In Ernest Cline’s Ready Player One, humanity escapes a gritty dystopia by donning VR goggles and entering a virtual world called OASIS. Back here in a comparatively rosy 2013, we don’t have a fully immersive virtual experience—yet.Just as long as they have virtual money (from 2008):
But virtual reality is undergoing a renaissance. And while Oculus develops a consumer-ready virtual reality headset, Second Life creator, Philip Rosedale, and his latest startup, High Fidelity, are hard at work constructing a next-generation global virtual world.
High Fidelity was quietly launched earlier this year with funding from Second Life’s Linden Lab, Google Ventures, Kapor Capital, and True Ventures. To date, the firm has largely kept itself out of the spotlight. Search “high fidelity” and prepare yourself for a barrage of John Cusack. Add virtual, however, and you’re there....MORE
BANK RUN: "Second Life Closes Banks"
From MIT's Technology Review:
Bank run: After Linden Lab’s Tuesday announcement that it was banning virtual banks in Second Life, some residents rushed to withdraw their virtual Linden dollars, while others (above) protested the company’s decision.
Credit: Prokofy Neva (a.k.a. Catherine Fitzpatrick)
