Look for Part 1 of our roundup here. Onto the second half of 2008:
July 2008
– The first issue of the Journal of Virtual Worlds Research launched
– We started a two-part series looking at virtual world addiction
– The first successful teleport between the Second life grid and an OpenSim grid was announced
– Google Lively was announced
– New Linden Lab CEO Mark Kingdon gave a report on his first two months
– We discussed the concept of Second Life as a frontier product
– Sister site, Metaverse Health, launched.
August 2008
– Sex in Google’s Lively got the Second Life Herald treatment
– Second Life on the iPhone and iPod Touch became a reality (sort of)
– A Saddle Club virtual world continued development
– A Second Life musician received a real-world recording deal
– We profiled AUGrid founder Nathan Organ
– An Australian honours student conducted research on journalism and Second Life
– Students vs Second Life generated some excellent discussion in the blogosphere
– The Melbourne Laneways presence on ABC Island in Second Life bit the dust
– Debate ensued on an article on the Sydney Morning Herald claiming Second Life is on the wane for Australians. The PhD student quoted in the article, Kim MacKenzie, rightly hit back on the coverage.
September 2008
– VastPark released its Immersion Player
– Health facilities continue to explore virtual world with gusto
– Twinity moved to public beta
– Openlife’s momentum continued to build
– Second Life is my wheelchair covered accessibility issues and virtual worlds
– The WA Police entered Second Life as a recruitment strategy, with some controversy ensuing
– We criticised Linden Lab’s growing secrecy
October 2008
– Gender Freedom Day was celebrated in Second Life
– Cranial Tap’s business services were given the once over
– We launched our new HQ in Second Life
– Australian accountants got into Second Life
– Another quality Australian installation opened – Foul Whisperings, Strange Matters
– World of Warcraft demographics proved some stereotypes and disproved some others
– Linden Lab announced price rises, with some backlash ensuing
– We touted the Nintendo Wii as one of the most successful virtual world platforms
November 2008
– Metaplace’s beta gets a detailed overview and comes up looking good
– Casual gaming world in development, Gatheryn, provided some information on its progress
– Furries were again the discussion point in the context of stereotypes
– Virtual sex and real-world divorce captured the attention of mainstream media worldwide, with increased Second Life usage the result
– Google Lively breathed its last after a mere five months of existence
– The Australian Virtual Worlds Workshop was held successfully in Melbourne and in Second Life, including a disclosure that Second Life standalone servers are on the way
December 2008
– Twinity’s momentum continued, even though it remains in beta
– The open-mindedness of individuals in virtual worlds was questioned
– The Australian government’s internet filtering proposals were discussed for their potential significant impact on virtual worlds
– The opportunities presented by teaching health-care virtually continue to grow
– Lee Hopkins, Australian business communicator and PhD student, is profiled
– Guest poster, Seshat Czeret, talks of her experiences with disability and Second Life
– Habbo Hotel’s Australian operation talked about the launch of an in-world currency
[…] Part 2 of our retrospective can be found here […]