Virtual worlds, Second Life, and the Metaverse as a whole are very immersive experiences. This is because they immerse the user much more than an older type of medium such as just reading a book which leaves a lot open to the reader for interpretation. With something like Second Life, it is much more visual. Much more hands-on. The user can be whoever they want, whatever they want, however they want, whenever they want. It’s hard to beat the amount of freedom the user has to immerse themselves in this experience. In my opinion, the only thing keeping this from being a 100% realistic, fully immersive experience would be the fact that you can’t physically walk in the world of Second Life with your physical body and physically touch the items in it. A VR headset could be used to give the user the impression they are in the world and physically interacting with everything, but I would say that’s as close as we are going to get for now. Second Life is truly amazing. You can go into this digital world and get a job, build a house, sell the house, rent property, provide services for other users, you name it!
Even graphic novels are much more immersive than just reading a standard novel. The graphic novel paints pictures for the reader and helps them feel more like they are right there inside the story with the characters. Hence, an immersive experience.
My experience with virtual worlds is still pretty limited. I have some experience with it on the internet, in video games, and a little bit of time on Second Life now, but there is still so much I don’t know or understand about the metaverse. I must say that I am very excited to learn more about it. I’m only 33 years old right now. I can’t even imagine what our technology is going to be 40 years from now. It’s mind boggling to even think about.
The premise of my project will consist of the development of two different objects to be placed in the SL world. One will be a monitor that shows the video editing process in Adobe Premiere Pro and another will be a handheld holo-projector that displays either a rotating college degree or an open book. The fundamental purpose of these items is to drive students find interest in the video production and as a call to action to inspire them to attend Peninsula College.
2. Audience and Market
The intended user would be a potential new student at Peninsula College. We hope to use our digital environment on the Hero’s Journey to entice them to become students here. This audience would probably enjoy something that is interesting, comedic, and technological. We will have plenty of competition, however. There are plenty of other schools, organizations, and companies that have established a strong presence in the virtual world.
3. Medium, Platform, and Genre
We will be using the platform Second Life to develop and place these items. This platform consists of a virtual world where users can fully customize their avatars, purchase and rent property, and even get a job. It is a third-person virtual experience.
4. Narrative and Gaming Elements
There are narrative elements contained in this project. The Hero’s Journey is a completely narrative concept. It is the basis for most stories told and has been for a very long time. I hope to be very encouraging and inspirational in my approach when creating these items. There are some gaming elements already on the Hero’s Journey pathway, however, mine will be more interactive and persuasive. I can’t think of a win or lose scenario with my objects, other than a win when persuading someone to attend Peninsula College.
5. User’s Role and Point of View (POV)
The user will take on the role of an aspiring student on this pathway. They will be looking for direction in their life, in their education, and in their own personal Hero’s Journey. Therefore, ultimately they will be taking on the role of the “hero”.
6. Characters
The nonplayer characters consist mostly of animals from what I have seen. I did read something about a parrot that helps you on the journey but I don’t believe I actually encountered him. I have seen other birds, wolves, and whales. They make the virtual environment feel more welcoming and attractive. They also give it a more lively presence which will entice users to explore deeper into it.
7. Structure and Interface
The starting point of the user’s experience will be Step 0 of the Hero’s Journey. This is the beginning of the path and the user is welcomed with some free gifts and information here. They will then progress through the twelve steps of the Hero’s Journey and then proceed onto the Pathway Café where they can see the different guided educational pathways. They will be able to stay on task and know they are going in the right direction because of the signs that have been placed.
8. Storyworld and Sub-settings
Our world appears to be on an island paradise that sees all different seasons and climates in the different regions of the island. These resemble the different obstacles we encounter when we are on our own personal Hero’s journey.
9. User Engagement
The storytelling aspect of the experience is what will keep the user engaged. They will want to make it to the end to feel the sense of accomplishment that comes along with completing any type of interactive story element. By the end of this experience, the user will have hopefully made it to the end of the pathway, decided what area of study they are wanting to focus on, and chosen to enroll at Peninsula College to do so.
10. Overall Look and Sound
For the monitor at the video editing station, I will be using videos. 2 different videos, one for each monitor. One will be of the editing workspace in Premiere Pro, while the other will be of the program monitor. As far as the holo-projector object goes, I will use an image of the text book or college degree and try to build a 3D element out of it.
11. Interactive Scavenger Hunt
I would like to make it so if the user finds my holo-projector, not only will it turn on and display the rotating object, but it will also transport them to my bubble. Using the holo-projector again will transport them back to the hero’s pathway. (Not sure if this is doable or not, but I like the idea of it.)
12. Marketing of the Hero’s Journey
The project could be marketed through the college’s website, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and even Second Life itself. I feel that at this stage it wouldn’t hurt to have mentorship, but I think the further along it comes and the more developed it becomes, the more autonomous while convenient to use it will become.
