Second Life by developer Linden Lab showed at release in 2003 that an MMO focused on social aspects can be very successful. But what could the next generation of such a social MMO look like?
Second Life is a phenomenon that still holds some relevance today. While you don’t hear much about the game anymore, according to the developers, between 30,000 and 60,000 users are still logged in simultaneously. In Second Life, you don’t go on adventures in foreign worlds, you aren’t a powerful wizard, and you don’t defeat dark dragons. As the name suggests, you live a second life. You run your own disco, manage your own virtual company, and even have another family. Many are drawn to this escape from everyday life to simply live a different life.
It’s true: #ProjectSansar is the codename/project name of our new virtual experience platform. Final name to be revealed in the future. #VR
— Linden Lab (@LindenLab) May 5, 2015
Sansar will do everything better
Linden Lab has now talked about how the player experience could be expanded. However, it is not actually a discussion about an expansion of Second Life, even though the game is still doing very well. Virtual reality isn’t where the developers are really focusing either – even though they already support Oculus Rift and want to expand this support further.
Rather, they are working on the next virtual world, called Sansar. However, Sansar will not simply be a prettier Second Life. Communication with the community is at the center. Through a very simple interface, which the developers compare to Instagram or WordPress, anyone can share their ideas with the developers, who can implement them easily using very powerful tools.
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Some of these tools will also be made directly accessible to players. Sansar aims to highlight creativity. Additionally, the new game wants to be more accessible, which means that on one hand, the age limit will be lowered to 13 years, and parents will have more options to restrict content for their children.
Virtual classrooms and music concerts
Additionally, players should be able to find each other more easily and quickly, for example, through virtual classrooms or music concerts. The developers want to monetize Sansar like Second Life through the sale of land. However, the prices are expected to be significantly cheaper than in Second Life. In general, they want to offer players a larger version of Second Life with Sansar, in which they have even more opportunities, can be even more creative, and can interact with other players even more.
Sansar is not intended to replace Second Life, but to become something independent. Virtual reality will also play a role, but the developers believe that the technology is not yet mature enough, and they will grow with it. The better VR works, the more the technology will be utilized in Sansar.
When “Sansar” will be released is currently still not clear.
