Virtual World Second Life Continues To Thrive
Some media reports have suggested the potential demise of the former Internet virtual world of Second Life, but Linden Lab CEO Mark Kingdon claims the former Internet darling is doing better than ever, the AFP reported.
"The reality is that Second Life continues to grow; every second someone joins. Second Life is hopping," said Kingdon, who last year took over for founder Philip Rosedale as chief executive of San Francisco-based Linden Lab, the company behind Second Life.
Kingdon said since September of last year the number of "active users" at Second Life has grown 25 percent, while the amount of time and money spent in the virtual world has climbed by similar percentages.
The company behind Second Life suggests the media reports of its “ultimate demise” are just a rebound from the incredible hype the virtual world got during its infancy.
"We are not called the darling anymore like Facebook or Twitter, but we are continuing to motor on at incredible levels," said Kingdon, adding that Second Life is a profitable business that continues to grow.
Second Life is a virtual world where users socialize in the forms of animated characters called "avatars" controlled by computer keystrokes and mouse clicks. Linden Lab said the number of people that have joined the virtual world since it was created in 1999 passed 15 million in 2008.
The company said some 70,000 users are logged on to the site at any given time. In January, Linden Labs reported that Second Life residents spent about 41.5 million hours total in the virtual social realm, as opposed to the 28.3 million hours users spent in the virtual world the same month last year.
Last year also saw the development of voice capabilities allowing users to talk in-world instead of typing conversations.
"The array of things people do in Second Life has blossomed," Kingdon said. "One thing that has popped out as a killer application is business meetings."
Second Life has become somewhat of an economical forum for technology firms, who hold virtual business meetings with clients all over the world.
Karen Keeter, marketing director for digital convergence at IBM, which uses Second Life for gatherings, said she enjoys the feeling of a virtual presence.
"Being able to see yourself as this avatar standing there next to other people is just a feeling of immersion you don’t get with other alternatives."
Linden Labs is even working with IBM to build a private conference area protected by a software "fire wall" for meetings focused on sensitive information best not discussed on the "public grid."
Additionally, Kingdon said business in Second Life continues to thrive, saying merchants are doing well. "We just bought two commerce sites last month because we see selling and buying of virtual good in Second Life is booming."
In Second Life, where the currency is the Linden dollar, over 1.3 million U.S. dollars worth of transactions reportedly take place on a daily basis.
Some 15,000 virtual merchants in Second Life pedal snippets of computer code that become clothing, hair, artwork or other items for avatars.
Linden claims last year alone users spent $360 million U.S. dollars in Second Life.
He also suggested Second Life citizens settle in, because Linden is making avatar tools easier and “reworking the user experience”. A lot of work is going to be done in the next 9 to 12 months, he said.
"We have hired a world-class-team to lead the changes," Kingdon said. "You ain’t seen nothing yet.."
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