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Sanny Yoshikawa が、New World Notesのなかから、毎月おすすめのバーチャルワールドニュースを日本語で紹介します
Sanny Yoshikawa covers the monthly virtual world highlights from New World Notes for virtual Japan.
★New World Notesでは、広告主になってくださる、カスタマーベースを拡大したい日本のブランドを募集しています。メタバース関連のブランドであれば、Second life、VRC、Clusterなど、プラットフォームは問いません。興味のある方は、お気軽にお問い合わせください！★
Above: The face of Dr. King shines from the virtual sun upon an anti-fascist protest against Front National in Second Life
In early 2007, in the run-up to Martin Luther King Jr. day in the US, Second Life was wracked by protests against Front National, the leading far right party in France, which decided to set up an official campaign headquarters of the virtual world. The surrounding community, however, wasn't too happy with those plans:
The first night I arrived at the protest against the Second Life headquarters of Front National, the far right French political party of Jean-Marie Le Pen, it was ringed on all sides by protesters with signs to wave and statements to distribute. By the second night I came (this was late last week), the conflict had become more literal, for many Residents had armed themselves. Multi-colored explosions and constant gunfire shredded the air of Porcupine, a shopping island which FN had inexplicably picked for the site of their virtual world HQ, in December.
The server lag from so many people throwing up so much gunfire slows the battle to a slow motion firefight, but I manage to wade up to TonTonCarton Yue, who is strafing the FN building with a chaingun usually associated with an AC-130 gunship, than a political protest.
"Can I ask," I begin, "why are you shooting?"
"Because I hate Front National," Yue tells me simply.
"If you use violence, doesn't that reduce you to their level?" "I don't know," Yue answers, after awhile.
"I don't care. FN equals violence." And having offered that axiom, he returns his aim to the enemy, and unleashes another barrage.
And so it raged, a ponderous and dreamlike conflict of machine guns, sirens, police cars, "rez cages" (which can trap an unsuspecting avatar), explosions, and flickering holograms of marijuana leaves and kids' TV characters, and more… One enterprising insurrectionist created a pig grenade, fixed it to a flying saucer, and sent several whirling into Front National headquarters, where they'd explode in a starburst of porcine shrapnel.
The very fact that a metaverse platform is immersive and enables the creation of 3D content amplifies the challenge of creating a community that's free from anti-social behavior among avatars. Most other Internet communities only need to contend with toxic speech expressed in text and audio/video. In a virtual world, the toxicity can become a literal part of the world itself.
This very point was raised by the organized protesters, holding up Linden Lab's own community standards:
Got another quick update from Firestorm project leader Beq, on reports that the Alpha version of the viewer integrating PBR is displaying objects too brightly. Beq says the problem is being addressed by the Lindens:
"Visuals are still being tuned upstream (Linden Lab); ultimately, the Lab is going to drive that agenda because it would make no sense at all for one viewer to render a scene differently; the poor creators would have kittens." (I.E., panic.)
"The current release notes have a standing 'Known issue' that states something along the lines of 'Yes it's too blue, we're working on it'. Any difference between Linden Lab and Firestorm, in terms of lighting, when examined side by side, same settings on the same hardware should vanish once the upstream changes stabilize and flow down to us."
I.E., PBR will run well in Firestorm once the Lindens nail down that known issue.
Speaking of which, longtime SLer Estelle Pienaar comments that the addition of PBR may create a divide with established Second Life users who can afford to upgrade/buy new devices, and those who cannot:
Cajsa Lilliehook covers the best in virtual world screenshot art and digital painting
MR WOLF has a Flickr microblog. I was intrigued by his picture/post title, “I’m tired of using technology🐺🎧.” I feel that way sometimes. But then I think of all the friendships I have that would not exist without Second Life and SL and technology are inseparable. And of course, Plurk is a deep and solid friendship circle all tethered to technology. If only I could type telepathically. I kind of envy Mr. Wolf’s set up, what with multiple monitors so he can keep track of several things at once. But does he have room for a cat? Can a Wolf have a cat?
For more from Mr. Wolf, click here:
I'm tardy in noticing, but am overjoyed to find my book on Goodreads, including this lovely review by longtime virtual world denizen Lorelei Armstrong:
I debated calling this review "The book that could have saved Zuckerberg billions" because it offers terrific guidance to the industry and those in the position to spend billions creating virtual worlds. I decided that title might limit the audience for a book anyone interested in the future of our relationship with the Internet should read. I've been in Second Life since mid-2007. I have three avatars running eight businesses. At one time I was making substantial (real) money. Now it pays my in-world bills. As I listened to the audiobook of Making a Metaverse that Matters, I found myself nodding often…
One more recap from 2023 before yearly recaps get totally stale: My Steam playlist from last year.
Most games I personally enjoy in my off-hours are rarely metaverse platforms/virtual worlds/MMOs, because while playing anything in that broad category, I inevitably come across an interaction or experience that makes me think, "Hmm, I should write about that." Which feels like work! (Work I love, yes, but if I'm on break, I'm on break.)
Anyway, of the dozens I tried and of the many I enjoyed for an extended period, highlights include:
Immersive Action/Simulation
Control: Thrilling and moody action/adventure with heavy emphasis on gunplay merged with various telekinetic abilities. Loved the Stranger Things-esque government conspiracy backstory and the brutalist architecture, though the story itself was not as emotionally resonant as it could have been. (Completed)
Dishonored: Death of the Outsider: Standalone expansion to part 2 of the acclaimed Dishonored franchise (itself deeply inspired by the beloved Thief franchise), I actually enjoyed Outsider more than the first game, with a compelling hero voiced by Rosario Dawson, incredibly beautiful art and level design, and some of the most cleverly unique missions I've played in quite awhile. (Completed.)
Valheim: I admired this survival crafting sim more than I enjoyed it — great physics/craft and build system, and beautifully immersive. However, since I insisted on playing it solo, it got pretty brutally difficult quite quick, and I moved on.
More after the break!
Cajsa Lilliehook covers the best in virtual world screenshot art and digital painting
Ooxooi is fascinated by light and shadow. He shoots avatars, mostly faces, all both obscured and revealed by the interplay of light and shadow. His photostream is phenomenal, both for its extraordinary focus and its breathtaking pictures. “The Crack” reminds me Leonard Cohen’s song “Anthem” and its lyrics, “Ring the bells that still can ring / Forget your perfect offering /
There is a crack, a crack in everything / That's how the light gets in.”
For more of his extraordinary work, click here:
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Cajsa Lilliehook covers the best in virtual world screenshot art and digital painting
According to SL Flickr photographer The Charlie's Angels, it is “Snowing in New Haven.”
According to social media, it is also snowing over many Second Lifers’ first life. We’re taking bets in Portland on whether or not we might get some of the white stuff, too. My cat snuck out and didn’t even get to the stairs before turning around and running back inside, so I think she’s betting on snow.
A lot of people like congruence, so while it snows in on both sides of the Atlantic, folks want some snow in Second Life, too. I love how Angels captures the frenetic fullness of a blizzard, the falling snow blending with the blowing snow so the snow comes at you from multiple directions.
For more virtual snow, click here:
Wagner James Au / New World Notes 