Francois

There are two different Ideas of work proposed by World of Warcraft and Second life.

Money is supposed to be tied to experience in World of Warcraft. (Though there is the exception of the Chinese Goldfarmers.) The designers want everyone to have to go through the same life experience to gain experience and power. In this sense the rules of the game are "dramatic" not economic.

In second life one can hire others to do one's work, whereas a character/actor in a play could never hire out his acting.

Identity in WOW is fixed, like in a Feudal or Caste Society. If you are an Elf you are an Elf, If you are a fighter you are a fighter, a priest is a priest. Of course this identity is non-heirarchical (IE no-one is an untouchable like in the Indian Caste Society.)

In Second life one can change one's physical appearance easily. Only one's name is fixed.

One of the strengths (and weaknesses) of Second Life is the freedom it gives players. This creative democracy means that everyone's life is what they wish to make of it. It's rather existential in a way. Whereas in World of Warcraft one is fated to be an Elf Warrior.

But of course if one is not fixed in a definite identity then one cannot be a person in second life at any other time than one is now.

In World of Warcraft "Being" is eternal like the Pharoahs. The pharoah is the same "being" because his life is the same as his father, in a sense he is his father, he is THE PHAROAH, eternal and outside of time.

The Elf Warrior is the Elf warrior, it is a timeless mythic cycle. The Elf Warrior approaches Draknor the Dragon, and kills him. 24 hours later the computer sets up the same "set" for the same "stage" the same fake trees the same gold by the dragon and another adventurer "acts" out the same script.

Whereas Second life is less mythological. One can never be in a time other than the one that one is in. If you missed the property boom too bad, Linden Labs will never make the computer re-create the same property boom for you.

It's like the difference between Joseph Campbell and Marx.