Wednesday, August 12, 2009

More than a game

It still always amazes me when I hear people refer to SL as a game. Sure I guess, for RPers as such, it can be a game to some extent. But for the majority of people inworld, I would imagine that it is just so much more than a game. I fit most definitely in that camp.

And what, for me, makes it more than a game? Well, it's relationships isn't it?

As much as I have loved playing Football Manager for hours and hours (and days and days) in the past where I have control over the lives and careers of virtual sportsmen I cannot develop a relationship with them. They do not interact when I act (other than developing a virtual huff if I stick them in the reserves but still tell them they're a key member of the team, of course).

But SL? Well so much of it is based on relationships. Relationships between people do exist. Relationships start. And they end. They develop and flourish. There are friendships. And romances. And one-night stands. And love.

You can have regrets over something said or not said. You can be elated when a friend simply IMs to say hi. You can have butterflies as you sit next to some-one hoping with all your heart, fingers-crossed, for that first kiss.

Whether the AV is a true(-ish!) representation of the person typing at home or not really does not matter in the slightest way. Through the medium of those AVS, be they human, neko, furry, elf, tiger or terrier, people interact and develop relationships. What I say and do impacts the thoughts, feelings and actions of real people on the other side of the world. For that reason alone SL, to me, is not a game.

1 comment:

  1. Love how you explain your thoughts and I totally agree. Oh my yes SL is so much more than “A GAME” to me and I think so many more people would agree.

    Your actions, your words do have an effect on another person. Always remember to treat others the way you would like to be treated because there is a person behind the keyboard with real emotions and feelings.

    It’s so not like a video game…and the only one I can think of right now is “Medieval” PSP game. Hee hee. If I didn’t play that game for a month no one from that video game would miss me or ask where I was. If I played that video game in a bad mood and was grumpy that video game wouldn’t ask me what was wrong and what they could do to pick me up. If I asked the video game a question it wouldn’t answer or help me. I’d have to google the cheat code. Hee Hee. In SL it would be different and you would have people missing you, helping you, and giving you a kind shoulder to lean on.
    :: Lolita ::

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