On occasion it has been known for Second Life residents to be at a loss as to what to do that afternoon or evening with themselves in-world. Sometimes you can feel like you have seen it all and experienced everything Second Life has to offer you. Have you tried games in-world, and no I don't mean the plethora of board game/ hud/ trivia games on offer in the shops, I mean actual interactive, use your mind games. If you've not tried in-world games, MadPea may very well save you from an evening unsure what to do next.


MadPea Productions create interactive games in Second Life and these aren't your average game either. With well thought out and constructed story boards, scripted HUDs, clues, action, mystery and adventure these games have captivated a lot of residents already which has earned MadPea quite a following. Question is when will you join in?

I managed to speak quickly to Kiana Writer, the founder of MadPea about the games and the concept behind MadPea Productions itself.


Can you tell us what the main aim of MadPea Productions is?

Our main goal is to create high quality and exciting content in Second Life. We like to push the limits of the engine and show people what is possible to do. We want to create a community around our games, so that the players are not alone, they can meet like-minded people or get the help if needed.

What game development experience did you have before coming to Second Life?

Hmm.. does it count that I created a Batman board game when I was little? ;) I honestly had none, I'm a real life writer. When I realized that my stories could involve into interactive games and people were enjoying them, I truly found my calling there.

How does a game come together, how it is conceived and converted into an in-world entertainment zone?

We are a bit chaotic here.. usually we start with my story and build the surroundings around it. Sometimes though, one of us creates an amazing build or we have a HUD idea we like to test and then make a storyline to fit that. Our games all include three main elements: it has to have an interesting story, that actually makes sense and is not just a filler to show off some fantastic graphics (sadly I think a lot of games are like that.. :( ), it has to be interactive and it has to be built so that the player loses himself into the whole experience.

Have you faced any complications when bringing a vision into Second Life?

Not really, sometimes we have to make minor changes to the storyline to better fit the platform restrictions. We imagine and build in SL, so we are not facing the difficulties of trying to import the game from another platform to here.


What sort of feedback have you received from the Second Life community?

So far, the feedback has been really great and positive.We have a large group called madpeas, that is really supportive to all members. We love to hear feedback of all kind so that we can improve. Sometimes people don't understand that this is our hobby and that we are doing the games on our sparetime and for free, at times we are getting demands that are just impossible to meet. With thanks to Orange we have had the space to create on their islands. We are hoping to find more real life companies as sponsors to be able to test our ideas and bring out quality entertainment in Second Life. Sometimes sadly, the money is a huge restriction on what we can create. We have even had some of the Lindens playing our games (and of course we've been spying on them then ;) ).

What’s in the pipeline for MadPea?

We have a big event coming on the 26th at our headquarters, where we are revealing some future plans. We have at least one bigger game coming out this summer. Right now, we're all taking a little time off for holidays and for planning the next year.


Wether you're a romantic helping to discover the ending in Firefly, or a would-be Ethan Hunt trying to finish Within, or even a top class sleuth trying to solve the mystery of the Swamp Hotel, if you're the sort of person who enjoys thinking outside the box and solving mysteries then get along to MadPea, I guarantee you won't regret it.

MadPea Productions HQ

*All images reposted with the kind permission of MadPea Productions*

One of the constant challenges voiced by anyone within the Secondlife music community is the concept of getting the word out. With the grid being such a large place, and so many things going on at any one time, actually getting a following, or even getting anyone to turn up to your event, is a long and difficult slog, with predominantly word of mouth being the main way to get publicity. Yet, of course, this does mean that you run the risk that, no matter how much you play, it may end up feeling that you are playing your gigs to the same small group of friends, night after night.

Fortunately, there are people trying to wave the banner of live music in SL, and one such man is Fox Reisch, the owner and operator of Indiespectrum Radio a website and online radio station playing exclusively original music by SL artists. I met up with him, to find out a little more about how this project came about, why he does it, and what it could do for the talented musicians inworld.


Voodoo Buwan: How long has Indiespectrum been operating?
Fox Reinsch: Since November 2007
Voodoo Buwan: And what was the inspiration behind starting it?
Fox Reinsch: I wanted to help a musician friend promote her music here. Figured in RL they use radio so I would start a SL artist's radio station.
Voodoo Buwan: Was it at all difficult getting going at the start?
Fox Reinsch: Figuring out how to stream was Ok but setting up the web page to take requests was hard. Getting music turned out to be hard work too. I knew a few musicians that sent music but everyone else I have to chase after. They are on my Artists' Links page in the order they signed on.

Voodoo Buwan: Was there any problems with the issues of copyright, since I know how sensative artists, especially those inworld, can be about such things?
Fox Reinsch: Well I probably have the only legal station in SL. All the artists sign an on-line agreement that they personally own the music and give me permission to play it. All indendant artists' original music. No covers! Under the creative commons act the record companies really cannot bother me. Also they cannot bother any virtual businesses that play it.
Voodoo Buwan: So, once you've got the station, and the music to play, how did you spread the word? Do you have any idea how many people listen?
Fox Reinsch: I just tell people about it and the word spreads. Also I give out free radios here. and on Xstreet. I had 31,000 tune ins last month and over 100,000 hits to the web page. The station is also listed on iTunes under the eclectic genre. The problem is that word spreads fast in the live music community but it has been hard to get outside to the rest of the people in SL. I was in SL amost a year before I found out about live music here!
Voodoo Buwan: So, there's a challenge in getting the word out inworld, let alone getting recognition of inworld talent out in the real world?
Fox Reinsch: It seems impossible to tell all of SL about live music. I need help. I pretty much do everything myself. It would be great if my free radios were out as freebies at the high traffic shopping places in SL and they played SL my station not out of SL copyrighted web stations.
Voodoo Buwan: Apart from landowners using your stream, if someone wanted to help, what could they do?
Fox Reinsch: Anyone with any SL business can expose people to the great talent here in SL by playing my station. They can put out my free IndieSpectrum Radio radios vendor too. Also have now playing signs for them, like the one above my head or with hover text.
Voodoo Buwan: Are there any challenges with funding an operation like this, or does it all come out of your pocket?
Fox Reinsch: I do it just for fun as I love the music here and make many good friends. It is not a business but I do get some donations. I would like to have some volunteer helpers too. Publicity and to run live music fund raisers shows at my venue. I think most people running venues and supporting live music here are not making money but some do consider them businesses. So I have a listener supported station but mostly I support it and am a listener.
Voodoo Buwan: Finally, with all the music by SL musicians you must listen too, who are the acts that you would personally recommend as must see performers, for someone interested in hunting out the best that the scene has to offer?
Fox Reinsch: Well I don't think I should say. But I do enjoy all of the music no matter how good or bad. Listen to the station, you choose.
Voodoo Buwan: Very diplomatic of you.
Fox Reinsch: I play all of the music I get. If an artist sends 1 song it gets played much more than each of the songs from an artist that sends me dozens. The artists that send alot of songs do get played more. I try to be fair to everyone. Don't think there is any bad music on the station, there is a huge varity. Over 130 artists and over 1000 original songs. Everything from classical flute to hip hop. The full "spectrum".

Well, Second Life celebrates another birthday, and we all trekked out to show off our latest creations to the virtual world. And once again, there have been some truly superb exhibits, showing the very best on offer inworld, and there have been... some less impressive stands on show. So, once again, I would like to present to you all, my personal Do's and Don'ts of SL6B.

Don't give visitors a migraine - When I flew past Marmottina Taurog's Green and Wild Design stand, I immediately gagged at the technicolour swirling see through boxes, with a mesh of glowing chaos within. I then thought, "No, give it a chance, it might be much better inside". It wasn't. I'm now wearing sunglasses.


Do work with the theme - A lot of people have been very annoyed with the enforced theme of "The Future" that was imposed on us by our rulers up in Linden Land, but many of the exhibitors, rather than bitching and moaning, have made a real effort to do something with the theme. Juliete3d Quinzet's decision to steer away from the usual box building acting as her gallery, but rather having a shuttle pod being smashed by a meteor, spilling her artwork down onto the ground, was inspired and a delight.


Don't forget to add some content - The CoExist exhibit by Claari Shepherd is an impressive monolithic building, with an intriguing logo on top. And inside, absolutely nothing. I am totally none the wiser, and to be honest, if you can't be bothered to make the effort, I can't be bothered to care.


Do pay attention to detail - And to be honest, when it comes to detail, you never need to look much further than AM Radio, and his playful futurist nod, still entrenched in his retro style, delights almost as much as his perfect and intricately put together builds. Just stunning.


Don't turn the festival into an adfarm - Sioban McMahon - West of Ireland and Project Children: Yes I know you're not on the main walkway and yes it might all be in aid of a good cause, but the is NEVER an excuse for a giant rotating cube billboard. NEVER. Okay?


Do take us into your world - Yes, I know I have mentioned Skills Hak and her fantastic work at Insilico in the past, and yes it probably is easier to put on an impressive futuristic exhibit, when your sims are all set squarely in the future, but just look at it. Look at it, and be in awe.


Don't make your exhibit look like a 5 year olds scribbled all over it - Right, don't get me wrong, I am actually a fan of Treet TV, and I know what the designer was TRYING to do, with the multicoloured cables, but honestly, it didn't work, looks a complete mess, and I was more than a little disappointed. Massive shame.


And finally, a very special final Don't....

When making walkways, Don't forget that the actual point of them is to be able to WALK on them - Yes, they look very pretty, and in keeping with the cyberpunk motif, but when you're constantly ranting about getting stuck, trying to jump onto or off the blasted thing, and generally finding that they are hindering your ability to get around, then you have a recipe for Walkway FAIL.


See you next year!