Aug 09
16
Making a Second Life in Vegas
After toiling for many days over cutting out the majority of my inane drawl, those clever clogs over at First Wall Rebate have posted their latest show, a show I was fortunate enough to be invited to guest appear on. Not only that, but they put my name in the bloody episode title, something that feels very nice against my burgeoning ego. Anyway, you can now check out Episode 024: Sinan Kubba and the Transatlantic Gamble, or better yet you can go listen to all the infinitely better preceding episodes, and enjoy some quality First Wall Rebate that isn’t ruined by my inclusion, all to be found at its site.
As for Sinan Kubba and the Transatlantic Gamble - I have to milk that title for all it’s worth – we discussed the relationship between gambling and gaming, with particular reference to Trevor’s then recent trip to Las Vegas. We discussed the idea of a virtual world within gaming that fits with the picture painted of Las Vegas by the media and entertainment industries. That picture is one of squalid debauchery and fantasy, and yet one where all dreams are attainable if you go looking for them. On reflection, I think the closest approximation to a virtual Las Vegas would be the space within Second Life.
It’s ironic, really, because the media at large depicts Second Life to be either a haven for nerds or a world ripe for financial exploitation. Those with more know-how look down upon it, seeing it as a place overpopulated by fetishists or weirdoes, and one with code that’s in severe need of an upgrade. The truth, coming from someone who’s dabbled in Second Life previously, is that it’s all of those things and more. There’s room for the distasteful, the socially unacceptable; sex dungeons are as commonplace as bars within Second Life’s borders. There’s open arms for those looking to make a quick buck, whether it be through gambling or through some crazy dream that seems impossible. Maybe there’s a bit of New York’s tolerance-by-default in there, maybe a large dollop of London’s underground sex scene, and maybe a good chunk of the Las Vegas something-for-everyone about Second Life, but doesn’t it sound like the fantasy of Vegas that was depicted in all those classic counterculture movies of old? Sex, money, gambling and fun: all can be found in Second Life. If you want to have a party totally populated by transvestites, all performing sordid acts on each other, that’s absolutely fine – no-one’s going to stop you. If you want to go around toting a huge gun and have wings attached to your back, that’s up to you. Second Life is maybe the closest we have to a society without rules, for better or for worse.
Of course, it’s still governed by the rules and restraints of the its code, a limitation that will always keep hold on the freedom of a virtual space, a point that was made on Sinan Kubba and the Transatlantic Gamble - I had to mention it again, sorry. But it’s hard to tell whether a world like Second Life really has appeal. Sure, it caught on because of the media firestorm, but its subscriber base is obviously not as large as its press releases would have us believe, and its world seems to get quieter every day. Is escapism as much about escaping the rules of reality as it is about escaping reality itself, or do we crave rules to keep us sane? What would we do with a video game that shunned rules completely? What would that even be?
Thanks once again to the First Wall Rebate guys for having me on, it was a blast.
