a richly graphical multiple user chat kingdom ( MUCK).

MUSE: Multi User Simulated Environment.

MMOS(S)G: Massively-multiplayer online social (simulation) game.

Other descriptive genres have been devised or adapted to describe Second Life: Hence, pegging Second Life (and other environments like it) to a particular definition is very difficult. Rather, it is a platform that allows games and worlds to be built within its framework, and also allows for members to build economic ventures (with highly-controversial real-world implications). The true answer to the question 'is it such a game?' is 'yes and no' - Second Life is technically not a role-playing game by itself.Īlso, unlike other role playing games, there is no goal to reach, no levels to gain, no enemies to defeat. Second Life is considered by some to be a variant of the Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game, or MMORPG for short. Built-in content creation tools let you make almost anything you can imagine, in real time and in collaboration with others.' Within this vast and rapidly expanding place, you can do, create or become just about anything you can imagine. 'Second Life is a virtual world - a 3D online persistent space totally created and evolved by its users.

This was quite literal since the world's developers intended for the user to be able to create the world to their desire, as is quoted in the Second Life overview on its site: Second Life's primary attraction has always been the level of customization from the ground under your feet to the clouds in the sky. Second Life was started in 2003 as a project by 'Linden Research, Inc.' doing business as 'Linden Lab'. Second Life lets the player create their own objects

Business in the world's virtual currency (exchangeable for real-world funds) is encouraged by Linden Research, and a variety of content vendors have sprung up to meet demand. Users have the option to own or rent land parcels in a variety of sizes - as in real life, some owners may zone their land to restrict certain activities, such as commercial development. The system is funded through a combination of account subscriptions and 'tier' (a form of land value tax). Second Life has over 8,268,883 registered users and 1,548,131 active users as of Jlogged-in users range from 20,000 to 60,000 at any one time.

Third-party clients, most of them based on the (almost) open-source official client, are popular among users. The client connects to the Second Life Grid, a cluster of machines running the server software. Second Life is accessed with its client software, also known as a 'viewer'.

Those aged 16 or over were transferred to the main grid, while those 15 or under had their accounts frozen until they reached 16. A teen version for those 13 to 17 was available until the end of 2010, when it was shut down. The 'main grid' is restricted to those 18 or over, as some regions contain strong violence or sexual content. The major form of short-distance transportation is flight, while transportation between areas is typically performed through teleportation both abilities are innate. Second Life is an online virtual world consisting of hundreds of interconnected large-scale areas populated by interactive avatars, whose players may choose to take any form they can create or purchase.

Second life avatar