Corporate Investments in Second Life Not Panning Out

I haven't written much about Second Life, the arguably popular virtual environment because, frankly, I find it to be boring and a little bit dumb. But that hasn't stopped corporations ranging from Coca-Cola to IBM to Cisco from setting up virtual office space there. Even that bastion of high-tech automaking, Pontiac, has its own venue in the pixilated universe.

Alas, corporate investments in Second Life haven't exactly panned out. Wired magazine has a tragicomic story about how corporations and ad agencies have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars building and maintaining their Second Life presences, only to see them go almost completely unvisited. A guided tour through Coca-Cola's "Virtual Thirst" pavilion (because your avatar is thirsty!) reads like a trip to Chernobyl. No one around. Kind of sad.

I'd like to report some silver lining in all of this, but there are literally no corporate success stories to point to in Second Life. Even the NBA, which has been a hit on YouTube, has been a dud in Second Life: A whopping 1,200 visitors had been to its island since May. The NBA rep quoted in the story is deluded to the point where he believes that's "very, very good." But that's what Second Life has done to people: "Having a presence" there is seen as more important than having anything to show for your investment.

Meanwhile, when corporate events do gather an audience, they're invariably a disaster. Most notably, Cnet's in-game interview of Anshe Chung, who says she's made $1 million by selling property in the SL world, was ruined when "griefers" launched an unending volley of animated penises at the stage. Because that's, you know, the kind of thing you can do in Second Life.

In fact, that's pretty much all that Second Life is becoming known for: Sex and crudely animated porn. I'm not sure if it's a "problem" for Second Life, but it's gotten to the point where scandals are starting to erupt. First came the child porn complaints, then animal porn issues. The sex trade touches everything in Second Life: The first legal case of "virtual copyright" will be fought over... a Second Life sex bed.

So... with all of this in mind, are you ready for your business to get in the game? I'm no prude, but I'm not sure I'm ready to advertise in the red light district...

LINK: How Madison Avenue Is Wasting Millions on a Deserted Second Life