But Second Life is more than just that. And: Thus begins the education of China's 137 million Netizens into the ways of 3-D virtual words (Newsweek)

In a few short years, Second Life has grown from an experiment to the world's largest virtual universe. Inside the mind of its founder.

By Jessica Bennett
Newsweek International

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19878950/site/newsweek/

July 30, 2007 issue - Fake worlds have long served as an escape from reality for the socially inept geeks of the real world. But Second Life is more than just that. Whereas the likes of the hit '80s board game Dungeons and Dragons and the Internet's World of Warcraft provided fantasy for gamers, Second Life creeps much closer to reality. At once a 3-D social networking site, a place for would-be entrepreneurs to do business (and make real money), and a forum for conducting scientific and medical research, it has now attracted the attention of multinational corporations seizing the opportunity to translate virtual money into cold cash. As a result, Second Life is blurring the boundaries between the virtual world and the real one.

China's answer to Second Life is in the works, but facescensors and other hurdles its American rival never will.

By Jonathan Adams
Newsweek International

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19887681/site/newsweek/



Thus begins the education of China's 137 million (and counting) Netizens into the ways of 3-D virtual worlds. With a launch planned for the end of the year, HiPiHi appears to be on track to becoming the first homegrown Chinese competitor to Second Life, the virtual world that's all the rage in the United States. HiPiHi's 38-year-old CEO and founder, Xu Hui, has ambitious goals: he plans to sign up 100,000 users in the first three months. Then he wants to branch out through partnerships with U.S., Japanese and other foreign firms to establish discrete virtual "continents." Ultimately, he sees a handful of virtual worlds, including HiPiHi and Second Life, linked up in one vast universe. "We're on the same road to a dream—virtual worlds are just beginning," says Xu.