First - some cynicism on what is otherwise a noteworthy announcement. It's hard to imagine that it's spontaneity that led to a fairly significant viewer upgrade a day after laying off 30% of its staff. It's a move that will be seen through by a lot of Second Life residents for what it is: a carefully planned PR exercise to take the focus off the cutbacks whilst emphasising it's … [Read more...] about Linden Lab announce Viewer 2.1: voice morphing now available
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Linden Lab announce plans for layoff-funded Second Life in-browser
Linden Lab have now formalised the announcement on staff cuts - not that there's any detail and plenty of corporate-speak. The whole claim that layoffs improves company focus is tenuous at best, and borders on insulting to those departing. The press release states: Today's announcement about our reorganization will help us make Second Life® even simpler, more enjoyable, … [Read more...] about Linden Lab announce plans for layoff-funded Second Life in-browser
Linden Lab staff reductions: the picture painted
As she is wont to do, Tateru Nino has come up with another great story, albeit a sad one for those involved. Linden Lab have laid off a significant number of staff. Putting aside the obvious human impact of decisions like these, it's certainly not a great look for a company already struggling under the stereotype of being a passed fad in some sections of the mainstream … [Read more...] about Linden Lab staff reductions: the picture painted
Merged realities – events and issues for virtual worlds
1. We talk quite a bit about virtual goods and their popularity. MMO Behemoth World of Warcraft proved it in the past week, selling hundreds of thousands of an in-game mount called the Celestial Steed at US$25 a pop. No-one but Blizzard software know how many they sold but given queues exceeded 140,000 at one stage, we do know the number is big. 2. The SLENZ project has … [Read more...] about Merged realities – events and issues for virtual worlds
Viewer 2.0: after the afterglow
It's been a couple of weeks since Second Life's Viewer 2.0 launched, and as always there's been no shortage of comment. Gauging the balance is always a challenge, but I think it's fair to say that overall the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. The fly in the ointment has been the new search functionality, particularly its impact on live music events, with some musicians … [Read more...] about Viewer 2.0: after the afterglow