The Washington Post has a front page article today entitled "Hear the Music, Avoid the Mosh Pit," detailing how musicians and bands are using online virtual worlds, namely Second Life, to host performances. Suzanne Vega and Duran Duran are among the names, the latter group is planning to hold a concert on their own private island sometime soon, and fans have even created avatars modeled after the members of U2 and held concerts with streaming music.
I'm still not convinced of the viability of marketing and advertising by large corporations in Second Life that would bring a worthwhile return on an investment, but this type of niche entertainment does seem to have a place (Major League Baseball recently had a homerun derby in Second Life).
From the article:
"A virtual world brings something to the table that a Web site doesn't -- it's building a more immersive experience. . . . You kind of lose yourself in it," said Ethan Kaplan, director of technology for Warner Bros. Records, who said he has played around with Second Life for years. "It's really cool and a lot more fun and creative than just putting a MySpace page up."
Musicians are increasingly using the virtual world to hold live concerts, at specific times and dates, or listening lounges where their music plays when an avatar pays a visit. The virtual world provides a rich and colorful environment similar to computer-animated films like "Toy Story," only a notch less sophisticated.
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