I came across the Dinkies cat avatar last year at Fantasy Faire.  It was so adorable, I dropped a lot of cash collecting different breeds.  At the time, there weren't a lot of clothing and accessories for them. But at this year's faire, there were clothes galore for them.  It made me take out my avatar for a spin.



I never thought to look for videos on youtube for the avatar but they are there, quite a few.  The one I linked to on this post is fantastic.

Second Life Music Videos

It has been a long time since my last post.

What have I been doing?  Well I've gotten back into Warcraft a bit.  My thoughts on that later.  I'm still in and out of LOTRO, Rift and Elder Scrolls Online.  I've even dabbled in the Candy Crush mobile world (horrible time suck and phone power suck).  But I have to admit, I no longer have the fire, the resolve or the desire to play these games long term anymore.  They require too much from me, more than I can give now.  It just reminds me that I'm a heck of a lot older than I was when I first got into WOW and I no longer have the extra time I did when I was younger.

But I'm still regularly in Second Life.  Quite simply because the game only gives what you put into it and no more is required.  There is no grind, no leveling or other elements that turn it into a kind of half-ass job.  To me, it serves as a micro-vacation in that I can go "places" to sight see and relax.

Even though I have been in SL for so many years, it still strikes me as being extremely futuristic.  It transports players into worlds that are one of kind, made by other average Joe/Jane players.  It is sometimes unprofessional and messy but it still has fire.  Something that is missing from regular MMORPGS nowadays (although I'm holding out hope for Camelot Unchained).

NWN has linked to an SL music video recently.  It looks amazing and yes, SL can look amazing.  The old 2007 screen captures used in the media are just poor news reporting.

This is the SL, that regular SL players know and live:



Another vid with typical female SL avatar looks popular right now.

Secret!

This is an advertisement for a popular store in Second Life called The Secret Store.  I've loved all their clothing for awhile now. Unfortunately, my VR inventory is exploding and I have a serious moratorium against buying anything new.

As I've noted at New World Notes, this is the Second Life I see when I'm in world.  Its a place of sophisticated VR art and items and motivated people doing what they love.  Unfortunately that isn't the SL most people see when the read about it in the local news or on TV.  They still see SL being a backwards place with lousy graphics and sleazy people.

And if they do by chance see anything like this, the world is set up that getting started is hard to conquer.

Viewer 3.0

Linden Lab is working on the Viewer take 2.  Unlike most, I've never really had serious problems with the official viewers.  I just muddle through the crap.  But now we will be getting Viewer 3 and the Second Life community is doing what it does best...snark galore.

Run Devil Run - Girls Generation

In Second Life, I mostly hang around the Japanese and Korean sims and stores.  They have a very twee sensibility that appeals to me.

While making my rounds for the Poupee Hunt 2011, I visited a store called Pink Ribbon 21.  I noticed some t-shirts called "Girls Generation" with various pretty model types.  It intrigued me, so I did an internet search on them.  At first I thought they were some kind of TV show, but it turns out they are a girl pop band in Korea.

They are pretty good, if a bit over-processed.

I've included a youtube vid of their version of "Run, Devil, Run".  There is a little war on the page concerning who sang it first and who sang it better between Girls Generation fans and Kesha fans.  Whatever

I just love discovering new cultural icons through SL.

Cigarettes

I've only been traipsing around the online game scene since 2007.  Four years.  Four long damn years.  I still can't believe it.  And what ever game I've played, I've seen the same outbreaks.  If it isn't IP rights in SL, it's leechers in WAR or Ninjas in WoW.  And everyone is convinced the sky is falling.  Well, sometimes it is and sometimes it isn't.

But then I saw this clip of "One Flew Over the Cukoos Nest" on youtube.  And it reminded me of all those game communities I've been in.  They are all asylums.

Perhaps it is time to break free.

Give me my damn cigarettes.

Tom Bombadil's Theme - Lonely Mountain Band

A fanvid and fan cover of one of my favorite songs in LOTRO.  I have this playing in my game house.

Whats it gonna sound like?

I discovered this video at Mediabastard's website.  Funny.  I swear he looks like every game designer I've ever seen from the greasy hair, the cocaine sniffles and the wild eyed evangelical glare.

MyANIMATION - Melanie Kidd

MyANIMATION from Melanie Kidd on Vimeo.

I enjoy Melanie Kidd's blog on SL, Grid Expectations, and her Flickr page.  She always has beautiful photos and interesting posts about SL fashion.  Kidd also has a store in SL called Mela's which sells hair, shapes and more.

This video was created by Melanie to show off the great dance animations available through the store MyANIMATION.

What the little ones are doing...

In their baby mmo.




I think it's hilarious that the Wizard dance is actually in time to the music chosen by this fan.  So cute.

Game On

The Guild goes Bollywood dreaming!

Wave those Arms!

Remember Cruise waving his arms like a spastic in "Minority Report"?  Well, now its a reality.  I can't figure out if it is a cool idea or really stupid.

They say it will take about 5 to 6 years to get this new tech into the stores for consumers.  That is probably a little pie in the sky...maybe a lot.  Damn, is it going to break a lot of old software.  But maybe that is the point.

The tech world likes to eat its own.  Its one of the ways they keep us locked into their systems and paying outrageous prices for equipment/consulting.

I Play W.O.W - Jace Hall

I still love WoW despite some of it's failings and that isn't a lie.  This video was posted on some mmo fansites and I think it's hilarious.  Great stuff.

Does this mean I'm going back to Azeroth again?  Nah, not in the immediate future.

My Beautiful Life - Piatto

This SL music video was featured on New World Notes.  It is one of the best machinimas I've seen from SL.  Usually SL machinimas are strange with jerky frame motions and somewhat hokey theme premises.  They are still light years behind what is made inside of Warcraft.  However that is because most of the talented, free lance machinima creators are in Warcraft.

For some reason, which still fascinates me, Japan and other asian cultures get, really get, virtual reality.  I'm not sure what it is that make them so successful in the transition and why their efforts show up so strongly in world.  Perhaps it is because their youth culture is already a VR-like movement that it finds its natural home in SL.