we connect, collaborate, learn and transact online.
Kingdon will assure the role of CEO on the 15th of May, spontaneously appearing in the office with his hair attached to his ass and a boot sticking out of his chest, his clothing still loading. It's an SL thing. More »
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By Mike FaheyComment by trigger2: I sort of find Second Life interesting. It's interesting to me to see how whacky people are when they are... more » | Other threads
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clip
Jon Stewart On Second Life
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data
Some Japanese Know of Second Life, Most Don't Play
Does Second Life show any signs of life in Japan? In late March, goo Research online polled 1,091 folks online about their knowledge of Second Life. Keep in mind: This is an internet poll, and it shouldn't be taken for anything other than that! More »
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Comment by Aikio: @Abriael: well i am japanese, and i dont play it ^__^ more » | Other threads
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not again
Second Life Goes Before Congress
Hat tip to OriontheSmiter for pulling this up — don't know how the royal we missed it, seeing as how it took place on April Fool's (really). But a House of Representatives telecommunications subcommittee held a hearing on online virtual worlds April 1, and that included the requisite avatar-making and getting-hip-with-the-kids by the panel members. More »
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By ogoodComment by Ehardergardens: is that chick wearing a glasstron, a hoodie , and no pants? and is that cyber-rachnid thing slinking in... more » | Other threads
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griefers
Inside the Minds(?) of Griefers
Sorry if this one is a little late to the party. But it's the weekend, time for some longer think pieces. And besides, finding posts for Kotaku on the weekend is a bit like drafting a fantasy team. (Alright, World of Warcraft violence study, I'm going with you if ... DAMMIT. McWhertor took it ...) More » -
virtual worlds
NASA Wants Second Life On The Moon
A sense of community is important to NASA. That's why they opened a NASA mansion for parties and just hanging out, hacking software and making Uranus jokes. But the NASA mansion was only good during the night. NASA's Andrew Hoppin explains how Second Life allowed connections during the day....we got employees from all around NASA - the 10 geographies around the country - showing up at these Tuesday afternoon meetings. We formed a community of NASA and non-NASA, started coworking in Second Life. Cultural change started to take place at the agency...
But Hoppin would like to see this cultural change happen far, far outside the agency: More »
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By Mark WilsonComment by Purple Dave: @BtownDesignGuy: All they need to do is invent the ansible. Oh, wait. Wrong sci-fi property. Um...can I do the countdown?... more » | Other threads
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second life
Samsung's Second Life Mobile A Bad Idea
Second place mobile manufacturer Samsung has revealed a Second Life client for their phones that will allow the relatively small horde of visitors to the virtual world and their legion of alts access to the grid and related services wherever and whenever the whole thing hasn't crashed. This is a monumentally bad idea. As a Second Life resident for nearly a year now, I know people who only leave the world in order to buy groceries, and some of them already carry their laptops around when they do that, just in case they catch a stray wireless signal. We don't need to be able to connect to SL from anywhere. Sure, you'll be able to have quickie unicorn cybersex in the bathroom at work, but at what cost? More »
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By Mike FaheyComment by freespeech: I think your wrong, those women would play second life!!!!!!!!!!!!! They don't know any better!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! more » | Other threads
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education
Second Life and ESL Instruction
A while back, we mentioned a journal article on using MMOs to aid second language acquisition. Now Forbes has a piece discussing the same issue, only with Second Life. The author spoke with several teachers about their approaches to using SL to educate: More »
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Comment by uranutan: @Kitsunexus: You are why I hate furries. Unlike any other groups with odd fetishes, furries can't handle that their interests... more » | Other threads
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linden labs
Second Life CEO Stepping Down
Linden Labs founder and CEO Philip Rosedale is stepping down. The Second Life developer will seek a CEO with more management and operational expertise. Rosedale will stay on as chairman of the company's board. Even though SL has been the victim of hype machine backlash, the company says that no crisis has lead to Rosedale stepping down. What's more, the company added that an IPO was under consideration. Says the Linden founder: More »
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Comment by Josh*: @v00deux: I think "looking at cartoon wangs during work hours" probably IS enough to get fired in a few places more » | Other threads
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book
Is Virtual Sex Really Cheating?
With all the talk about sexuality in games following the Mass Effect drama, it's interesting to see discussions centering around purposeful sex in games, such as Second Life. Author Tim Guest's new book, Second Lives: A Journey Through Virtual Worlds, takes a close look at the alternate lives, including sexuality, lived by people in Second Life. He spent months investigating virtual worlds and the people who inhabit them, from part-time virtual escorts, to a very serious virtual hitman, and many other personalities. In a Q&A with Nerve.com's Screen Digest, Guest reveals some of the interesting questions of morality, legality, and love that arise from the experience: More »
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By torifComment by freespeech: I think he did do some extensive work on this subject but of course that will not be in the... more » | Other threads
second life
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Fri Jul 10
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