The New Second Life: Lindens Announce Dramatically Improved Viewer and Website for 2009; Interactive, Dynamic Web Media in SL by 2010

Saving the best for last at SLCC, Chief Product Officer T. Linden just announced a dramatic user experience roadmap this morning, which even managed to excite the hundred or so groggy/hungover attendees able to make it. Slated to hit this year is a new SL viewer with a much more streamlined, intuitive layout that shifts the menus to the edge, as to unclutter the display.

Also coming soon ("Over the course of next year") are interactive web media files displayable in SL -- i.e., collaboratively work on a Google Doc with other avatars, click and control Flash-based applications like YouTube in SL. (A camera lock function is incorporated with this feature, to optimize the display.) A media API/plug-in is also coming.

Also coming by the end of this quarter is a vastly improved Second Life website with a keyword searchable map, and an improved xStreetSl. About Second Life the world and the site, T. Linden acknowledged, "We have a lot to do to make it a first class destination." These additions, however, are decisive moves in that direction.

Comments

[epredator]

The viewer needs this sort if direct web interactivity, The parcel media player piece becomes incredibly embarassing to describe to existing web software engineers. The rationale makes sense, but very glad it is moving forward.

[Hamlet Au]

Ack, my iPhone blog app won't let me make edits, but the viewer and ensure are for this year.

[Metacam Oh]

Thats great news, an interactive media player would revolutionize the grid

[Antonius Misfit]

I am so looking forward to trying out the new viewer. It looks designed like a web browser that "just so happens" to show a 3D virtual world. Very nice! Do I sense a "First Look" release coming out soon? *crosses fingers*

[Yak]

"...that shifts the menus to the edge, as to unclutter the display:.
We STILL will not be able to move the menus, inventory etc. to a Second Monitor?
Because only THAT will unclutter my display and is a feaure long overdue!

[Net Antwerp]

A "web browser" look is NOT suitable look for a Service Provider looking to attract Serious People. Looks like the designers literally took in Philip Rosedale's idea of having everything in 3D.

(Hopefully, we'll be able to cange back to the classic viewer skin.)

People are going to shy away from this when they realise Linden Lab's 3D "web browser" uses 100x more bandwidth than Firefox, Chrome, Internet Explorer etc.

ISPs around the world are actively promoting (landline)Broadband plans with ridiculously low (as low as 200MB!!) datacaps. With free 200MB broadband promotions for 3~12 months etc etc.

Sample Husband & Wife convo:
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"Honey, I racked up the internet bill again"

"Oh? How'd you manage to do that?"

"Easy. I used Linden Lab's Virtual Worlds/'Second Life' browser"

"Second Life? What on earth are you talking about?"

"Oh, it's some tryhard digital replica of the real world, with fake graphics"

"Really? You used 70GB this month on some fake 3D world?"

"Yes... What's wrong with it?

"What's wrong? What's WRONG?! Honey, we can't *afford* to pay $1500 a month for a broadband plan that accommodates that much data"

[Insert More Husband/Wife Arguments.]

"Sorry, dear. No more 'Second Life' for me I guess"

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Above script © 2009 - Net Antwerp.

[Arcadia Codesmith]

Do not patronize companies that cap usage, if you have a choice. If you have no choice, sue the company for monopolistic trade practices. Or launch your own ISP, if that's your bent. Fight the power.

The new browser sounds good on paper. Let's see the alpha. Agreed that the "classic" interface should remain an option for people who have grown used to it.

[Net Antwerp]

ISPs don't really set the prices in some parts of the world - backhaul providers do.

I'm sure no-one here has the wealth and capabilities to build up a backhaul network, without relying on 3rd party funds and services.

Suing the local ISPs won't do any good, especially since they've tried running Unlimited data plans before, with financial *losses*.

I'm sure Linden could pay extra for each user's broadband surcharge fees (with proof), if they're really serious about retaining users with low monthly datacaps.

The internet provision chain:

Subscriber/User
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Your ISP
^
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Telco/Wire/DSLAM owner (Optional)
^
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Bulk data provider
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Backhaul provider

[Maggie Darwin]

Gee, Net, that makes that bragging that went around a few months back about how much higher broadband penetration is in EU than US look a bit hollow...

--@MaggieL

[LittleLostLinden]

Wow. Just what I want to do when enjoying the night out at my favorite sl club. I'll now be able to work on a word doc or excel spreadsheet with someone else who is in the club. Wow. That's really.....something.

Think I'll take dynamic shadows or viewer stability over that lame doc\spreadsheet feature any day of the week. Maybe it's because I use SL for fun and oh....not work.

Why not just call it SecondWorkLife...

[faerie]

I must be very slow but could someone tell me why an interactive media player will revolutionise the grid?

@Arcadia: Try living in Australia. There is no such thing as an unlimited data plan for home use. I pay $80/month for 20gb "peak" (midday to midnight) with an additional 40gb "off peak". SL eats up that 20gb really quickly!

[Yak]

Wow does this mean that I finally can have a webcam on my land that I can view when I'm offWorld?

[Tinker LaFollette]

I'm not sure why people think that putting a new user interface on the viewer means it will turn into (more of) a bandwidth hog; isn't the UI rendered client-side, from textures included in the installer?

SL definitely does need a better UI, and I would love to see the new viewer in action, even if it's just a demo at this point. Torley, how about some video?

[Net Antwerp]

@Tinker LaFollette:

It's purely psychological. Linden Research (Linden Lab) is probably betting that the general public are going to use Second Life even more, if the SL client looks very similar to the browsers they use every day.

Newcomers on low-datacap broadband plans are going to get a rather nasty shock when they find their broadband bill has quadrupled.