Get a second life on your smartphone

[Colin Dunstan]

If you are exhausted of the repetitiveness of real life, you should perhaps keep an eye on Hong Kong based Artificial Life, which is planning to launch a multiplayer online role-playing game for 3G phones in Q4 2005. At least in the virtual world of this game, you have the chance to step into a broad-shouldered man with jackboots and a flowing cape dash across the mud, travelling through a "futuristic cityscape", where you can, beside solving game puzzles, "chat and interact with computer-controlled characters as well as other human players."

Players of the game can select a virtual persona for themselves and inhabit and live in a simulated virtual city. When navigating through the virtual city, users can contact and interact directly with other players in real time, have live real time chats with other human players or chatter bots, enter and explore virtual buildings, use interactive objects and co-operate with others to solve certain tasks or to avoid certain threats. The game is expected to become a widely popular new type of interactive mobile dating game.

[via New Scientist]

[hacker]

I have a great idea... live in your OWN city, and go outside and talk to REAL people instead.

Seriously, technologies like this are breaking down the quality of social interaction. Just look at irc. People on irc act so differently from real life, to the point of multiple personalities, just because they can "fake" who they are, since nobody can actually see or verify them.

Would they act like that in front of a crowd of people in a room? Most-likely not, or they'd get a fist in the mouth in some cases.

While interesting, I don't think we should be supporting or embracing technologies which reinforce this "artificial community" mantra. When people DO need to interact with others, without keyboard, mouse or monitor... what do they do?

The best HDTV is still outside my front door. I just walk out there and see more vibrant life and colors than any flatpanel monitor or 62" television screen inside my house.

(and I say this knowing that I've made more friends "online" than "offline", but I still value real, actual, personable interactions in the real world. Leave the Matrix to Neo please.)

[Alexander Turcic]

Originally Posted by hacker

Just look at irc. People on irc act so differently from real life, to the point of multiple personalities, just because they can "fake" who they are, since nobody can actually see or verify them.

I totally agree and can tell from first hand experience how dangerous these "new" technologies are. I think I was kinda addicted to IRC myself during my college years with almost no day passing that I didn't at least once join #efnet. It was a great relief once I managed to distance myself from the whole IRC scene and have more time again for myself and my friends.