Baba Sucks

Main Entry: ¹game
Pronunciation: ‘gAm
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English gamen; akin to Old High German gaman amusement
1 a (1) : activity engaged in for diversion or amusement : PLAY (2) : the equipment for a game b : often derisive or mocking jesting : FUN, SPORT
2 a : a procedure or strategy for gaining an end : TACTIC b : an illegal or shady scheme or maneuver : RACKET
3 a (1) : a physical or mental competition conducted according to rules with the participants in direct opposition to each other (2) : a division of a larger contest (3) : the number of points necessary to win (4) : points scored in certain card games (as in all fours) by a player whose cards count up the highest (5) : the manner of playing in a contest (6) : the set of rules governing a game (7) : a particular aspect or phase of play in a game or sport game> bplural : organized athletics c (1) : a field of gainful activity : LINE (2) : any activity undertaken or regarded as a contest involving rivalry, strategy, or struggle ; also : the course or period of such an activity game> (3) : area of expertise : SPECIALTY
4 a (1) : animals under pursuit or taken in hunting; especially : wild animals hunted for sport or food (2) : the flesh of game animals b archaic : PLUCK c : a target or object especially of ridicule or attack — often used in the phrase fair game
synonym see FUN
- game·like /-lIk/ adjective

Source: http://merriam-webster.com/

1 a (1) : activity engaged in for diversion or amusement

This states that the activity engaged in is the game. Second Life is not an activity, it is a platform that allows for activities to take place. The activities you engage in inside Second Life are the activities that may fall under the definition of game. We come to the conclusion that Second Life is not a game using this definition, but it facilitates activities that may be considered gamelike. This allows for one person to view all activities in Second Life to be gamelike while others may view them other ways. The definition in no way transfers itself to the platform in which these activities take place.

I believe the definition of Second Life as a game relies on 1 a (2)

1 a (2) : the equipment for a game

Second Life is the platform or equipment required for ad-hoc games which take place there. In that sense you could call Second Life a game, but that definition just gives one free reign to define anything one want as a game.

With this loose definition of game one could co-opt anything one uses for gamelike activities and define it as a game. I believe this defeats the purpose of defining Second Life as a game because the way in which you must twist the definition in order to define it as a game makes the word “GAME” meaningless.

In that way all you have said when you call Second Life a game is, “I use Second Life for gamelike activities.” This confuses anyone who has not taken the time to dissect your meaning, and leads them to a false premise that Second Life itself is a game in which there are well defined rulesets and specified goals that define competition as defined under 3 a.