Zuiker: Television Is Changing

[CSI Files]

CSI: New York is boldly going where no tv show has gone before.

New York is not the first to branch out into the online world of Second Life. Real-world companies have screened movies in the cyber community. Many universities offer virtual classrooms. Reuters has a virtual news bureau in the community, and Sweden and the Maldives operate virtual embassies in Second Life. Other television shows have dabbled in the online world, but none in the same way CSI: NY is crossing with Second Life.

"Television is changing. We're bringing people to other platforms," said CSI creator <font color=yellow>Anthony Zuiker</font>. He went on to say that the future of television "is about community. We want to put that in a 3D application, make it available to the masses and encourage them to try it out." For New York, that meant creating a virtual lab to tie in with the latest episode of the show, "Down the Rabbit Hole". "The question was, is there a way to write a great episode in First Life," Zuiker said, "and have a deeper impact, a lifespan beyond the show itself?"

When fans log on to Second Life and enter the CSI: NY section, "it's like you're literally in a virtual New York City," Zuiker said. "You see the Flatiron Building, Times Square, Empire State Building, Chrysler Building--we've actually replicated every inch of New York City." And the virtual world does not end there. "The same lab you see on the show are the same exact labs you'll see in the virtual world," Zuiker explained. "You can go to the audio-visual department. You can go to trace, fingerprints, autopsy--you can actually do autopsies on bodies [and] gather evidence. Everything you can do in first life on-air you can do in Second Life too. And you are the CSI, in first life and Second Life."

The original article is from Sun-Sentinel.com. You can watch a video of Zuiker talking about Second Life on YouTube thanks to <font color=yellow>CrashBoxKid</font>.<center></center>

 

[Elsie]

"We want to put that in a 3D application, make it available to the masses and encourage them to try it out."

I've tried it out. The problem with 3D applications is that they are still, imo, not very good.

"The question was, is there a way to write a great episode in First Life," Zuiker said, "and have a deeper impact, a lifespan beyond the show itself?"

Er, I think no. And the episode hasn't even aired yet.

When fans log on to Second Life and enter the CSI: NY section, "it's like you're literally in a virtual New York City," Zuiker said.

:lol: :lol:

This reminds me of the time when my stepmother told me that the vegetarian meat substitute dish she had made tasted exactly like lamb. Er no, it doesn't. Either I've been to a different New York than Anthony Zuiker, or he's been to a very different CSI: NY section of Second Life. Because it pretty much sucks.

OK, I have never been one for computer games or that kind of thing, but it's just not that great. I think there are other bits that can't be accessed until later, but I've looked around the rest of it, and his 'Murder by Zuiker' game and the other case which is on there, and it's just not particularly good. Unless I just have very high expectations, I don't think any reviews of this will be particularly positive. Sure it's innovative, or something, but it's not deserving of all the hype. I have a computer to the required standard and fast broadband connection but it was ridiculously slow every time I used it, the graphics weren't that great and, as a complete novice, I managed to do everything on it within 4 hours. Maybe it will be more interesting when the episode has aired and there are lots of new people on there, at the moment there seems to be lots of regular Second Lifers checking it out and 'hanging around'. I will say that the NY 'greeters' are helpful and welcoming though if anyone is planning on checking it out later.

*is not a Second Life fan*

This episode had better be awesome...