Worksheet
Second life
Why should the business world take notice of the goings-on in the virtual world, Second Life?
1. What do you know about the web-site ‘Second Life’? Discuss your answer with a partner.
2. Read the article and complete the Fact File on Second Life below.
‘Second Life’: Fact File
Year founded:
Transactions (Jan. 2006)
Founded by:
Users (last year)
Currency:
Users (current)
3. Podcast transcript.
Virtual business in a virtual world
Businesses across the globe are sitting up and taking notice of
Second Life, a virtual world on the Internet. Why? Because
virtual worlds could offer a way for businesses to test new
ideas in a safe environment. They could provide
opportunities in areas such as training, product design,
marketing and projects involving cross-border collaboration.
In Second Life, you can test drive a virtual Toyota car, buy
virtual footwear from Adidas or hold a virtual meeting.
Second Life was set up in 2003 by software company Linden
Labs. It is a multiplayer gaming environment that is
modelled on the real world. Players create everything in this
virtual world, trading with each other using "Linden dollars",
the game's currency. Yet some aspects of this environment
are real. Players can convert their ‘play’ money into U.S.
dollars, at an exchange rate of about 300 to the dollar. This
virtual economy allows players to build something, sell it
and make a profit: just like in the real world! In January last
year, Second Life saw people take part in over 4 million
Glossary:
Virtual
Avatar:
transactions buying or selling buildings, clothes and other
objects created by players. This figure is set to grow rapidly.
A year ago, there were about 20,000 people using Second
Life. This figure has already exceeded 2 million.
Businesses are now taking notice. IBM, for example, has used
Second Life for virtual meetings. In the same way, companies
have the potential to bring together participants from all over
the world for training courses. Many educational
organizations are already exploring ways that Second Life
can be used to promote learning. A chain of hotels has made
virtual models of future hotels, showing that the corporate
world can test consumer reactions in a risk-free environment.
One US clothes company, American Apparel, is now selling
digital versions of clothes which it markets in real life.
However, while big business is just starting to arrive in
Second Life, some entrepreneurial players are already
making virtual fortunes. So, perhaps one day soon this type
of virtual world will become an extension of the real business
world. Does anyone fancy a game of virtual golf?
Not real
a picture on a computer screen that represents a person
4. Discussion questions:
a. What do you think about the concept of ‘Second Life’?
b. Have you ever visited a ‘Virtual World’? If not, would you like to?
c. Are there any ways in which ‘Second Life’ or virtual reality could be beneficial to your own company?
This page has been downloaded from www.te4be.com
It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
Copyright  Barney Barrett and Pete Sharma.