WARNING: CONTAINS MATURE CONTENT
This Four Corners documentary was originally broadcast as You Only Live Twice on March 19, 2007 on ABC TV.
FROM THE ARCHIVES:
Our world might be getting smaller, thanks to technology, but virtual worlds and games are booming. Millions of people venture daily into these new and constantly evolving landscapes where they can conquer mythical armies, slay dragons and embark on other fantastical quests.
In the virtual world of Second Life, you can painlessly remake yourself as a slim and blemish-free avatar, chat up strangers, shop, or start a business and make (or lose) real money. A cover of Business Week featured the woman who became the first paper millionaire by buying and selling virtual property.
Some of the world's biggest companies are staking territory in Second Life. They don't want to miss out on what's touted as the Next Big Thing that the Internet has to offer — some claim Second Life will be more far-reaching than YouTube or MySpace.
Four Corners explores the bizarre frontiers of virtual worlds, taking a sceptical, sometimes humourous, look at their heavily marketed promise and their pitfalls.
Reporter Ticky Fullerton goes "in world" as an avatar and meets the key players who make worlds like Second Life go around.
Fullerton reports on the real and promised potential of virtual worlds, as well as the traps that lurk for innocents abroad. Is anyone in charge? Do real world laws apply in Second Life and if so, whose? Is there protection for intellectual property and is there such a thing as virtual rape or assault? Why are so many people interested in virtual sex? Are virtual worlds the future for shopping and marketing? And why are some psychiatrists and social researchers so keen on experiments in virtual worlds?
For seasoned virtual world travellers and for those whose technical limit is sending emails, this special report assesses the lure of virtual worlds, their remarkable possibilities, their downsides and limitations…
Chapters
00:00 - Second Life millionaire
02:14 - Making an avatar
06:50 - Technology’s huge jump
08:47 - San Francisco HQ
11:00 - Second Life’s red light district
16:00 - Legal challenges
17:00 - Schizophrenia research
20:00 - Shopping in Second Life
23:10 - Big brands rushing in
25:45 - Overhyped?
30:00 - Virtual property boom
32:00 - Investing in Second Life
37:00 - Legal limbo
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