Is Linden Lab Building a 2D Game Platform, or a New World? UPDATE: Not an Adventure Game, Humble Tweet Suggests

Linden Lab is reportedly building a project code-named 2D, the Daily Finance claims, citing anonymous sources, which one source describes as an iOS app "to allow users to create text adventure games".

Is this accurate? I just talked with some insiders, and got a slightly different story: There does seem to be a Linden Lab project which roughly resembles what the Daily Finance describes, but it's in such an early stage of development, even most Lindens aren't very familiar with it. However, it will probably not use assets or technology from Second Life, at least how they're currently deployed. And it's probably not an "adventure game platform" per se, but a new kind of open-ended virtual world with user-generated content. My personal guess is the Daily Finance reporter mistook this to be an adventure game platform, because from a certain angle, they seem roughly alike. Daily Finance quotes a Gartner analyst who doesn't seem to know you can already make games in SL, and many have. (Even adventure games!) Since the article is confused on that point, it's likely the confusion extends to what Linden is actually making. Maybe it's more accurate to say the Linden project is a synthesis of the two genres.

In any case, the project was conceived by new CEO Rod Humble, who along with being a former executive with Electronic Arts, develops art games of his own. I did ask Linden Lab to comment on the project, and I was pointed to this Tweet from Rod: "We have not announced what we are working on. Fun to see the guesses though :)" Spokeman Peter Gray adds: "We're looking forward to talking more about this in the coming months, but right now, it's too soon to share details."

UPDATE, 3:15PM: Just noticed a later Tweet by Rod Humble that makes it seem even less likely to be an adventure game platform: "I mentioned how much I loved the genre once, so 2+2 got put together, to make 7 :)"

Hat tip: Alphaville Herald.

Comments

[Ignatius Onomatopoeia]

An advanced version of a MOO client for iOS with all the users have dig rights? There's my guess, Mr. Humble.

[Hitomi Tiponi]

Whatever it is hopefully LL won't limit it to iOS.

[Rowan Derryth]

"to allow users to create text adventure games"

He's creating a MUD? Yay, we are going back to 1994!

[Melissa Yeuxdoux]

Watchers of SH-2374 will note that it's been moved from "scrum 28" to "someday/maybe" status. I hope that this project, whatever it is, won't impede work on SL.

[Tateru Nino]

According to comments from Rod about the hirings, it looks like a completely separate team got hired for this project.

[Metacam Oh]

I am baffled as to why they would be creating apps that have nothing to do with growing Second Life or expanding interaction with the world. They are goldfish among sharks in the mobile market. Regardless of what their motives are, it looks like they are not very confident about the future of Second Life, and that is going to trickle down.

[Ananda Sandgrain]

I think this is really cool that LL realizes they've had all their eggs in one basket for too long. Do you suppose if the new project succeeds they might finally release their death grip on SL's assets and start making it into the wide-open 3D internet community they first dreamed it would be?

[Arcadia Codesmith]

I wouldn't be dismayed by a renaissance of text adventure games, though I think it unlikely.

Wicked awesome graphics distract from the fact that there has been very little progress in breaking away from linear narrative in MMOs.

Strip away the graphics, and it becomes easier to experiment with dynamic, non-linear forms that dodge the infinite branching trap... and which could then be incorporated into MMOs.

Unlikely, as I said, but nonetheless intriguing.

[Emperor Norton]

Metacam Oh @ "Iam baffled as to why they would be creating apps that have nothing to do with growing Second Life"

Two words "investor expatiations" Humble has to show LL has growth potential and Aps are the current buzzword.

[Mitch Wagner]

I find this very encouraging. I'd love to see a world marrying the benefits of Second Life with the portability and frictionlessness of Facebook and Twitter.

I'm NOT saying make Second Life more like Facebook. That would be a terrible idea. The world already has a Facebook.

[Metacam Oh]

You know in Back to the Future 2 where the kids are in the 80s cafe and McFly is playing Gunslinger or whatever it is, they go "you mean you have to use your hands?" That's what txt based games are right now, people are not interested so I hope that isn't what they are doing.

[Arcadia Codesmith]

Text adventures never had time to achieve their ultimate potential.

Graphic games didn't make text games obsolete any more than movies made books obsolete. The pace of the market makes it look that way, but there is a great deal of untapped potential in text that was never fully explored.

And I'm not sure why I'm talking about this here when I should be working up a pitch for Amazon :)