That awkward moment when you realize you’ve never seen the face behind the avatar of anyone you’ve had a conversation with in Second Life. You all did such an incredible job! This is great!
i was hoping to get a real deep dive into this!! i imagine many people who love to role play in games such as the sims would love being able to do similar RP with people in a game!
@@mark_midmark its awesome more people are interested in it. ive been working on sharing different aspects of SL so this was definitely awesome to participate in
This deep-dive into a game I never cared about and a virtual industry I didn't even know existed has proved absolutely fascinating. Thanks for the video!
Hey, just wanted to say, I've been a second life creator for 8 years now, and a player for 15. I make a living selling the mentioned accessories, clothing, and furniture people buy in-world. This is the first piece of journalism about second life from an outside perspective that was actually respectful and well researched. I've been loving your channel's videos, the journalism you do is top notch, and this is the sort of journalism we need in general going forward, because so many news outlets and more importantly law makers often just do not understand what's actually going on in these virtual worlds, which like you tend to highlight -- involve real people, having real interactions, making real money for their very real work. Hopefully with work from people like you we can get better awareness about how people actually engage and work in online spaces like this, so we can in turn work to better protect them like in the case of your journalism about roblox and entropia.
I met a guy who makes and sells furniture for SL - I couldn't believe it is an actual job, but it is going to be much more common with all the different virtual worlds and more people getting into VR.
I completely agree. We've always been laughed at by the press. And now Zuckerberg is pretending that the digital culture we developed over 16 years is his new idea, and the press is all over him.
@@SuzD0n I guess you could take it positively and say that your time is coming. As a tech guy who's not interested in virtual life stuff, if I have to bet, I would say that the hole meta stuff is going to be a flop. But, there is still a big (too big for my sake) chance that I'm wrong, and if I am, I think there is a really big opportunity for virtual life content creator like you with a huge amount of experiences only a very few persons have.
@@SolomonsNightmare Thank you. Can confirm, the SL economy is thriving: which, sadly, will be the main draw for a lot of metaverse projects. My worry is that people will make a mental association between the metaverse and Zuck and his shitty business practices, which will lead to even more stigma for our community (The Register have been calling us 'Sadville' for years). The media focus on Meta is already drowning out other metaverse projects, some people think it is entirely a facebook project. SL is a tech dinosaur: frozen code and an inefficient and often seedy environment, where all the avatars look like insta influencers and porn stars. Not hard to see why it gets sidelined - but it offers a creativity and a social experience like nothing else. It really is entirely what you make of it. I would love to see future projects build on what Bowie World, Activeworlds and SL created, but it has to be done right - and it won't be done right by 'meta'.
Interesting that quinns takes his respect for the real work that goes into these virtual worlds and calls out roblox for circumventing all child labor laws with their roblox metaverse
At some point then we need to talk about preservation of digital media. 100 years down the line (if we still GA E technology/exist) there should be a way to access content or media when the platforms are gone. In the console gaming space, the only way to access most older generation games (especially Nintendo and PS) is illegally. If a major patch changes something or a game is delisted there isn't much you can do.
@@kaleighconnery-grigg7709 Not even towards the end, he was loving it as soon as they were talking about programming the bot and he went all: "Hell yeah, I'll sympathise with your virtual brothel management concerns as much as you want."
As someone who's played second life for a little over 15 years, they are indeed hilarious. I never really understood it but it really is a small amount of players overall that have body shapes like that. You really do find all types. You even get some that are more hyper than that! With tiny heads!
I keep reading this as "inside second life's second most expensive brothel". Like you didn't want to pay for Quinns to go to the *most* expensive one...
Sometimes I forget that Second Life still exists for months on end, and then something like this comes along. XD Seems to be very of the moment, given we're going through a pandemic and people may be seeking socially distant ways to meet... Certain needs. I wonder if the interest in the normal-type neighbourhood for girlfriend experience roleplay would actually be on the increase, given people may well be missing some fairly mundane experiences that are harder to come by (*ahem*) at the moment?
Good point and good question. There is a lot more going on at the moment. SL seemed to be dying a bit up until last year, when they made some updates that were very significant. Now that we are in the Covid 19 situation, it seems much busier in general and is going through a little bit of a boom. I made an alt recently, just to see what being a noob is like nowadays, and I noticed that there were a lot more new avatars around where you rez for the first time. Last time I saw it like that was about 4-5 years ago
The video makes a great point of people paying for sex services and just wanting someone to talk to or play a game with. There's always going to be a market for human connection and I think platforms like this open up ways for people not to feel alone during or not during a pandemic.
@@vullord666 Oh yeah. I know of a decent amount of sex workers that a pretty sizable percentage of their work is emotional work. Just talking or something like that. The one lady mentioned playing games on Steam with some of her clients. I'd be shocked if some people don't bring a couple of tables or laptops or an Xbox or Playstation to some appointments because they just want to play games with someone.
I never will cease to be amazed by Second Life as a whole. While I've never played it myself, I've always love peering into how it's a perfect example of everything the internet is, just taken to the extreme, and sometimes, it's natural conclusion. More Second Life videos, on any topic, by you guys would definitely be a fun addition to the channel.
This is such an incredible video and it was so interesting to learn about this. I really enjoyed how respectfully sex work was discussed, it was very refreshing to see it talked about in an uplifting light rather than ridiculed. Thank you! :-)
I think this video managed the topic really well, only its a bit of a shame that the less risque parts of SL get so overlooked. There are a lot of people in SL who don't need the pixel-sex stuff and just enjoy community roleplay, where they can take a job, rent a house and get to know their neighbours. There are tonnes of artists and sims (expanses of land) that have shops, parks, cinemas, restaraunts - you name it, SL has it. Not taking away from the fact that there is a lot of sex in SL if that is what you are looking for, but there is so much more than that.
This was great to watch. It's funny because last year I got to meet several sex workers and talk to them about their work. The reality is often a lot more sedate about sex work than we expect. Like we're brought up on this idea of it being seedy or criminal, a big taboo, but sex workers are just people doing a job. I'm so glad you folks were able to explore this is a very careful and considerate manner. Sex workers get a lot of flack and harassment from folk,often losing income or dealing with arseholes. I'm glad there's a place like Second Life, weird as it might be for people who don't even realise it still exists, which facilitates and allows this stuff. My only critique would've been to get an interview with someone who uses/used the Monarchy services or someone else. Just to get a more rounded idea of what sex work on Second Life is like, but what you made was still great. Well done to everyone involved, and many thanks to the people interviewed : )
Yeah, there's also this idea that people who do sex work are desperate or being exploited - and of course there are cases of people performing survival sex work or who are trafficked - but all of the sex workers I know love what they do, and find that it offers them a lot of freedom in many ways. I think there's a lot of puritanism and this idea that sex is somehow sacred, or that it's "selling your body" or "selling your dignity," when really people have meaningless casual sex all the time, a manual labourer or even an office worker sells their body just as much, and I've worked jobs far more undignified than sex work seems. I'm glad that videos like this that treat sex work as just a normal thing with no moralistic judgement are on the increase.
These people are not sex workers in this game. Sex work is litteraly involving the body, this is a virtual avatar. It's not the same or involves the same risks and headaches.
@@Mrblobbybobby There is a comic book "Paying for it" and a manga "My Lesbian Experience With Loneliness" where the authors share their real life experience with paying for sex.
So... Did anyone tell you to Shut Up and Sit Down while you were there? And the more interesting question, did the interviewees charge for their time or did they take it as an advertising opportunity?
It was such a nice feeling seeing that the owner was a women. There is just something so much nicer in seeing women who make their avatars look like that vrs men who request it/make characters who look like that for them to oogal at in one direction. It's nice and refreshing.
I love the contrast of your face and body language when she's telling you "sometimes clients won't text back because they're taking care of the business irl" vs when she's telling you "sometimes people end in real relationships"
Was telling a friend this, but the fact that this is someone like Quinns being "charmingly British" about the subject just makes this so much more entertaining. X)
That's interesting, it's a game I've seen ads for but never cared about and a virtual industry I didn't know existed, but it was absolutely fascinating to watch. Great job on this, and a big thanks to Meela and the various other girls for being willing to share their world with us.
i've never heard of this club but they sound pretty cool. I used to be a sex worker in Second Life & worked in a number of furry clubs (the Ark and IYC being the primary clubs I worked in but there were a few others). It can be a lot of fun though of course you get your share of assholes. Still-I've found people in Second Life are far more sex-positive and kind than people in real life tend to be. I think it's because SL is just weird enough you get a lot of LGBT and open-minded folks using it as a means to meet & hang out with like-minded folks. As far as people being open-minded maybe it's because I only hang out with open-minded people but most of my friends know I used to do that kind of thing and are cool with it. Then again a number of them and I used to cyber-chat on a frequent basis lol. I just love being creative & writing erotica so my roleplay was kind of an extension of that.
this is such a stellar little mini doc, and does such a great job of highlighting a lot of the positives of sex and sex work in SL. there is definitely a stigma, but it can be freeing to have a safe environment to experiment. i credit SL as helping me fully realize my gender identity, as it gave me a space to be someone i couldn't yet be in real life. to feel that happiness and fulfillment and safety in just seeing my avatar and people using masculine pronouns when talking with me just helped solidify my real life identity, while also being safe from any real life repercussions. well done! well well done!
Blimey when I was at school there would be a ripple of excitement when someone found abandoned jazz mags in a hedge. We do indeed live in an age of wonders.
Also, I would have never thought that sex work could involve figuring out an API. There's going to be a day where the oldest job in the world will require you to do code review. What a world we live in...
With it being as difficult and risky to be a sex worker as I've herd due to the criminalisation, it's great that there are avenues like this as well. I can also imagine that someone like me, who doesn't feel like she has the body to do it, but still wants to be able to be able do things beyond chat could get that from 2ndlife. (I'm not a sex worker, but I sometimes do rp's and instructive stuff for fun).
Heh I became an SL pole dancer for a little while. Not gonna lie: I spent a lot of that time camming in on my avatar thinking how great she looked, compared to reality.
This was entertaining but also really humanizing! I'd always sort of viewed Second Life, and especially Second Life's nsfw side, as a bit of a curiosity, but this video really demystified it. The fact someone managed to pay for a real world surgery with the money they made from erotic video game roleplay is kind of incredible
Not only a question Quinns never thought he'd ask but also a line I'd never imagined I'd hear - "How does semen work in second life?". That has made my day!! But seriously a great video looking into something I didn't even know existed
This was such a well-done and respectfully done documentary. I had no idea that the sex work industry has already seen so much expansion into the meta verse. As a former real-life sex worker myself, it makes me happy.
around 10:30 "...call you **out** for punctuation", just for meaning / context if you missed a word. I do love the flavour of enthusiasm and curiosity that Quinns adds to his work. (also I see the irony in me pointing out a mistake about people calling out mistakes... aghhh)
I played for about a year in 2007 and really got into SL, met a lot of cool people, learned how to code and 3D model.. Fun times. I'm not going to say I'm surprised sex work in SL is surprising, but I definitely hadn't considered it. Seems like there's a lot of potential there. I wonder how many coders, texture artists, animation riggers, and 3D modelers are making a living off SL sex work. Really fascinating topic, thanks for making this video.
I tried 2nd life once for a half hour after reading an article saying people could play and make money. I was immediately so confused and never played again!
Yeah, it has a bit of an interface problem, I think. I've wondered sometimes about what that kind of barrier to entry does for a game, if people are more invested when learning to use the interface feels like an accomplishment.
As someone who's played VRChat for 2000 hours, remembering that Second Life sex work is still a thing has the same energy as remembering that some people still indeed listen to analog radio.
This is such a beautiful look into second life 18+ work without making it look carnal and disgusting! You can be just as professional as you are in real life. I love the curiosity and the pride Meela takes in her work. The girls are beautiful, the club is beautiful, this documentary is amazing❤❤
It's a very interesting look into Second Life and how this video went deep on what Second Life doesn't show as much.. Like getting a peek behind the the velvet rope and behind the curtain off section of the club so to speak... Very cool and interesting though.
Literally. Every way shes talking is how he Japanese Snack industry works. I have friends and have dabbled in it, but, these are all the patterns. She might benefit from studying that and applying stuff to her business.
Great coverage of one of our very well respected SL vblogger Meela's commercial business, really great fun, your poor avi needs a good makeover, the poor thing doesn't do the RL you justice. May I ask what microphone you're using there in the video?
This was very interesting, but I have to say, I'm a bit disappointed that absolutely no specifics of prices/costs were ever mentioned at all. Mostly because the title itself says that it's the "most expensive" brothel, so I have to wonder what that really MEANS.
I still don't understand this. Someone pays real money to virtual prostitute? Why? Isn't that at the best kind the same thing as paying prostitute to serve a stranger? Besides, can't you play the game with other people without paying anything?
The same reasons people use RL escorts, apply here. Escorts have experience and skill, and charge because they place a value on these skills. True, you could maybe get lucky and meet another person in Second Life who is interested in sex, but then it becomes a compromise and you may not have your needs completely met. With an escort, you get an experience catered to exactly what your desires are, with a slim to nil chance of complications. I hope this makes sense!
@@talulashippe But you cannot have the sex, only your character can and the graphics are not even that good. There are example sex video chats in the Internet, which are much more close to real thing. I guess there is some weird fetish to Second Life characters, which I just don't get.
There is so much more to Second Life than sex stuff. There are art galleries, charities, live music, people recreating William Shakespeare 's theater and performing his plays. I could go on and on. I always tell people that everything in the real world, good and bad, you can find in Second Life except drugs and STDs. In Second Life I have walked through a recreation of Vincent Van Gogh's Starry Night. His painting made so that the buildings in it and sky are life size and from one vantage point looks just like the painting and then you can fly or walk right through the gigantic frame and into it.
Oh that's awesome. That was also pretty cool how one would work with others other than human, like furries and without any hate to it and just rolled with it. Also hats off to all of you as I can not for the life of me figure out how to make my own character and to figure out how to play. And I play a good amount of video games.
I knew second life existed and thought it was no more than a copy of the Sims but I certainly didn’t know that there was a brothel made in the game. Interesting documentary and an eye-opener. No clip brought me here!
Although Meela has suggested comparing the Sims to Second Life, they function almost as polar opposites. In the Sims, you have to cater to needs constantly and gameplay is very task and goal oriented. In Second Life, you just *are*. You have no requirements to simply enjoy the place.
That awkward moment when you realize you’ve never seen the face behind the avatar of anyone you’ve had a conversation with in Second Life. You all did such an incredible job! This is great!
i was hoping to get a real deep dive into this!! i imagine many people who love to role play in games such as the sims would love being able to do similar RP with people in a game!
Meela, I've always been intrigued into Second Life and this was a really cool insight. Thanks for sharing your world.
Thanks for participating in this, it was a really interesting subject to learn about!
@@heflar oh for sure, i played the sims as a kid. Even when I try to explain SL to friends I tend to compare it to the sims
@@mark_midmark its awesome more people are interested in it. ive been working on sharing different aspects of SL so this was definitely awesome to participate in
"You do have what I'm gonna refer to as a kind of hyper-booty"
I'm stealing this pickup line for myself.
God, this has made me laugh. Thanks Johan.
Thanks for the great video :)
Hyperbooty! LMAO
This deep-dive into a game I never cared about and a virtual industry I didn't even know existed has proved absolutely fascinating. Thanks for the video!
Same
Hey, just wanted to say, I've been a second life creator for 8 years now, and a player for 15. I make a living selling the mentioned accessories, clothing, and furniture people buy in-world. This is the first piece of journalism about second life from an outside perspective that was actually respectful and well researched. I've been loving your channel's videos, the journalism you do is top notch, and this is the sort of journalism we need in general going forward, because so many news outlets and more importantly law makers often just do not understand what's actually going on in these virtual worlds, which like you tend to highlight -- involve real people, having real interactions, making real money for their very real work. Hopefully with work from people like you we can get better awareness about how people actually engage and work in online spaces like this, so we can in turn work to better protect them like in the case of your journalism about roblox and entropia.
I met a guy who makes and sells furniture for SL - I couldn't believe it is an actual job, but it is going to be much more common with all the different virtual worlds and more people getting into VR.
I completely agree. We've always been laughed at by the press. And now Zuckerberg is pretending that the digital culture we developed over 16 years is his new idea, and the press is all over him.
@@SuzD0n I guess you could take it positively and say that your time is coming.
As a tech guy who's not interested in virtual life stuff, if I have to bet, I would say that the hole meta stuff is going to be a flop.
But, there is still a big (too big for my sake) chance that I'm wrong, and if I am, I think there is a really big opportunity for virtual life content creator like you with a huge amount of experiences only a very few persons have.
@@SolomonsNightmare Thank you. Can confirm, the SL economy is thriving: which, sadly, will be the main draw for a lot of metaverse projects.
My worry is that people will make a mental association between the metaverse and Zuck and his shitty business practices, which will lead to even more stigma for our community (The Register have been calling us 'Sadville' for years). The media focus on Meta is already drowning out other metaverse projects, some people think it is entirely a facebook project.
SL is a tech dinosaur: frozen code and an inefficient and often seedy environment, where all the avatars look like insta influencers and porn stars. Not hard to see why it gets sidelined - but it offers a creativity and a social experience like nothing else. It really is entirely what you make of it. I would love to see future projects build on what Bowie World, Activeworlds and SL created, but it has to be done right - and it won't be done right by 'meta'.
Interesting that quinns takes his respect for the real work that goes into these virtual worlds and calls out roblox for circumventing all child labor laws with their roblox metaverse
Internet anthropology is amazing stuff. I could see this becoming it's own thing. International Post-geographic.
Have a look at 'dayz: an anthropological study' by re:roll
Not as good, but in the same vein
I wouldnt be surprised if a internet ethics/culture class would use this video.
I would attend a college if internet culture/anthropology was a legit thing
At some point then we need to talk about preservation of digital media. 100 years down the line (if we still GA E technology/exist) there should be a way to access content or media when the platforms are gone. In the console gaming space, the only way to access most older generation games (especially Nintendo and PS) is illegally. If a major patch changes something or a game is delisted there isn't much you can do.
Someone's wife caught them in there and now this someone has committed to the lie of "It's for a documentary I'm working on!"
Someone's getting a VR headset for Christmas.🤣😂😁
Actually, that's probably what happened and to support his claim he actually had to make the documentary.
They're funny, but I'm glad jokes like these are becoming less popular. Normalize exploring an online sex palace with your soulmate.
@@paulpinecone2464 I'm probably misunderstanding what you are saying as I usually do, but I think that is what Somewhat Awesome Games means.
This is Louis Theroux levels of fascinatingly bizarre, and really well done.
I was thinking the same. Was really getting a LT vibe!
I think the deliberately awkward pose when sitting in the chair and asking about customisable genitalia really sold that effect.
Its the interaction and brit with glasses
"Oh, yep, okay, I'm just now in someone else's house, using their sex rectangle"
i love this so much-
Please don't let Chris watch this one, maybe in a couple of years when he's old enough.
HA! I knew we'd get this comment. -Chris
People Make Games Yer Aul Da would be disappointed, Chris
It gives me full vibes of Chris watching VR porn on a showroom floor.
345tom that was my immediate thought as well.
A
Quinton’s palpable discomfort is the most amazing part of this video.
That was flirting towards the end, I'm sure of it.
@@kaleighconnery-grigg7709 Not even towards the end, he was loving it as soon as they were talking about programming the bot and he went all: "Hell yeah, I'll sympathise with your virtual brothel management concerns as much as you want."
Ah yes. British.
But only because he's the only one uncomfortable.
The gigantic butts are hilarious.
Right????
Yeah. Hilarious and not sexy at all. Crazy that people get off to those avatars.
Yeah, I do like thicc butts, but this is just... mutant alien butts from outer space.
@@randomrandom450 Not outer space but cyber space.
As someone who's played second life for a little over 15 years, they are indeed hilarious. I never really understood it but it really is a small amount of players overall that have body shapes like that. You really do find all types. You even get some that are more hyper than that! With tiny heads!
I keep reading this as "inside second life's second most expensive brothel". Like you didn't want to pay for Quinns to go to the *most* expensive one...
Hey now,. they're trying to make a documentary, not an actual hardcore reel! :)
Sometimes I forget that Second Life still exists for months on end, and then something like this comes along. XD Seems to be very of the moment, given we're going through a pandemic and people may be seeking socially distant ways to meet... Certain needs. I wonder if the interest in the normal-type neighbourhood for girlfriend experience roleplay would actually be on the increase, given people may well be missing some fairly mundane experiences that are harder to come by (*ahem*) at the moment?
Good point and good question. There is a lot more going on at the moment. SL seemed to be dying a bit up until last year, when they made some updates that were very significant. Now that we are in the Covid 19 situation, it seems much busier in general and is going through a little bit of a boom. I made an alt recently, just to see what being a noob is like nowadays, and I noticed that there were a lot more new avatars around where you rez for the first time. Last time I saw it like that was about 4-5 years ago
@@Niceetee01 The Bad Guys keep SL relevant for me.
The video makes a great point of people paying for sex services and just wanting someone to talk to or play a game with. There's always going to be a market for human connection and I think platforms like this open up ways for people not to feel alone during or not during a pandemic.
IIRC SL population increased by something like 60% when the pandemic hit. A lot of those were former users returning after years away, too.
@@vullord666 Oh yeah. I know of a decent amount of sex workers that a pretty sizable percentage of their work is emotional work. Just talking or something like that. The one lady mentioned playing games on Steam with some of her clients. I'd be shocked if some people don't bring a couple of tables or laptops or an Xbox or Playstation to some appointments because they just want to play games with someone.
I never will cease to be amazed by Second Life as a whole. While I've never played it myself, I've always love peering into how it's a perfect example of everything the internet is, just taken to the extreme, and sometimes, it's natural conclusion. More Second Life videos, on any topic, by you guys would definitely be a fun addition to the channel.
This is such an incredible video and it was so interesting to learn about this. I really enjoyed how respectfully sex work was discussed, it was very refreshing to see it talked about in an uplifting light rather than ridiculed. Thank you! :-)
@@friendofp.24 why?
@@friendofp.24 yeah, so pathetic
I think this video managed the topic really well, only its a bit of a shame that the less risque parts of SL get so overlooked. There are a lot of people in SL who don't need the pixel-sex stuff and just enjoy community roleplay, where they can take a job, rent a house and get to know their neighbours. There are tonnes of artists and sims (expanses of land) that have shops, parks, cinemas, restaraunts - you name it, SL has it.
Not taking away from the fact that there is a lot of sex in SL if that is what you are looking for, but there is so much more than that.
This was great to watch. It's funny because last year I got to meet several sex workers and talk to them about their work. The reality is often a lot more sedate about sex work than we expect. Like we're brought up on this idea of it being seedy or criminal, a big taboo, but sex workers are just people doing a job. I'm so glad you folks were able to explore this is a very careful and considerate manner. Sex workers get a lot of flack and harassment from folk,often losing income or dealing with arseholes. I'm glad there's a place like Second Life, weird as it might be for people who don't even realise it still exists, which facilitates and allows this stuff.
My only critique would've been to get an interview with someone who uses/used the Monarchy services or someone else. Just to get a more rounded idea of what sex work on Second Life is like, but what you made was still great.
Well done to everyone involved, and many thanks to the people interviewed : )
Yeah, there's also this idea that people who do sex work are desperate or being exploited - and of course there are cases of people performing survival sex work or who are trafficked - but all of the sex workers I know love what they do, and find that it offers them a lot of freedom in many ways. I think there's a lot of puritanism and this idea that sex is somehow sacred, or that it's "selling your body" or "selling your dignity," when really people have meaningless casual sex all the time, a manual labourer or even an office worker sells their body just as much, and I've worked jobs far more undignified than sex work seems.
I'm glad that videos like this that treat sex work as just a normal thing with no moralistic judgement are on the increase.
I was also hoping to hear from a... "client" perspective, but I can see it being difficult to find any willing to be interviewed on voice ;)
These people are not sex workers in this game. Sex work is litteraly involving the body, this is a virtual avatar. It's not the same or involves the same risks and headaches.
@@Mrblobbybobby There is a comic book "Paying for it" and a manga "My Lesbian Experience With Loneliness" where the authors share their real life experience with paying for sex.
This interviewer is such a gentleman: polite and kind. ♥️
So... Did anyone tell you to Shut Up and Sit Down while you were there?
And the more interesting question, did the interviewees charge for their time or did they take it as an advertising opportunity?
It was such a nice feeling seeing that the owner was a women. There is just something so much nicer in seeing women who make their avatars look like that vrs men who request it/make characters who look like that for them to oogal at in one direction. It's nice and refreshing.
it’s amazing how far behind the graphics are in this game when you consider the depth of its real life economy
the graphics can be GREAT on Ultra, this guy had it on low or medium
The graphics are far better. Depends on which viewer you use and the graphics set.
I love the contrast of your face and body language when she's telling you "sometimes clients won't text back because they're taking care of the business irl" vs when she's telling you "sometimes people end in real relationships"
Was telling a friend this, but the fact that this is someone like Quinns being "charmingly British" about the subject just makes this so much more entertaining. X)
That's interesting, it's a game I've seen ads for but never cared about and a virtual industry I didn't know existed, but it was absolutely fascinating to watch. Great job on this, and a big thanks to Meela and the various other girls for being willing to share their world with us.
i've never heard of this club but they sound pretty cool. I used to be a sex worker in Second Life & worked in a number of furry clubs (the Ark and IYC being the primary clubs I worked in but there were a few others). It can be a lot of fun though of course you get your share of assholes. Still-I've found people in Second Life are far more sex-positive and kind than people in real life tend to be. I think it's because SL is just weird enough you get a lot of LGBT and open-minded folks using it as a means to meet & hang out with like-minded folks.
As far as people being open-minded maybe it's because I only hang out with open-minded people but most of my friends know I used to do that kind of thing and are cool with it. Then again a number of them and I used to cyber-chat on a frequent basis lol. I just love being creative & writing erotica so my roleplay was kind of an extension of that.
This is one of the most fascinating gaming videos I've ever seen.
It's just surreal
this is such a stellar little mini doc, and does such a great job of highlighting a lot of the positives of sex and sex work in SL. there is definitely a stigma, but it can be freeing to have a safe environment to experiment. i credit SL as helping me fully realize my gender identity, as it gave me a space to be someone i couldn't yet be in real life. to feel that happiness and fulfillment and safety in just seeing my avatar and people using masculine pronouns when talking with me just helped solidify my real life identity, while also being safe from any real life repercussions. well done! well well done!
I don't even know what 'Second Life' is until today. I don't know what I'm doing with myself anymore.
I think this is legitimately one of the most respectful videos about sex work I’ve ever had the pleasure of watching and learning through.
loved this! And I love working at The Monarchy!!
Blimey when I was at school there would be a ripple of excitement when someone found abandoned jazz mags in a hedge. We do indeed live in an age of wonders.
"It's like an author separated from the death of a character" < this was a fantastic line and shows how smart these women/users are! :o
Also, I would have never thought that sex work could involve figuring out an API. There's going to be a day where the oldest job in the world will require you to do code review. What a world we live in...
People are paying thousands for stuff that you get in other games for free or via a cheat/mod.
With it being as difficult and risky to be a sex worker as I've herd due to the criminalisation, it's great that there are avenues like this as well. I can also imagine that someone like me, who doesn't feel like she has the body to do it, but still wants to be able to be able do things beyond chat could get that from 2ndlife. (I'm not a sex worker, but I sometimes do rp's and instructive stuff for fun).
Heh I became an SL pole dancer for a little while. Not gonna lie: I spent a lot of that time camming in on my avatar thinking how great she looked, compared to reality.
This was entertaining but also really humanizing! I'd always sort of viewed Second Life, and especially Second Life's nsfw side, as a bit of a curiosity, but this video really demystified it. The fact someone managed to pay for a real world surgery with the money they made from erotic video game roleplay is kind of incredible
Not only a question Quinns never thought he'd ask but also a line I'd never imagined I'd hear - "How does semen work in second life?". That has made my day!!
But seriously a great video looking into something I didn't even know existed
This was such a well-done and respectfully done documentary. I had no idea that the sex work industry has already seen so much expansion into the meta verse. As a former real-life sex worker myself, it makes me happy.
I thought I could finally make money with prostitution until I noticed that they use voice chat.
"A client will call you for punctuation", this whole video was so much more wholesome than I ever thought it could be.
around 10:30 "...call you **out** for punctuation", just for meaning / context if you missed a word.
I do love the flavour of enthusiasm and curiosity that Quinns adds to his work.
(also I see the irony in me pointing out a mistake about people calling out mistakes... aghhh)
"Sex work in Second Life paid for my eye surgery" is funny, but also a bit sad.
I played for about a year in 2007 and really got into SL, met a lot of cool people, learned how to code and 3D model.. Fun times. I'm not going to say I'm surprised sex work in SL is surprising, but I definitely hadn't considered it. Seems like there's a lot of potential there. I wonder how many coders, texture artists, animation riggers, and 3D modelers are making a living off SL sex work. Really fascinating topic, thanks for making this video.
Sims object and motion modelers are popular on patreon as well
11:53 Suddenly the existance of Whales and games that exploit them make sense!
And the reason why those games are predatory rather than optional.
"Quinns what are you doing in there?!"
"Nothing... I'm... recording a documentary!"
Very well done
I dont know the appeal of any of this but I respect them for doing it. This is fascinating stuff.
15:06
YO I was not expecting that level of introspection in a video titled about a brothel in Second Life
This was fascinating, entertaining and very respectful. Well done!
Fantastic video!
Also, I love the term "sex rectangle" haha
You knocked it out of the park again! This is genuinely some next level stuff, especially after something like the Kabaddi video hahaha
this was such a well made video!! addressing sex work in a positive way and having SW voices heard - on a gaming channel!
"I'm now in someone else's house using their sex rectangle." That's when it's time to log off.
This was such a fascinating video about a game I thought the world had already forgotten about and moved on from. Really incredible work PMG!!
Rule number 1 about games: if a game exists, there will be a fanbase
I tried 2nd life once for a half hour after reading an article saying people could play and make money. I was immediately so confused and never played again!
Yeah, it has a bit of an interface problem, I think. I've wondered sometimes about what that kind of barrier to entry does for a game, if people are more invested when learning to use the interface feels like an accomplishment.
As someone who's played VRChat for 2000 hours, remembering that Second Life sex work is still a thing has the same energy as remembering that some people still indeed listen to analog radio.
Hmm, yeah. Show it to me. You know what I want to see.. Quinns' current board game collection shelves
Pure insanity
Finally, a positive story about SL, great job.
This is such a beautiful look into second life 18+ work without making it look carnal and disgusting! You can be just as professional as you are in real life. I love the curiosity and the pride Meela takes in her work. The girls are beautiful, the club is beautiful, this documentary is amazing❤❤
Quinns doing the work Bratt is too much of a sensitive soul to do.
It's a very interesting look into Second Life and how this video went deep on what Second Life doesn't show as much..
Like getting a peek behind the the velvet rope and behind the curtain off section of the club so to speak...
Very cool and interesting though.
Part of me wanted to atleast see a 5 second nervous Chris Brett giggle xD
After learning of Minecraft porn I thought nothing will surprise me anymore.
And yet I just learned... Second Life is still alive.
Jesus my life is a lie. Quinns I didnt realize you were on another channel. I thought you were just on shut up and sit down!
Literally. Every way shes talking is how he Japanese Snack industry works.
I have friends and have dabbled in it, but, these are all the patterns. She might benefit from studying that and applying stuff to her business.
Can you explain a little more?
SMH that Quinns is using the default SL viewer. /s
From one SL resident, Thank you for this video though
Dragon ball fights pay more than sex. Good to know. lmao
There are plenty of better alternatives out there. I would know from... research?
"Its a bit like an author being removed from the death scene of a favorite character." Damn that one touched the soul.
You should Check Out Club Furzona on SL, a very interesting exploration of another since of Second Life
haha i love how you are blushing all over the place!
Theres a reason a lot of these gals stick to text only chat…
Its because they are guys. Theyre mostly guys.
Theyre all guys.
How can you not ask them how much money they make. Great great video though.
Said it before, and will undoubtedly day it again. Human sexuality is hella weird, and hella wonderful.
"We sent Quinns to explore the world of sex work in Second Life." Haha ya ok, sure you SENT him, right, we know that's you Quinns.
Super interesting video.
The moment he is so uncomfortable to ask to ask a (virtual) sex worker about genitals was very funny.
_furiously researches_
Why do I feel like this is the next stage for vTubers lmao
11:38 the face of a man falling for someone in second life
Great coverage of one of our very well respected SL vblogger Meela's commercial business, really great fun, your poor avi needs a good makeover, the poor thing doesn't do the RL you justice. May I ask what microphone you're using there in the video?
And nobody asked about female / nonbinary clients showing up? For shame.
The host was such a nice person hahah
This was very interesting, but I have to say, I'm a bit disappointed that absolutely no specifics of prices/costs were ever mentioned at all. Mostly because the title itself says that it's the "most expensive" brothel, so I have to wonder what that really MEANS.
Are you interested?
I still don't understand this. Someone pays real money to virtual prostitute? Why? Isn't that at the best kind the same thing as paying prostitute to serve a stranger? Besides, can't you play the game with other people without paying anything?
The same reasons people use RL escorts, apply here. Escorts have experience and skill, and charge because they place a value on these skills. True, you could maybe get lucky and meet another person in Second Life who is interested in sex, but then it becomes a compromise and you may not have your needs completely met. With an escort, you get an experience catered to exactly what your desires are, with a slim to nil chance of complications. I hope this makes sense!
@@talulashippe But you cannot have the sex, only your character can and the graphics are not even that good. There are example sex video chats in the Internet, which are much more close to real thing. I guess there is some weird fetish to Second Life characters, which I just don't get.
You did a good job! and im enjoin watching it with my new rl eyes ;)
I'm always amazed how people find creative ways of making a living! Good for them!
Ayyyeeee dats my neighbor ❤️
Hey wait... this wasnt about boardgames...
There is so much more to Second Life than sex stuff. There are art galleries, charities, live music, people recreating William Shakespeare 's theater and performing his plays. I could go on and on. I always tell people that everything in the real world, good and bad, you can find in Second Life except drugs and STDs. In Second Life I have walked through a recreation of Vincent Van Gogh's Starry Night. His painting made so that the buildings in it and sky are life size and from one vantage point looks just like the painting and then you can fly or walk right through the gigantic frame and into it.
geeze the models are laughable....
When you find out that the guy who did a small documentary about virtual sex workers also does your favorite board game show xD
What show is that?
@@chilldude30 Shut Up and Sit Down
Oh that's awesome. That was also pretty cool how one would work with others other than human, like furries and without any hate to it and just rolled with it. Also hats off to all of you as I can not for the life of me figure out how to make my own character and to figure out how to play. And I play a good amount of video games.
Oh Curiosity Stream. That's your S-tier.
Can you imagine if Skyrim were multiplayer like SL? There'd be no end of seeing lovers lab animations and super sculpted models ingame 😂
I knew second life existed and thought it was no more than a copy of the Sims but I certainly didn’t know that there was a brothel made in the game. Interesting documentary and an eye-opener. No clip brought me here!
Although Meela has suggested comparing the Sims to Second Life, they function almost as polar opposites. In the Sims, you have to cater to needs constantly and gameplay is very task and goal oriented. In Second Life, you just *are*. You have no requirements to simply enjoy the place.
Surprisingly wholesome, in a strange way.
The world is so insane.
Oh my god this is so hilariously awkward it's adorable!
I love everything about this video lmao. Like, I would wanna hang out with these people irl
I've been playing that game for 18 years and so far have avoided any sexual games. So cringey to see.