Beating "CSI:NY" to the virtual punch, "Law and Order: Special Victims Unit" tonight features a sex crime linked to a remarkably Second Life-looking virtual world called "AOI". As described by a character in the preview: "People do everything in AOI: they build houses, gamble, dance, have sex." All, of course is not well in AOI, with a sexual predator stalking victims in the real world.
Probably not a great day for virtual worlds with a popular crime show featuring pale nerds obsessed with virtual sex. Sigh. Anyway, you can watch the trailer here.
The similarity is pretty obvious in the name of the VR game in SVU: it was actually AY, Another You-niverse.
Second Life / Another You-? They may as well have just used the name of the real platform.
and of course the emphasis is on the perverse, the sex, and used very bad stereotypes of sad geeky guys, playing this “game” and women working as virtual prostitutes online to make money.
I watched the episode, and it was technically stuck in the 90’s but looked enough like second life to strike a chord with people who may have taken a passing glance at second life. I had to explain to some friends that second life isn’t all about sex, gambling, and perverts. suv is definitely sensationalized for most of thier episodes and this was no exception, plus throw in some bad graphics for the online “game” and anyone with experience in sl would realize how badly done it was. sadly non sl users with perhaps a friend or family member on sl, will believe it represents the sl reality
thats my 2 cents worth
melon
Read the book “Cast of Shadows”…the avatar episode is an interesting similarity.