Tetsuya Mizuguchi to build Virtual Tokyo in Second Life
by Scott Jon Siegel 
{ Jul 5th 2007 at 8:30AM }
What makes Mizuguchi's Tokyo different than other architectural projects in Second Life is his intent in building the city. 1UP reports that rather than building an exact replica of the Japanese city, Mizuguchi wants to fashion his facsimile based on the perceptions of both locals and visitors. Speaking to 1UP, he states his hope that the project, which is a collaboration between himself and advertising firm Dentsu, can become a "museum of Japanese pop culture." We might need to dust off our Second Life avatars just to check it out when it launches.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
ganrob @ Jul 7th 2007 10:52AM
wow, a great big EMPTY tokyo that takes days to load. cool! :/
samfish @ Jul 5th 2007 9:48AM
Will you be able to masturbate your way through this one, too?
Oh, wait...it's Second Life. LOL- SILLY QUESTION!!!
Anam @ Jul 5th 2007 10:20AM
So, he's creating Tokyo... but it's not actually Tokyo? Then basically he's creating whatever the hell he wants and calling it Tokyo!
I'm gonna sketch New York City. It won't be based on New York City or include anything from New York City. In fact, it's a doodle of my cat, but I think it represents the concept of what New York City would be if it were a cat.
Jeff @ Jul 5th 2007 10:27AM
Wow, a Tokyo "facsimile" limited to 50 people, SL's arbitrary island limit.
Can't wait.
Jonathan Tran @ Jul 5th 2007 10:27AM
@2 lol
I wonder how big the finished product will be, and if a single japanese person will ever go there
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TyXUVd2c83c
Psaakyrn @ Jul 5th 2007 11:00AM
1) Fortunately (or unfortunately) there'll be lots of potential applicants for the role of Godzilla.
2) In terms of console representation, the DS has to appear somewhere...
to #3 Anam
Or you could all it an abstract Tokyo, distilling the core preceptions of the city. And another reason for a non-replica is also copyright.
omgwut @ Jul 5th 2007 11:03AM
Until the patriotic nigras strike
Anonymous (He who does not forgive) @ Jul 5th 2007 12:15PM
@7.
COCKZILLA RAMPAGING THROUGH TOKYO! WHO WILL SAVE US? CAPTAIN MARIOMOSHPIT!
And then lulz.
KirbyMeister @ Jul 5th 2007 12:18PM
So, basically it's a pop-culturized version of Tokyo built in SL. Like, everyone gets a giant robot when they teleport in ;) This project reminds me of the Nakama sim, except it only had two giant robots (Eva 01s) that weren't pilotable, copyable, or buyable. :(
Oh and Joystiq... you think the businesses getting in on SL is annoying? Two words: Prokofy Neva. She's like Jack Thompson, but her targets are: percieved griefers, open source content, CopyBot, and the "new media". She also likes to relate the above to socialism and marxism, completely disregarding the fact that the SL viewer itself was recently open-sourced.
She's also invented some... colorful vocabulary. Tekkie-wikinista isn't even a word, and don't get me started on the "Feted Inner Core" (sic) or FIC... listen Prok, not everyone is in a giant consipracy against you!
>>Anam: That's a pretty funny interpretation of his project, but in a good way. I'm going to be building SL San Francisco. Except that it won't be really San Francisco. Instead, it will be a gay bar.
>>Jeff: Of course, the solution to this, like everything, is to throw more money at the problem. Need more than 50 people in an island? Join multiple sims together! Pay twice the island fees!
>>Psaakym: I don't think there are copyright issues with building virtual representations of cities. Maybe some of the buildings would be tricky in terms of trademark-related issues, (McDonalds stands come to mind) but we already have sims for many various major cities with no problems.
Smack042 @ Jul 5th 2007 1:34PM
Please someone tell Linden that their piss poor middle school attempt at the Metaverse has gone to hell and needs to stop. Anyone?
Charolastra @ Jul 6th 2007 12:38PM
What will make this different from other architectural projects? More flying dildos, no doubt.
tokyo adult dating @ Jul 9th 2007 10:28AM
Ken Aihara of Dentsu approached Mizuguchi with the project, but he initially refused.
Hmm, Mizuguchi says no to the world's largest advertising agency, but later has a change of heart.
Wonder what could've changed his mind ($$$).
Mizuguchi: "I hope to make Virtual Tokyo like a museum of Japanese pop culture. My friends abroad have told me often that there's so much materials and it's never preserved. This might be the perfect place for it."
So Tokyo is known to people from abroad as a city in flux, a place that's always changing.
Mizuguchi plans to create a museum, where things are preserved.
In fact, he is creating the anti-Tokyo.
And for what? Better ask the folks at Dentsu.