Where is the Second Life epitext?

When discussing a single-player game, the definition of its paratexts (Genette) seems relatively straightforward. The peritext--those thresholds between the game-world and the real-world which are attached to the game's "body" itself--can take the form of packaging, cover art, reviews and ratings on the box, the manual and/or story booklets inside it, and even the in game user interface, self-conscious tutorials, and title sequences or credits. The epitext--those thresholds which exist outside immediate proximity to the text--can take the form of marketing devices, game reviews, creator interviews, walkthroughs, cheat code websites, and online player forums. These epitexts, created by the media, the game creators, or the game players significantly alter the reception of the game from outside of the game world (hence, they fall under the category of paratexts). Significantly differing from peritext, the epitext seems to be more fully self-conscious of its outside-the-text status. Peritexts, especially in-game, are frequently slipped in quietly, in an attempt to integrate smoothly with actual gameplay, which comprises the primary text. Other peritexts, like packaging, reviews, ratings, etc. are usually well-established video game conventions provided by producers and expected by consumers to help them place the game within a conceptual framework and develop specific desired (by the producer) expectations of what the game offers. Epitext, however, remains conscious of and even emphasizes the fact that it is created as an addition to the game, and must be sought out, transacted, or buffered through crossings of media.

A massively multiplayer online world, like Second Life, has many obvious epitexts that seem to embrace the traditional definition--just look at the feverish press coverage of the activities of real world businesses within Second Life's "virtual economy." Because players can purchase land, goods, and services, real corporations have flocked to the virtual world to hawk computer versions of their products for real money (translated into linden dollars). Back to epitexts, however. This press coverage, while chronicling the experience of gameplay and shaping perceptions for both players and onlookers, still exists well outside the body of the game itself--it exists in another medium and is sought out by the viewer rather than included in the game. Thus, it is firmly epitextual.

But what about a text which is user-created within the game itself? In Second Life, users can create (and sell) pretty much anything they want. So what if a Second Life player writes a song or a guide to buying and selling real estate in Second Life and sells that text to another player in Second Life. What about a chat between two users, one offering help to another? Because this all occurs in Second Life, complications arise. Should this user created text be considered in or out of the game--epitext, peritext, or pure text? The complicating factor is that user-creation and user-interaction lies at the very core of the Second Life gameplay experience. The purpose of the game is to allow players a venue in which to act out whatever fantasies (within the game's framework) they wish to pursue. The most strict definition of the game, then, would be the virtual space, tools, and network in which users build and manipulate freely. What a user creates is not a product of Linden Labs, although it is an intended result of the game. Thus, the question returns, how do we categorize these products?

Because they exist within the gamespace, it is tempting to call user-created objects"texts" proper--they are the intended results of gameplay in the form of codes running within the overall frame of Second Life. However, in the case of songs or linguistic texts (as opposed to virtual objects like clothes), it seems more accurate to call user-created media within the Second Life universe epitext. Unlike game objects, which must exist in code, linguistic texts inside Second Life can and conceivably do cross the threshold of Second Life and take on an existence in the "real world" -- for example, on a user's hard drive, as a text file. The user created texts, self aware of their user authorship and non-Linden Lab authorship, are similar to epitexts in that their intention, creation, and interpretation are connected to Second Life, but not integrated into it. Second Life objects, by contrast, are produced within the software framework and their existence is limited to that virtual universe. They are therefore more similar to peritexts. (If Second Life objects had another universe in which to exist, i.e., if they could be ported into other forms, perhaps they too could be considered epitextual).

The qualifying condition for all of my claims is that I am defining the primary text--the gameplay of Second Life--as the virtual space and tools which users implement to shape their game experience. While user-creation is an integral goal and purpose of the game, the objects created by users cannot be predicted or controlled, only permitted, by the rules of the game. Thus, the software oriented objects, which do not inherently alter the overarching structure (universal rules) of Second Life, but are attached (via code) to the universe, more closely resemble paratext. Alternately, creative objects within the game which do not require more than a superficial coding to enter the game and have some sort of external existence more closely resemble epitext. However, complications abound, and at this point, only careful research into the modes of existence for different user-created "texts" will help to confirm these propositions. The material origins of the term "paratext" may need to be altered in order to help explain the relationship between these objects and the game vs. real worlds.