Half-Life 2: Episode One - Done!

I completed Half-Life 2: Episode One last night. I downloaded and started playing it the day it came out, but then put it aside after a few days. The sun came out in Seattle for a few months, so I haven’t been gaming as much lately. However, it rained the previous two evenings, so I spent them finishing the last couple chapters. I thoroughly enjoyed this game. Like HL2, the game play, problem solving, art, graphics, physics… everything is fantastic. Valve rocks my world.

I actually felt my heart swell with joy when Barney handed me the crowbar. I had missed being able to club head-crabs in mid-jump; it’s like baseball, but much more visceral. I also have a crush on Alex. Whenever people criticize the gaming industry for their portrayal of women as scantily-clad über-bimbos, we can always point to Alex. She’s competent, intelligent, funny, fully-clothed, and not constantly in need of rescue. I think I’m in love.

My So-Called Second Life

It’s beautiful now in Seattle, sunny and warm. I should be taking advantage of this weather, swimming in my pool, lounging on the deck, and being outdoors. So of course I get hooked by Second Life - again. I spend my free time hunched over my keyboard in my hot, stuffy room with all the blinds tightly shut to block out the blinding sun. When people ask me what Second Life is about, I explain that it’s the virtual world that comes closest to the Metaverse portrayed in Neal Stephenson’s Snow Crash. When they ask how the game is played, I explain that it’s not really a game, it’s a living, breathing virtual world with its own culture and economy. “So, what do you do in Second Life if it isn't a game?” they ask, puzzled. “Shopping,” I reply, “buying hair, skins, clothes, furniture, land, houses, etc... Oh, and I also have to buy the currency used in Second Life with real world money.”

I have a confession to make. I have a bit of a shopping problem. It’s not to the point of being pathological, but I have run out of hangers and closet space. I thought that Second Life would be a good and less expensive way to channel my urge to accumulate cute clothes. Today I decided to actually calculate how much I’d spent in the past few weeks. I soon discovered that I wasn’t saving any money. Since July 14th, I have spent $177.83 U.S. on virtual products and land. That doesn’t include the subscriber fees ($6/month) or the land tier fees ($8/month). $177.83! That’s not saving me any money at all! So, I’m cutting myself off. I’ll still log in to Second Life, but I will only chat with other people, not shop. Oh, and have you seen my pig? It flies.

I would like to try being a tourist. All the content in Second Life is user-created, so people have created these amazing spaces. I found a city called Nexus Prime that is inspired by cyber-punk fiction. What you initially see is very clean and shiny, with towering skyscrapers overhead. But once you got underneath the slick surface, it starts to get really grungy. It’s a maze of rusted steel and corroded concrete. I spent at least three hours exploring. One woman I met that lived in Nexus Prime said there were parts of the city that she still hadn’t found yet. I am astounded by the time and effort that the Second Life residents must have put into this space. As far as I can tell, there’s nothing that would be bringing any money in either. There’s very little shopping. Land tier for a city of that size would be $195/month. Aside from renting apartments, I can’t see how they could break even. Yet Nexus Prime just celebrated its third year in Second Life. Three years of operating at a loss – that’s major dedication to your craft.