I think there is a difference. Personally I don’t see Second Life as a viable “alternate universe” as it’s already populated with so much of our own, but I can see what you mean.

I think that you have to be immersed in a game to be cultured by it, but I think that the two are not mutally inclusive, Gears of War is an immersive title but it’s not somethign in which the culture of Sera actually comes across, as it lacks any real backstory beyond “stuff came out of the ground and shot people”. In fact, the backstory for Marcus was removed just after E3, hence the confusing opening sequence of Marcus being broken out of prison.

Do you think there’s a difference between a game making you cultured and a game making you engrossed in its world though? I mean I wonder if there’s a bigger case for becoming cultured through something like Second Life, where artists are broadcasting their work etc… though I suppose that’s real culture in a digital world, rather than the culture OF a digital world…