Third Life
ThirdLife ('3Life', for short) is a massively multiplayer online roleplaying game (MMORPG) started in 2006 as a response by Second Life users' frustrations with the game-system. 3Life's game-play was structured around the Second Life's which was produced by Santa Francias-based Lindt Lab. While many Second Life fans pejoratively call 3Life a 'sister game', the user-to-user interface is quite different. Second Life fans claim that Second Life is an internet community rather than a game, while 3Life distinguishes itself as, "A unity", at least according to founder, Baron Von Brunk.
History[edit]
Second Life Incident[edit]
An incident was reported by The New York Times, on April 2, 2005 where Phyllis Rosy, founder of Second Life, virtually ran screaming from a virtual meeting for the board of directors of Second Life. According to the Times report, 'Phyllis had apparently not been made aware that there was a clothes removal option in the interface.' Ms. Rosy as acting president of the board of directors was using a version of second life empowering her with the ability to toggle her commands to all nearby users. Ronald Derghim, director of complaints, told the reporter that Ms. Rosy had been, "Talking in capslock, virtually screaming at us, the entire time..." and that she,"...told [the board] that she spilled coffee on herself in her [real life]." User FrankisTHEman72, who sources verify as Second Life's director of internal relations, corroborates Derghim's story and added that," [Ms. Rosy] seemed to have accidentally activated the clothes removal button while toggling her override ability to effect all of [the directors] that were present. One director speaking on the condition of anonymity said that Ms. Rosy was "disgusted" by the nude feature and later attepted to fire the Director of Game Mechanics. However, as a vote of 8/9 is necessary to remove a director, board member Allen Speckyl's vote of 'nay' was significant (no relation to Allen Speckyl-I!). Mr. Speckyl, director of finance, argued, "Second Life relies [fiscally] on too many sexually repressed one-lifers to give up the nude feature." At a press conference on April 7, 2005, a spokesperson for Second Life Inc. announced, "...Ms. Rosy, has decided to step-down as President of Second Life Inc.".
Von Brunk Partnership[edit]
Ms. Rosy then consulted her long time friend Baron Von Brunk with ideas for creating a new, nude-free MMORPG. It isn't clear whether this was in June of 2005 or July but by August 2005 a Partnership between Phyllis Rosy and Baron Von Brunk was filed with the Pennsylvania Department of Commerce and Ethical Economic Development (PDCEED). Von Brunk is credited with the idea of indentity-less gaming. Based on his experience with the creation of the phonebook, he envisioned participants as nameless enities only distinct in their Non-Identity-Identity-Code (NIIC) which was a 9-digit number.
By October 2005, the partnership had begun development on the game. Seconde Liiife was the working title. Electronica Arts Games (EA Games) had been licensed as the publisher in early 2006.
Rosy rose zero[edit]
3Life was released in the U.S. on March 1, 2006. 30,280,000 copies had been produced for an estimated 550,000,000 subscribers. Unfortunately the release date coincided with the day when 'You are likely to be eaten by a grue' fever swept the nation. As most other releases that day ThirdLiiife, had sold zero units. This devastated the company which had saw a 0% rise in sales from a predicted 11,000,000,000$(USD) sales boom. As a last resort Von Brunk effectively fired Ms. Rosy and therefore saved the company from bankrupcty. Ms. Rosy who was withheld a promised 3,500,000,000$(USD) salary (not including bonuses and benefits), brought her case to the Supreme Court. After a grueling court battle, Von Brunk successfully convinced the judges as to Ms. Rosy's non-existence therefore procuring all of the estimated 9,000,000,000$(USD)in company sales (from after March, 2006)for himself.
Game Play[edit]
3Life is most of all a roleplaying game. Users are invited to create 'avatars' which represent them as individuals. The users or players then interact with other players through their avatars much like characters in a book. In this case the book is written by the synapses in each players brain! Amazing huh?! 3Life is special though in that the avatar is completely without an identity. You cannot enter any information about yourself physically or about your history etc. This is a new style of gaming called Identity-less gaming. In hopes to avoid awkward situations the game removes all traits that one could object to. There are no people different than you to be afraid of because everyone is the same. All avatars appear as little spheres and they float around like bubbles. One of the highlights to the community is that there are no offensive 'streakers' like there are in second life. There are no embarrassing clothes-less accidents. This safe environment is one of the highlights that many users look forward to in gameplay. Player interaction is kept at a pure level and they communicate essence to essence.
While there have been no major incidents this is mainly due to the system's IO setting, or Identity-Override setting which remains active at all times. This way players cannot cheat and release information about their gender, age, race etc. The setting is manual and the IO Committee is needed to constantly maintain this state.
Controversy[edit]
There have been alleged crimes and human rights abuses committed by the IO Committee since their establishment in late 2006. People in Pennsylvania have reported sightings of suspicious trucks with the IO insignia (A thought bubble in front of two crossed pins). According the Pennsylvania Thinkers Union, the group has a real-world influence and often abducts users of Third Liife who have tried to bypass the IO setting or overthrow the IO committee online. Police in Tobyhanna county have released information implicating Third Liife Inc. as a witness and possible co-conspirator in the disappearances of Leslie B. Heynes and William Dugford who were both found dead and victims of cerebro-ectomy. Both were members of the TLAC an online forum representing Third Liiifers Against Censorship. The organization is keeping a close watch on the IO committee ever since they discovered their fellow whistle-blowers' bodies back in Early Septemeber 2007.