Mizuguchi to Build "a Museum of Japanese Pop Culture" in Second Life

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Rez *and Lumines creator Tetsuya Mizuguchi is going into Second Life in a big way. According to the latest issue of Weekly Famitsu, the famed producer is teaming up with Japanese ad firm Dentsu to bring a unique vision of Tokyo to the virtual world. Don't expect a stodgy replica, though. Says Mizuguchi:

The Tokyo we are trying to create is based on the image of city. How do people in Tokyo perceive the city? How about foreigners? That's what we want to express... 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.

I have quite a bit of faith in Mizuguchi's ability to create visually exciting virtual environments. I'm much more skeptical, though, of any organization's ability to maintain a meaningful, long-term presence in
Second Life, including those enlisting the aid of luminary developers.
Let's hope Dentsu is in it for long haul.

Mizuguchi Enters Second Life [1up.com]