Philip Rosedale on the Future of Second Life: Making SL User Experience "Fast, Easy, and Fun" Company's New Strategy

"Fast, Easy, and Fun": Linden Lab's goal for what the company wants Second Life to be -- and now a sexy double entendre T-shirt in SL too! (Here made, modeled, and photographed by Callie Cline)

Second Life founder and interim CEO Philip Rosedale and recently appointed CFO Bob Komin just addressed the userbase on the future of Second Life. Here's some highlights that I live-blogged -- discuss in Comments!

• Philip says "Fast, easy, and fun" is the design goal for Second Life now, everything from launching SL to in-world activities like riding a vehicle or putting on clothing.
• Philip on putting Second Life in a browser: "We have a couple of people who are looking at exactly how that's going to happen", but suggests that won't be developed any time soon.
• Philip is asked if he's going to be at Linden Lab to stay: He answers that the focus of the executives and investors is getting Second Life back on the right direction, and suggests he won't step down as interim CEO until that happens: "We have not begun the process of selecting a long-term CEO."
• Philip is asked if he regularly reads Second Life blogs and other media about SL; he says he does, but that it doesn't influence his company strategy much. CFO Bob Komin mentions TechCrunch and other business news, but also says he's too busy at the company to read as much as he'd like.

Young Daniel Voyager has a more extended list of notes here. Some highlights:

• We’re not changing the capability of the system, just make everything easier for new and existing users
• Second Life is fundamentally not a social network [In response to questions about SL becoming more like Facebook]
• HTTP Textures coming soon

My ultimate takeaway from this meeting: "Fast, easy, and fun" is a laudable and correct strategy for improving Second Life, but I see no specifics that convince me Second Life will be able to significantly grow its userbase or revenue this year or even next.

Update, 12:30pm: Storm Thunders and Callie Cline have already turned "Fast, Easy, and Fun" into a Second Life T-shirt. Which is a good way of expressing Second Life's development strategy. And also hinting at other things.

Comments

[August Lusch]

I can see the video on here...

[Anon]

So there will two "binary" types of viewer that meet the needs of the two main groups of SL, new users and "power builders". Great.

MOST of SL residents are neither new users nor power builders. Making errors in defining a problem affects the quality of solution.

The biggest frustrations of SL do not occur within the viewer interface, but in the experience on the grid.

Rosedale referred to 50 people at this meeting, I counted more like 30. I bet the other 20 crashed. lol

[Ann Otoole InSL]

No Anon he said there are 2 unique user profiles that LL has finally awakened enough to realize. And the idea is to put "modes" in the viewer. So when you want to "build" you toggle to build mode. When you want to just cruise around and have fun you toggle to entertainment mode.

What LL has not picked up on are the other modes of operation like host/hostess mode, live entertainer or DJ mode, Machinima/Photographer mode, Estate manager mode, rental operation manager mode, store manager mode, etc. etc. All have some similar traits. All have unique traits. Which is why the UI still needs to be made more akin to a MMORPG UI with a user customizable hot bar with multiple rows so you can configure the tools and actions you need to group for each mode of operation.

Toggling from user to builder is going to cause bloody screams. Can anyone guess why other than the usual don't like change? No? Perhaps because some building is done in customer mode? I.e.; build is not limited to structures and terraformning. But since LL doesn't even use SL then how would they know?

At least Phillip admitted viewer 2 needs an overhaul.

[Kanomi]

Congress will probably lift the ban on online gambling this year. Ask them if they are willing and prepared to bring that part of the economy back?

http://www.businessinsider.com/the-return-of-online-gambling-would-be-a-big-win-for-social-gaming-companies-2010-7

[L. Knoller]

A Lot of what I'd call "motherhood statements" and very little detail on, well, what I wanted to hear about. (fixing the v2 UI) Philip did mumble something about not commenting on their "backlog" of something.

but I cant believe there was not one question about the v2 UI, seeing that they "SEEMED TO HAVE CREATED SOMETHING THAT DOESNT SATISFY ANYONE" (any one group of users?) which is quite a feat if you think about it... 1.23 is still the most user viewer... and this seems to be because the v2 IU basically blows

There was a lot of talk about the Lab listening better and talking to the customers about "stuff". I'll believe it when I see it, given the production of the v2 seems to have come from exactly the opposite culture.

there was a lot of talk about doing things faster , but a lot of "by the end of the next two quarters" as well

Seem they just asked for another six months, and I dont believe I heard the word "sorry" once

[ophelia]

surprised it took 3 days for another SL er to add the "new" gambling issues to the pot.

especially after all the BS fix SL. posts..

fast fun easy.... just like a slot machine or lotto ticket!!

but with techology globally....ooh... the gamerz glands are in overtime now....

[Ann Otoole InSL]

The plan to allow new users to select a venue and go directly there is something I suggested ages ago. This would provide incentive to entertainment venues to up their game and return to having entertainers as hosts/hostesses instead of these dorky gesture bots I have seen around SL and having quality music instead of 2 hour play list DJs. However, as much as I disdain LL vetted events, LL would have to develop a list of events that were known to reflect the quality necessary for first impressions. Which leads back to competition to be such a quality venue. It just works.

[Hitomi Tiponi]

Some of the changes between 2.1 Beta and 2.1 full release suggests that they are still not listening to the residents with backward steps on search, viewer quality and even some viewer features.

But good to see that the need for several different flavours of the Viewer are acknowledged - let's just hope they open it up more to user customisation.

[Storm Thunders]

I think caLLie and I are the first two with celebratory offerings toward our new mantra?

http://slstorm.blogspot.com/2010/07/fast-easy-and-free.html
http://calliecline.blogspot.com/2010/07/fast-easy-fun-grid-wide-tank-shirt-go.html

[Trinity Dejavu]

Blah blah blah ....

There is no one left to implement anything anyway so all he can do it sell the same pony, again.

[Hamlet Au]

That's great, Storm, duly (and sexily) updated!

[Anon]

@ Ann. Sorry I was not clear in my post. I didn't mean two different viewers--what I intended to say was very close to your comment...that there are more than two different "modes"--that the vast range of users of not into power building nor are they newbies.

My concern is that while ongoing inprovement of the viewer is important, making the grid stable, avoiding five minutes of rez time for someone with mid-range hardware, matteres more to everyday residents. The daily frustration we all endure. Getting a newbie's clothes on faster or being able to immediately wear new sunglasses doesn't seem as critical to me as the inconvenience of not being able to "see" where I am when I tp, to not recognize my friends until i see them talk on chat, to wait five minutes for the sunglasses vendor to rez, to find myself underground when I try to cross a sim border or to be unable to move if too many people come to a party.

[Dale Innis]

D-rn, they beat me! :P

[Ziki Questi]

I heard "Fast, Easy, Fun" as a brand promise, not a strategy.

[Robward Antwerp]

Well... much of what I would say has been said. All I would add is that while I am not opposed to a two mode viewer/browser... the toggle between will have to be near instant for it not to make folks crazy. Think it thru Linden Lab'ers... inWorldz is looking pretty good! On the more positive side, while still firmly in my hip waders and with my BS meter on high alert… it was good to hear they actually said out loud that SL is fundamentally NOT a social network.

[Little Lost Linden]

I'm not sure where most of you people were but at the Second Life Speech of the Century I heard Fast, Easy, Fun, Dynamic Shadows.

I was elated to hear that they are finally taking Dynamic Shadows seriously, as they should.

[Ghosty Kips]

"Fast, Easy, Fun" doesn't imply needing a brain. If I wanted simple, I'd go back to playing WoW.

I came here for "Your World, Your Imagination." Someone please explain to me what's wrong with THAT premise.

[cube3]

"The virtual economy, It does not mean SL is only about making Money. Fundamentally SL is a system where we create and experience content. That means the success the content creators is the key driver."

Let them EAT BADGES...-PR BK..BS. C3

[Raven Haalan]

I'm really liking the split between the power builder / creator mode and the "explorer" roles (and I like the term too).

There's one mode that both need - the "under the radar" mode. From sorting inventory to fitting prims to scripting, there are times when you just need peace and quiet.

I do applaud the "get the basics right" focus of the vision. Can we slide a fix for the alpha texture bug under the rug? (I know, I know, everyone says it can't be fixed - but yaknow, all my other 3D thingys resolve transparency sanely...)

[Ariel Liveoak]

Not about making money, huh? Then lower the tier costs. After three years of chewing my fingernails to the bone over paying for my sims every month, I finally couldn't deal with it anymore. Deactivated the homestead and sold sold the main sim... at a HUGE loss.

I'm also not forgetting (or forgiving) the "homestead sim debacle" *cough*baitandswitch*cough*.

I'm still there, but nowhere near as much as I used to be. Now that I'm out from under the load of being a sim owner, I'm gradually starting to get back into why I enjoyed SL in the first place.

[Metacam Oh]

So in other words, SL will not be fixed any time soon, and the company that runs SL is just as clueless as ever. Glad that got cleared up. I think its time to find another Metaverse folks, SL is a dead end and the people that work for it have no clue or desire to fix it.

[Nalates Urriah]

The quotes in the article sound rather disheartening. Phillip seems to have not noticed the growth rate of SL verses OpenSim worlds or that concurrent logons look to be down by 50% from last year...

[Philip Rosedale]

Regarding these comments...

>Seem they just asked for another six months, and I >dont believe I heard the word "sorry" once

I did specifically apologize for the viewer 2 not meeting the needs of users.

>Which is why the UI still needs to be made more >akin to a MMORPG UI with a user customizable hot >bar with multiple rows so you can configure the >tools and actions you need to group for each >mode of operation.

Broadly, I agree that we need a fully customizable UI for different styles of use. But I DO think that we can make even faster initial progress by segmenting along the build/non-build line. But agree with this being a part of broader customizability.

[AlexHayden Junibalya]

"Fast, Easy, Fun."

As a newbie on the grid (just over 200 days old), I really hope that statement doesn't signal the start of the 'dumbing down' of Second Life. I'm only just starting to get to grips with using Blender to create scultpie prim and personally speaking, if I wanted easy, I'd have downloaded The Sims. Still, I'll wait to see what happens..

"Fast, Easy, Fun."

You know, I knew it sounded familiar when I read it...

http://www.drdogsbehaviorsolutions.com/

Wonder if Phil's been reading Dr.Dog?

[Adric Antfarm]

Opensim can indeed toss out a rate of grids being added that can (and it seems does) amaze folks... until you ask how many users are on those grids and they fake a seizure and are transported away from your question in an ambulance.

I get that a lot of you needed Phil to come out carrying some wood and nails in the custody of Roman soldiers promising he would came back with powers to fix all, but seeing a Linden (any Linden) openly talk about things, concede issues never before conceded, and make a commitment to address things unaddressed for years is way more a religious experience (and we can continue to do horrible things).

The fact people are out there selling those stupid " fast easy fun" shirts is not a joke, it's an admission this thing still works.

[Anon]

I think Phillip's insistence to divide the viewer into build and non-build shows again that he never lived in SL as a resident. Everyone who does live there uses build tools to adjust a picture on the wall, to move a vase, to put a new rug on the floor.

This infuriates me--that he doesn't recognize that someone who doesn't "build", who explores or dances, who visits with friends also needs fast access to build tools.

Where's the incentive to learn to use these tools if they are in another 'mode'? It's one of the first things that irritated me about the Version2 viewer.

Philip, we're not builders and non-builders. MOST of us are residents who use the build tools, not to make things but to modify items, to move things about. We need the damn tools.

Stop it with the dual mode viewer! and fix the world we live in so we can drive a car, walk about, admire each other's houses and outfits. Play a combat game without crashing or dying "lag" deaths. I want things to rez at a reasonable rate.

This is so frustrating.

[ColeMarie Soleil]

I just have to add. Why are there no guys wearing the shirt XD