A gamer as head of a major power?

According to an Associated Press report, new British foreign secretary David Miliband has an avatar in the popular MMO Second Life.

Miliband, a blogger and technology buff whose nickname among Tony Blair's staff was "Brains," is reportedly being groomed as an eventual candidate for prime minister.

Miliband also has a FaceBook page. Said Alex Bingham of London's Foreign Policy Center think thank:

He has the brain the size of a planet, but he's barely known outside of Britain - that could either work for him or be a real problem.

Added Julian Astle, director of London's Center Forum:

He's certainly a gamble. But he could prove to be a gamble that really pays off.

Despite all of the recent hype, it's unclear whether a Second Life presence really helps a political campaign.

But a Japanese candidate may actually find himself in hot water over participating in the popular online game.

As reported by Next Gen, Kan Suzuki, a member of the Japanese Parliament, recently became the first politician from his country to set up a virtual office in Second Life.

Suzuki's foray into the the metaverse, however, may violate Japanese election laws, which hold that websites cannot be created or updated during the campaign period.

No official ruling has yet been made.

Last year, GamePolitics reported on the case of an attorney who exploited a URL quirk to grab several plots of virtual land for cheap in the popular MMO Second Life.

Because the lots were not yet officially up for auction, SL publisher Linden Labs suspended Marc Bragg's account for violating the game's terms of service (ToS).

As lawyers are wont to do, Bragg filed suit in a Pennsylvania court, claiming he was the rightful owner of the virtual real estate and that the game's flawed auction system didn't negate the sale legally. Bragg also laid claim to his virtual cash in Lindens, worth about $3,200 USD. Linden Labs officially supports a Linden-to-dollar exchange, and promotes the idea that players own their virtual property.

A watchdog organization in France has placed the popular MMO Second Life in its crosshairs.

Parent-teacher group Familles de France (FdF) is apparently suing Linden Lab, the operator of Second Life, seeking to block minors from signing up for the game. The group claims that there are:

...pornographic photos and videos in free access [where] users can mimick sexual acts, going as far as rape scenes, bondage, zoophilia and scatophilia...

As reported by French newspaper Liberation.fr (Google translation) ten ISPs have been included in the suit as well on the basis that they provide French players access to the San Francisco-based SL.

Those of us situated in the United Kingdom may well be interested to know that the BBC's flagship business show, The Money Programme, will this Friday be turning its attention to the increasingly lucrative world of online worlds.

From the TV listing:

Millions of us are opting out of real life and signing up to "live" in vitual reality computer worlds instead - and there is a fortune to be made there. Multi-nationals like Reebok, Nissan and Calvin Klein are now also getting in on the act. The Money Programme's Max Flint sets up shop in the cyber world and finds out how it's possible to live a virtual life and make a real fortune.

There are two points of focus in this paticular episode. The first concentrates on the likes of Second Life and how numerous business have created a virtual presence in the world. The second focuses on the business of more 'traditional' MMOs such as World Of Warcraft, and the ever-present culture of real money trading.

There's not much happening in the political world that escapes the attention of Second Life residents and the recent landslide election of Nicolas Sarkozy as President of France is no exception.

As reported by Wagner James Au at New World Notes, Sarkozy backers in the SL metaverse were in an understandably celebratory mood:

I came across Sarkozy himself, regaling supporters and well-wishers on an accordion, which he somehow managed to play while also holding a glass of beer and a handgun.  After a time, he repaired to his Blackhawk chopper, and after insuring that two babes were safely ensconced in back, took a victory flight around Sarkozy castle, where every tower flies a flag emblazoned with Sarkozy's profile.

In actuality, Second Life's "Sarkozy" is a product of Christophe Hugo, who's mastered the unique art of turning the customization of avatars into recognizable caricatures of real world personalities-- then goes about embodying them in-world in an equally satirical way.  (To clear his dock of gawkers, his Sarkozy produced a rocket launcher.)

Au notes that the SL "Sarkozy President!" group, with 567 members, is nearly four times as popular as that of opponent Segolene Royale. Of Chritophe Hugo, Au writes:

While I suspect Christophe isn't a Sarkozy supporter, his cariacture of Segolene and other world political figures are equally scabrous. (More on his site.)  He's planning to create a selection of American political avatars in time for the US elections, too.  

We're hearing a lot these days about how political campaigns are interacting with the virtual world of Second Life.

News station WSYR-9 (Syracuse, NY) looks at the politics of Second Life in this video report.

It's interesting to watch how the obviously non-gaming members of the WSYR-9 newsroom react to the concept of SL's virtual space.

Okay, so he's not John McCain, Mit Romney or Rudy Giuliani. Still...

Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) is the first Republican presidential candidate to have a Second Life headquarters. And he probably doesn't even know it.  Hell, we're not even sure he knows what Second Life is.

As reported by Second Choices, a blog dedicated to tracking the 2008 election as it unfolds in the popular MMO:

The HQ is unofficial, the Real Life campaign is as yet unaware of its existence, but it’s there, the first Republican footprint in-world... the HQ is still under construction, but open to the public... There aren’t any free [virtual] tee-shirts, yard signs, or other freebies which are available at the Democratic HQs...

So who is Ron Paul? A small government, Libertarian type, his candidacy is, honestly, doomed before it begins. Still, it's great to see the political process in action through the lens of an MMO. Now that we're aware of the Paul campaign, we'll be watching. And we'll be tracking the Second Choices blog, too.

Writer David Kushner (Masters of Doom: How Two Guys Created an Empire and Transformed Pop Culture)  pens a lengthy Second Life feature in the latest Rolling Stone, detailing the creation of the popular MMO by Linden Lab CEO Philip Rosedale.

Kushner also dishes on virtual politics, virtual currency and virtual, uh, relationships in SL.

Definitely worth a read.

A Virginia Tech research assistant has created a memorial to those killed in Monday's rampage shooting.

That's not so unusual, but the medium chosen by Ross Perkins is: he created the memorial within the popular online game Second Life.

As reported by Stephen Totilo at MTV News, Perkins, who goes by Milosun Czervik in-game, said:

The wall is just my contribution. The texture on it is 'Hokie Stone,' which is the stone that covers nearly all buildings on our campus.

I heard that there was a candlelight vigil in one part of 'SL' earlier today, but I was with friends here [in Virginia] watching the ceremony and then just walking around outside... We are numb, really. As more names are released, it will get even harder as we learn about the wonderful people we lost.

Perkins is a regular visitor to SL, where he manages the Information and Communications Technology Center, which provides educators with virtual teaching tools. He told Totilo:

I thought about doing a memorial yesterday, but I had mixed feelings about it. Wasn't sure if I should — if it would be perceived as trite — and really, I didn't feel like being in 'SL' much.

Via: Kotaku...

In a bid to clarify the legal status of in-game, user-created casinos, Second Life publisher Linden Labs recently invited agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation to visit the online game's virtual world.

Linden execs apparently became concerned following a U.S. crackdown on off-shore gambling casinos. Former Linden Labs general counsel Ginsu Yoon subsequently asked the FBI for clarification on what constitutes an online casino, but has yet to receive clear rules from federal authorities. Said Yoon:

We have invited the FBI several times to take a look around in Second Life and raise any concerns they would like, and we know of at least one instance that federal agents did look around in a virtual casino. It's not always clear to us whether a 3-D simulation of a casino is the same thing as a casino, legally speaking, and it's not clear to the law enforcement authorities we have asked.

If the FBI deems user-created casinos run in the SL world to be the equivalent of actual casinos, Linden Labs could be charged under the 1970 Illegal Gambling Business Act or the more recent Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act. The UIGEA addresses off-shore gambling by restricting financial transactions resulting from online action. This could potentially affect Second Life since the popular MMO allows players to convert between virtual "Lindens" and real-world currency.

Cocktail party etiquette advises that one should never discuss politics or religion.

Residents of the popular Second Life MMO, however, violate those rules continually and seem to find the experience worthwhile. As readers know, GamePolitics regularly covers political developments within the game, so much in fact that we've recently added SL as its own category for the benefit of readers who want to research the topic.

Now comes word that religious expression is increasingly a part of the SL experience. USA Today reports that Second Life residents will take part in seasonal Easter and Passover events this week. The paper also notes that Muslim prayer gatherings as well as other spiritual activities are regular parts of the gamescape. Said Ben Faust, founder of the ALM Cyber Church, which exists within Second Life:

GamePolitics splashes a fair amount of ink reporting on political happenings in Second Life, so on this day (since it is April 1st but we're rather averse to reporting fake news) it seems fitting that we look at a clever parody of the popular MMO.

Get a First Life is a one-page send-up of Second Life's home page, and it's dead-on with (unclickable) links to topics like:

• Go outside - membership is free


• Find out where you actually live


• Fornicate using you actual genitals


• Access your closet to build your First Life look

The witty parody (we wish there was more than one page!) is the creation of Darren Barefoot, who describes himself as a writer, technologist and marketer from Vancouver.

Illinois' Sen. Barack Obama's campaign will make a swing through the virtual world of Second Life tomorrow.

The Second Life News Network (SLNN) reports that a real-world Obama visit to a living room gathering in Iowa will be simulcast to Second Life. The event will also be webcast around the country for those who aren't Second Lifers.

Interestingly, the SL version won't offer a live video feed. Instead, what is described by SLNN as "an authorized Obama avatar" will mimic the movements of the senator during the audio stream. GP assumes that Second Life residents will provide the in-game audience.

And, for those who can't get enough Obama on Saturday, Rik Panganiban reports on his blog, The Click Heard Round the World, that an Obama rally will take place later on Saturday at Second Life's virtual Capitol Hill.

Panganiban, who goes by "Rik Riel" in Second Life, wasn't clear on the relationship - if any - between the living room event and the rally, but promises an update as more info becomes available.