Tag: VIRTUALWORLDS

The online virtual world of Habbo Hotel, at first glance, seems like just another idyllic, peaceful, fake community, where fake people exchange goods with a fake handshake and a fake smile, and decorate their fake residences with fake furniture. Basically, it's Orange County. But beneath the placid, Norman Rockwell veneer of non-existence lies an all too real underbelly of crime, deception and ...

Federal and state governments have placed significant restrictions on convicted sex offenders in recent years, enabling law enforcement to track and monitor the activities of certain deviants. A new bill proposed in Texas seeks to limit the Internet activity for sex offenders, and monitor their Web personas as well. The bill, HB 22, which has yet to go before the Texas House of Representatives, ...

'Second Life' has reached another virtual milestone -- it's being sued by Taser, the world's largest manufacturer of stun guns, for trademark infringement. 'Second Life,' run by Linden Research Inc., is a virtual online community of users that use avatars to 'live' and 'work' within a user-generated world. According to Bloomberg, Taser is claiming trademark infringement, since users can buy ...

It may seem odd to consider the fate of a real person's virtual life after that person dies, but the topic is one of interest and importance to thousands of gamers around the world. The relationships forged between gamers in virtual worlds, like Blizzard's popular 'World of Warcraft' game, often transcend the medium and become real-life, meaningful connections that need tending, in both life ...

In a move we can only assume is being made somewhat begrudgingly, Linden Lab, the company that makes the persistent online universe 'Second Life,' has announced that it's going to start cracking down on the game's seedy underbelly. Various measures are being implemented to take the edge off: All "adult" services and sales will take place inside a predetermined section of the 'Second Life' ...

Another day, another marriage ruined by the Internet. Not surprisingly, the online virtual world 'Second Life,' in particula,r seems to be destroying the holy bond of matrimony every chance it gets. We can add the tale of UK couple John and Lisa Best to the list of reports of 'Second Life' infidelity leading to divorce. The mindbogglingly-careless John was laying in bed with his wife when he ...

One day, someone will teach a college class on the sociological implications of 'Second Life.' In a place that so perfectly, yet whimsically, mirrors the real world, there are bound to be things that peak the interest of anyone with even a passing curiosity in human nature. One tale that has caught the attention of many is that of Palela Alderson, a 26 year-old Italian woman, who has taken to ...

It's safe to say most wives would be mad if they caught their husband having virtual sex in Second Life. When Amy Taylor caught her husband with another woman's avatar, the infidelity might as well have been real. Taylor and her husband, David Pollard, are divorcing after three years of geekily wedded bliss after Pollard, described as a "jobless 40-year-old," was caught doing the online ...

Can racism actually exist in a world inhabited by avatars, such as 'Second Life' and 'World of Warcraft?' Researchers at Northwestern University seem to think so after conducting a series of social manipulation studies. The researchers used two different social manipulation techniques known to work well in the real world. The so-called foot in the door (FITD) approach asks a simple favor of ...

Remember that 'Second Life'-like Barbie world we told you about, 'Barbie Girls?' Well, it has been a runaway success for Mattel. Now, the company faces a new challenge with the service -- turning it into a money-making machine. The company's latest idea is to charge girls (i.e. their parents) $5.99 a month for access to 'Barbie Girls V.I.P.' which will grant them access to perks that non-V.I.P. ...

Disney's Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World is, as the name implies, a rather magical place. It's also not a place that is close (or cheap) enough for everyone to attend whenever they want. It was no surprise, then, that when Disney launched an online Virtual Magic Kingdom (VMK) back in 2005, kids everywhere wanted to get in on the action. And, just as in real life, said children aren't too ...

Okay fellas (and gals), put on those capris and the pink halter top that's been collecting dust in your closet: it's Hello Kitty time. Specifically, time for Hello Kitty Online, an online hub for all things HK. It's called Sanrio Town, and it will serve as the central community for the upcoming Hello Kitty MMOG. There are forums dedicated to Hello Kitty and other lovable Sanrio characters, ...

In an effort to cover all its bases, the U.S .government has begun a project to help spot terrorists who are using "virtual worlds" as their forum – World of Warcraft, Second Life, et al. The program is essentially trained to set its baseline for what is to be considered "normal" behavior in online worlds, and zero in on strange or suspicious activity. Of course, when the de-factor ...

We've previously posted about the 'Barbie Girls' virtual world being slapped together by Mattel as a 'Second Life'-esque haven for teens and tweens. Now, the site has entered beta mode and something surprising has happened: The service has racked up three million registered users in 60 days and is still growing. The service is signing up roughly 50,000 new users a day, a growth rate that far ...