Virtual Shopping!

I wasn’t too impressed with my first experiences on Second Life.  If you want to read about that, check out my post here.

After I read Levinson’s chapter about Second Life inNew New Media, though, I got some ideas on how to enliven my experience.  One thing Levinson points out is that “the nature of the free clothing, and even the facial attributes and hairstyles, mark the new resident as a ‘newbie’” in Second Life.  Who wants to talk to the new person?  So I decided that in order to check out all the aspects of Second Life, I might as well check out the online store, as well.

I have to admit that I’ve spent just as much time, if not more, shopping at the store’s website than actually playing Second Life.  Of course, I wasn’t planning on spending any money on the game (there is no way I would spend precious grocery funds on a game or experience I don’t even enjoy), but seeing some of the things available to buy fascinated me.

After I got sick of browsing around and looking at things I couldn’t buy because they cost Linden dollars (like new boobs, sex positions, rugs/beds/chairs/you name it for cuddling/doing the nasty (It was the day after Valentine’s Day that I was looking), lingerie, clothes, hairstyles, shoes, property, guns, scripts for dancing, etc.)

The usual fare I found while shopping

I changed the search options so only things that were free came up.  After looking through dozens of pages of those kinds of things (pretty much the same stuff, just not as “professional” and more pixel-y), I decided on a dress I liked and clicked to buy it.

I sort of expected the checkout to be like it is on typical online stores–but it wasn’t.  I clicked “Check Out,” clicked “Submit,” and then a page came up telling me to enjoy my purchase or something like that.

I had no idea how to get my item.  So I logged into Second Life to see if I’d just “have it.”  A window popped up and told me someone sent me an item, and I thoughtGreat! and “wore” my item.  But nothing changed.

Luckily, I had not closed out of the window of the shop, and proceeded to notice that there were some little “Help” links, one of which said something along the lines of “How do I get my item?”

I found out that you don’t just “receive” items on Second Life.  They don’t just download and show up in your inventory.  No, whoever you bought the item from (or whoever gave it to you) gives youa box.

Now, you have to unpack this box in order to get your item.  Simply clicking “wear” means that you’re holding the box.  So I tried unpacking the box.  Still nothing.  Thinking what I bought was showing up under what I was already wearing, I  proceeded to strip in an attempt to see my new clothes.  WHOOPS…luckily there wasn’t really anyone around.

Then I actually went and read the directions in detail instead of skimming through. (What can I say? I’m impatient)

(I didn’t actually watch the video.  Probably would have helped, though.)

Apparently you need to “rez“ the object(s) you bought.  I read that and thought what the hell did I get myself into?  And you can only rez an object at a destination you are allowed to, like Sandbox Island.

Anyway, I read through all the directions, and in short I finally got the dress I bought, and I put it on and felt like a badass for going through all that work for a free, kind of crappy-looking dress.

Now, I can understand how that would get easier the more you do it (rezzing the objects, etc.) and most Second Lifers probably don’t remember when they first got an item and had no idea in hell what to do.  And there is a sort of excitement involved, because the “box” the item comes in is different based on what shop you buy from.  When I went to Sandbox Island, there were crates, big black boxes with ribbons on them, and my box was actually a trendy-looking square bag.

Anyone else thought about “purchasing” something for the sake of research?