One distinction that Ondrejka makes very clear in his article is the difference between crafting and creation when it comes to user created content in virtual worlds. Ondrejka defines crafting as “the process of advancing your character, or “leveling” through the repetitive creation of game objects.” At first glance crafting and creation would seem to be the same thing. Users create in game items which they then have the agency to sell, or auction off. The crucial difference between crafting and creation is that crafting systems are built into games and can be leveled up. Players cannot be truly original, all they must do is gather a certain set of raw materials, walk to the proper area of the game and click the “craft” button. This leads to interesting situations where frequently the raw materials for items are worth many times what the finished products are worth because players repetitively build items in pursuit of advancing their crafting level, not obtaining the item. Creation is a totally different process, players are given tools to make totally original items. There is no “leveling” process. Every player is given access to the same tools and players are limited only by their skill and imagination. Anyone can craft high level items in WoW or LOTRO, all it takes is the ability to gather a list of materials. To create a helicopter or a sex toy in SL requires individual skill and imagination, there is no “recipe”. Ondrejka, goes on to state that if we are to truly create the metaverse users must have the ability to create not craft original content. There is no possible way a teams of developers can create a world large and interesting enough for all of humanity to be entertained consistently without allowing users to design parts of the world.
My experiences with content creation in SL have been very limited. I have used to basic tools to create a few different basic 3D forms. The amount that users have the ability to create is pretty astounding. Users can create 3D forms as well as clothing, animations, textures, atmospheres, environments, sculpture, high quality snapshots and machinima. It is exciting to me that along with the more utilitarian world building tools there are tools that can be used to create what might be considered “fine art”. As a photographer and filmmaker the idea of creating this sort of content within SL is very exciting. Unfortunately from the small glimpse I have seen of SL I don't think I will be taking up content creation within SL as a hobby anytime soon. In the real world we have the exact same tools for content creation as within SL but generally far more refined and dedicated versions of those tools. For 3D modeling and the creation of objects we can use VectorWorks and Auto-CAD software. This software has the disadvantage of not appearing in a persistent world but has the advantage of allowing its users to create content with a higher level of refinement and polish that is still instantly shareable anywhere in the real world via the internet. The same goes for Machinima (film) and photography within SL. The content appears in-world and is shareable but the limitations of SL as a tool for creation stand out when compared to the huge array of dedicated physical and software based tools for film and photography that exist in the real world. The power of the interwebs paired with dedicated tools allows for superior creation of content along with instantaneous sharing of that creation.
Second Life has taken some very important first steps in realizing the metaverse. What holds me back from jumping into content creation in SL is that in its current state the tools available are inferior to the tools available elsewhere. The true heavy hitters of content creation have only now started to trickle into SL. Professional architects, industrial designers and artists of all stripes will gradually move into creating things in virtual worlds such as SL when the virtual worlds can offer everything that is offered in the real world along with the added bonus of their content appearing in a persistent world. Ondrejka, addresses this in the section of his article about computing power and Moore's Law. “Raw processing speed will continue to increase at approximately the eighteen-month doubling rate predicted thirty-five years ago.” That incredible sustained rate of progress has allowed us to realize the functional graphical metaverse that is Second Life. With the improvements in technology that are predicted we can look forward to a larger, seamless and more refined virtual world that will attract a wider variety of people.
GG
DPS-GAMER
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