

However, for red-blooded gamers, one alternate universe is just not enough, and that’s why, we present an exclusive list of MMORPGs similar to Second Life. Players, like their online avatars, can interact with others using IM or voice, travel within the world, build relationships, exchange virtual currency, and participate in community activities. Residents of this virtual world don the roles of “ avatars“, ranging from human to inanimate objects. Since then, this premise, which has appealed to fans of cyberpunk, since its inception, has inspired a whole host of books, movies, and of course, simulations, that have evolved into contemporary MMORPGs, of which, Second Life is one of the most popular one. In 1992, Neal Stephenson’s path-breaking novel, Snow Crash, introduced the mind-blowing concept of a virtual 3D universe over the internet, called Metaverse. It is also being referenced in contemporary movies and TV series.

It has led to the national governments opening virtual embassies as also the in-game business success stories are being featured in magazines like Business Week. Developed by San Francisco-based Linden Labs, Second Life was designed not as a game, but as an entire virtual universe aimed at modeling the real world in a virtual scenario.
