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'Second Life' removes support for Oculus Rift
When Second Life patched in support for the Oculus Rift, Linden Lab was cautious to pitch its online world as a haven for virtual reality. "We're trying not to make too big of a deal out of it," Linden Lab CEO Ebbe Altberg said in 2014. "It's still early." That beta support went through several iterations over the years -- but now it's gone. Earlier this month, Linden Lab removed VR support from Second Life, and the company can't say when or if it will be back. The problem? It just wasn't good enough.
Five questions about VR beyond gaming with three people making it happen
Looking at Facebook, Sony and Samsung, you might think the future of virtual reality is all entertainment and social interaction. While video games and movie watching are both primary components of the recent virtual reality wave, there's much more to the field. Matterport, a company focused on 3D-mapping tech, and BeAnotherLab, the group behind interactive art installation "The Machine to be Another" -- are each pushing forward virtual reality, and neither are focused directly on game-like interactive immersion. The medium of virtual reality is young, but it is already varied. So, what does the future hold? We asked five questions surrounding that subject to three people who are shaping that future: the panelists for our "Back to Reality: VR Beyond Gaming" panel at Expand 2014 (which starts tomorrow!). Head below for their answers!
Engadget Daily: the evolution of Second Life, taxi-hailing apps and more!
Today, we take an in-depth look at taxi-hailing apps like Uber and Lyft, explore the world of Android Wear, ponder the evolution of Second Life and investigate Aaron Swartz's path from internet activist to martyr. Read on for Engadget's news highlights from the last 24 hours.
Second Life CEO stepping down, remaining active in development
Linden Lab's CEO Philip Rosedale, the man behind Second Life, told Reuters today that he'll be stepping down from his position and the company will seek someone with more management expertise to replace him. Rosedale will become chairman of the Linden Lab board when a successor is found and he'll stay active at the company in product development and strategy.Rosedale's replacement will be tasked with regaining the momentum that Second Life once had when it was the hip thing for academics and business journalists to write and talk about. Although nothing is expected to be announced in the next year, Bill Gurley of Bechmark Capital believes the company could go public "at some point in the future."[Via Massively, GameDaily]
Second Life CTO resigns to seek third life
Second Life's Chief Technology Officer Cory Ondrejka is leaving the company to "pursue new professional challenges." The New York Times reports that Ondrejka, who basically oversaw the code which makes Second Life, will leave his No. 4 position at developer Linden Labs by the end of the year.Linden Labs CEO Philip Rosedale says the needs of the company are changing and Ondrejka doesn't seem to be part of those needs. Second Life, according to the NYT, is suffering from hackers and other intertube related issues. Ondrejka was the man behind SL users retaining intellectual property rights to their virtual creations, which created the thriving e-commerce developer Linden Labs currently enjoys with the virtual world.
HBO acquires Second Life documentary
Cable channel HBO has picked up the documentary Molotov's Dispatches in Search of the Creator: a Second Life Odyssey for airing sometime in 2008. The seven webisodes from Douglas Gayeton, totaling 35 minutes in length, showcase the virtual world of Second Life from the perspective of an in-game avatar.The documentary is still available on Molotov Alva's website. As Animation Magazine notes, the video could be eligible for submission to the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences for Best Animated Short (or perhaps Best Documentary). In the setting of machinima, however, who gets credit for the animation: Gayeton, SL creators Linden Labs, the residents featured in the film? Regardless, Molotov represents a major step in the field of machinima. [Via SL Insider]
Sweden to open virtual embassy in Second Life
Of course, since there isn't an actual Sweden within the world of Second Life, the plans for opening a virtual Swedish embassy (not to be mistaken for the ABBA Club, which is virtually a Swedish embassy) are really part of an effort to increase tourism to the Nordic country. Illustriously dubbed, "The House of Sweden," the polygonal building will is expected to open its digital doors within the next few weeks and is said to modeled on the newly erected embassy in Washington -- not Sweden's considerably more impressive Turning Torso skyscraper (as seen to the right). "It will have answers to questions on all aspects of Sweden," explains the Swedish Institute's Olle Wastberg. Indeed, the virtual embassy will likely serve as an enthusiastic and interactive knowledge hub, hoping to lure Second Life users into visiting Sweden in their first lives. [Via Aeropause]
Get a First Life. Membership is FREE!
Blogger Darren Barefoot has published a clever Second Life parody at Get A First Life dot com. The community boast over 6.5 billion residents (not inflated), free membership, and is the first 3D analog world sans server lag. Linden Labs, creators of Second Life, even sent the site a "Proceed and Permitted" letter (the opposite of a "Cease and Desist"). Nice to see the company appreciates a sense of humor. Now go outside and enjoy the beauty that is First Life.[via Boing Boing]
Grey goo attacks Second Life
Second Life was attacked over the weekend by a worm that created self-replicating rings, similar to the ones from Sonic games. When users touched them, the rings multiplied, clogging the game world with what Linden Labs called "grey goo." The service was closed briefly to clean up the rings and their nefarious code.While we don't play much Second Life, we're fascinated by its culture. We think that that a big part of general society will eventually meet in an MMO world; these interfaces may turn into the next generation of the internet. And the attack reminds us that pranksters -- or worse -- will always be present.Second Life is still a miniscule scale of what MMOs could become. Will these sorts of hacks prevent MMOs from reaching the general population?[Via Slashdot]
Second Life to introduce 'Expressive Puppeteering'
Second Life Insider reports that Linden Labs is working to release a new technology into Second Life dubbed, "Expressive Puppeteering." With EP, Second Lifers will be able to manipulate their avatars in real time, resulting in unique movements and gestures. These animations can be easily "learned" by avatars and presumably accessed with ease for repeated use. And, as Second Life Insider points out, EP could potentially crown Second Life the preferred medium for machinima artists.
A hearty Joystiq welcome for Second Life Insider
Spend too much time in Second Life, away from real life? That's cool but, as part of any healthy, SL regimen, Joystiq recommends you log off every 16 hours to rest your eyes checking blogs about Second Life. To assist you in this endeavor, we've assembled a stellar troupe of Second Lifers to serve as tour guides to your virtual home away from home, including Aimee Weber, Akela Talamasca, Caliandris Pendragon, and our very own Jennie Lees Local Jezebel. They've been at it for some time, pre-launch, so head over to Second Life Insider and check out what's been happening.
