I found the following, taken from a news article about how Big Brother will be using Second Life to create a virtual version of their reality show, pretty noteworthy:
A number of real-world companies have entered Second Life in recent months, drawn by its rapid growth and large pool of tech-savvy consumers, including Toyota Motor Corp., Adidas AG and Sony BMG. Reuters Group Plc also recently launched its own news bureau in Second Life.
For those unfamiliar with Second Life, it’s an online world where people can go and, well, live second lives. The concept is somewhat similar to Entropia, where people make real money by growing and selling virtual assets in an online game (or MMORPG to be more exact). Only it blurs the distinction between “real” and “virtual” worlds even further.
Advertisers are always looking for new ways to catch your attention, and if companies can manage to give their brands cachet in a virtual reality world, that just might translate into real dollars in real life for them, too. Imagine your character in Second Life buying his first car, say a Yaris, and then upgrading to a snazzy FJ Cruiser after he came into some dough.
Would you then be inclined to buy a Toyota the next time you were in the market for a car in real life? Because that’s exactly how companies are hoping you’ll react.
I can’t say that I didn’t initially find this trend a tad insidious, though after I thought about it, I realized that there’s really not much difference between this and product placements in TV shows or movies.
If you want to learn more, The Economist had a very interesting article on internet advertising and marketing trends this past summer that’s really worth a read.
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Andrew
I had never heard of Entropia or Second Life until reading this post. Just skimming through both websites I am amazed at the planning and forethought that went into creating the concept behind these “other worlds.” Seems to me becoming a part of these worlds could prove addictive. Have you participated in either of these website worlds?
Ricemutt
I’ve never tried Entropia, but I gave Second Life a shot after reading a recent Economist article on the phenomenon. I logged about an hour one day trying to figure out how to move around and do things, found it difficult to use, and decided to give up. I understand it’s pretty addictive for some people though.