What do Asians get up to in Second Life?

And what context will Asia have in the building of global virtual worlds and the dawn of a new language? our writer explores.

In Buddhist Asia, the concept of second life – or third or fourth and so on – is a spiritual one. You die, and you are reborn and in what form you come back is determined by how you live your present life.

To ensure you come back in a higher form each time, you do good deeds and collect merits. It's a bit like a savings account. You want to ensure it is as full as can be before you depart this earthly place.

Asian residents of the virtual world, Second Life, though seem to have different motivations when they are in that other universe. Most seem to want to do exactly the same things as they do in real life.

According to the results of the first Asia's Second Life Community research involving 40 indepth interviews in Singapore, China, Korea, Japan, Hong Kong and Taiwan, most go into Second Life "to augment their lives, not so much for escapism".

This is an important point, I suppose, because most cynics like to say that it's only those who don't have a real life who need a Second Life.

The survey, conducted by Starfish, also shows that the primary interests for women are shopping, fashion and meeting people while men are driven by fashion, meeting people and "more adult content".

This is another important point because it proves that real or virtual, men and women are the same – ie different.

Asia's Second Life residents also tend to be early adopters and they have a "strong sense of community or belonging", says Starfish.

What they want more of? More Asian content.

That clarion cry for more Asian content or context is the driving force behind an event due to be held in Singapore on August 19-22.

Called "State of Play V: Building the Global Metaverse", the conference, organised by the New York Law School, Berkman, Yale Law School, Trinity University and Nanyang Technological University, notes that "the conversation about virtual worlds is dominated by Western voices".

Noting that the Asia Pacific region's online gaming market generated $1.4 billion in annual revenues last year, a figure that is expected to reach $3.6 billion by the end of the decade, it states that much of this growth will be propelled by 180 million Chinese Internet users, the majority of whom will play on-line games.

"China is just part of the story. Korea is an epicenter of innovation. For example, Cyworld, a South Korean Web community site, boasts one-third of the country's population as its residents. India is already the region's third largest market for online games and participation in virtual worlds is sure to follow there as in other developing economies."

And it adds: "There are significant negative consequences to the lack of global dialogue about virtual worlds. The absence of cross-cultural dialogue means that virtual worlds are being set up and run without sensitivity to diverse cultural, legal and social norms. This lack of cross-cultural understanding does not just harm the industry; it also manifests itself in the social tensions emerging online."

Last June, it reported that close to 10,000 Chinese players rioted within The Fantasy of the Journey West to protest the presence of what they thought was Japan's national flag. Two years ago, players of Lineage II teamed up to slaughter game characters perceived to be "Chinese gold farmers." Meanwhile, thousands of Chinese players complain that Western gamers in World of Warcraft apply racial profiling, excluding Chinese players from social groups based on language skills and recognisably Chinese surnames."

At such moments, I am reminded of American social writer, Eric Hoffer, who wrote, "When people are free to do as they please, they usually imitate each each other."

Yeoh Siew Hoon, one of Asia's most respected travel editors and commentators, writes a regular column on news, trends and issues in the hospitality industry for 4Hoteliers.com.

Siew Hoon, who has covered the tourism industry in Asia/Pacific for the past 20 years, runs SHY Ventures Pte Ltd. Her other writings can be found at www.thetransitcafe.com . Get your weekly cuppa of news, gossip, humour and opinion at the cafe for travel insiders.