Over the past few weeks, I've given commentary on topics from Extremists to the Futures of Mobiles. This week however there is no topic, however a look or even more prediction of what the future holds for Second Life?
I've commented on the idea of Second Life and whether its real or not. But now its to whether Second Life has a another life in the future. Like many websites Facebook and MySpace they started up small, with only a few members. However with the combination of time and word of mouth Facebook has accumulated over 400 million members* in its five years of operation. Second Life like facebook is another potential social networking site. A mix of gaming graphics and a chat like socializing, Second Life is a more active and fantasy orientated site. I think that with my powerful equation of time + word of mouth, Second Life has the potential to be like Facebook having over 200 million of its members active online everyday*
(*Sourced from the Press Room of the Facebook Website)
Second Life lacks in areas, which are common reasons why the site isn't so popular. Not to sound like a controller or anything, but from being classified in the general age group/generation of people who utilize social networking sites I think I have something to say:
- Graphic Quality & Loading - Pixelated and slow loading (it's commonly known that in Second Life avatars load quick than their clothes), the Second Life platform isn't aesthetically efficient. Understandably with its current members and the features offered lagging can occur, but it works against them. Especially since people get impatient with loading times, thus the move from the over the top Myspace to the simple and quick Facebook.
- Target Audience - Second Life is currently associated with a particular audience. The older, (thought rude) unsuccessful and generally 'weird' adult is generally thought of when thinking of the audience for the site. If Second Life targeted a more receptive and growing audience like teenagers and other young adults
- Simpler Concept - MySpace was the first wave of social networking sites. It's ability to have personalized web profiles was exciting. Moving forward came Facebook which offered more of a simple universal profile which was highly popular. For Second Life to be popular and grow, it needs to be streamline and easy to use. Having experience using the site it offers so many things, which can be confusing and overwhelming even for the most savvy facebookers.
Second Life can become the 'next best thing', but to be that it needs to be appealing to the people who ultimately choose them. A little reshuffle and maybe in a few years like previously people will move on from Facebook to Second Life resembling the same switch from Myspace to Facebook.
