In July 2015, I produced the first in a (possibly) semi-regular series intended to summarise what has actually been stated / revealed about Linden Lab’s next generation virtual experiences platform, Project Sansar.

Since then, more information has been released, both to the press and more particularly via in-world sessions such as the annual VWBPE conference (April 2016), the Lab Chat meetings (November 2015, January 2016, May 2016) and the recent SL13B celebration Ebbe linden Q&A (June 2016).

This article is an attempt to pull relevant core information from those sessions and assorted press / media reports into a summary of what has been said thus far about Project Sansar, citing references for anyone wishing to follow-up. I don’t claim to have covered everything that has been said, but I have attempted to include the most relevant points of interest.

Citations are given in the format [number (article / publisher, month year)] where “number” indicates it is a unique reference (citations to the same reference use the same number); “article / publisher£ indicates if it is a transcript (e.g. LC1 = Lab chat 1) or a media publication (e.g. “Wareable” = Wareable on-line) and “month year” is self-explanatory. Thus, for example:

[1 (LL Apr 16)] = 1st citation, a statement from Linden Lab, April 2016

= 1st citation, a statement from Linden Lab, April 2016 [36 (LC2, Jan 16)] = 36th citation, from Lab Chat 2, January 2016.

Citations to Lab Chat, etc., transcripts provided in this blog reference the relevant part of the transcript; podcast /video citations include a time stamp, if relevant; external media citations are to the article.

Time Frames: Creator Preview and Extending Access

Content Creation Tools / Capabilities

Separate Editing and Runtime Environments

Sansar will have separate editing and run-time environments, which is not the case with Second Life (where you can walk down the street as see someone manipulating prims to build a house, for example). This is necessary to ensure Sansar can support the required frame rates for VR [15 (VWBPE, Apr 16)]

Experiences will be built and content added / positioned within the editing environment and then “published” via optimisation (aka baking) to the runtime environment where it is accessed by users – hence the comparisons between Sansar and platform like YouTube and WordPress [16 (Fortune, Nov 15)]

This editing environment is currently single user only, but the Lab hope that by the end of 2016, it will support multiple people editing / creating collaboratively on a single project [13 Drax Files, Apr 16 04:30)].

Avatars, Personas, Avatar Inventory

People will be able to create their own avatar identities, with existing user names for Second Life residents already reserved [17 (LC3, May 16]

Rather than running multiple accounts, users will be able to have multiple “personas” under a single account. However, it is not clear if a user will be able to have multiple “personas” logged-in to the platform simultaneously [18 (LC1, Nov 15)]

User will be able to customise their avatar look and appearance in time. However, experience creators will have more power to dictate the appearance of visitors to their environments if they so wish, in order to preserve any required immersiveness. This may even include forcing visitors into a first-person view during a visit [19 (LC2, Jan 16)]

Avatar editing will initially be limited when Sansar first opens (be will improve over time). It may be limited to “skin tone, maybe a couple of hairstyles, a couple of pre-defined outfits”; however, the overall aim as Sansar develops is to present a fair easier means to manage an avatar’s appearance than is the case with SL [20 (SL13B, Jun 16) ]

Overall, clothing should be easier to manage and fit, but inventory may be dependent upon experience, rather than being central to the avatar (e.g. if you only need gun Y for Experience Y, it will only be available to you whilst in that experience [21, (LC1, Nov 15) ]

Avatar controls / use will be different in Sansar, due to the added dimension of VR support (controller, need to see hands, etc [22, (SL13B, Jun 16)].

User Identity, Pseudonyms and Accounts

Users signing-up to Sansar will likely be encouraged to provide wallet identity information, which will be kept purely between the user and the Lab [23 (SL13B, Jun 16)], [24 (LC3, May 16)] Within this relationship, users will likely have a choice of how they reveal themselves to other users – real wallet ID or via pseudonyms In some circumstances (e.g. business environments, it is seen as advantageous to the owner of the experience to determine the level of identity required to access it [13 (Drax Files, Apr 16 13:00)] Identity will also feature in the on-boarding process to ensure only authorised users access a given experience from a web portal connected to is (e.g. only valid school students can access a classroom) [13 (Drax Files, Apr 16 23:59)] The idea is not to force people into revealing their wallet identities to other users, but providing the means to provide the broadest means of avatar identification applicable to multiple use-cases

The idea of supplying personal information to the Lab is also bound with the issue of trust: providing requested information helps the Lab verify individuals, allowing them to do more, and so potentially helps decrease things like the use of multiple throwaway accounts used for griefing, or possibly exposing the platform to attempts at illegal use [25 (SL12B, Jun 15]], [26 (LC2, Jan 16)]

Sansar may support logging-in via Facebook, but it will not be a pre-requisite that Sansar users must use Facebook [27 (LC3, May 16)].

Scenes: the “land” of Sansar; Discovery; Instances

Individual spaces within Sansar are referred to as “scenes” [28 (SL13B, Jun 16)] which can be “multiple kilometres” on a side (four kilometres – 16 SL regions – has previously been mentioned [29 (LC2, Jan 2016)])

Currency, Revenue

Project Sansar will not now use the Linden Dollar [39 (VWBPE, Apr 16)]

now use the Linden Dollar The Lab is still considering matters, but it will likely support some form of convertible token, rather than supporting fiat money across multiple currencies [40 (LC3, May 16)]

The Lab is looking to generate revenue through various means, in order to keep the cost of scene / experience ownership down [35 (LC3, May 16)] . These may include [13 (Drax Files, Apr 16 19:15)] : Fees associated with the resources used, e.g. paying for the experiences published through the platform people can visit Commission against in-world sales (currently for Second Life, the Lab only charges a direct commission for Marketplace sales) Subscription options for users / customers, possibly based on resource usage – capabilities used, size of inventories, how many experiences can be published, what kind of privacy controls are provided, etc.

. These may include :

Operating Platforms

Sansar currently supports the PC / Windows Platform. Work is in-hand to port the runtime application to run on iOS and Android, although this may not be available from “day 1” of public access. Mac support will be provided down the road, as will a streaming solution, utilising a slightly different business model [41 (VWBPE, Apr 16)]

Sansar Customer / Client Markets

Linden Lab have already identified a number of vertical markets they believe Sansar can leverage because VR immediately adds value: education, training, simulation, healthcare, design, architecture and business [50 (LC2, Jan 16)], as well as “casual” users, seeking to build games, role-play environments and social spaces

as well as “casual” users, seeking to build games, role-play environments and social spaces The Lab also appear to have a number of “content partners” with whom they are working [51 LL, Aug 15)]

To help businesses and organisations establish themselves in Sansar, their may be something akin of the former Second Life solution Provider programme – people engaged in the platform who can sell services and expertise to others [52 LC2, Jan 16)].

General Capabilities / Options / Thinking

Selected Press / Media Items

Ebbe Altberg discusses Project Sansar at AWE in June 2016

The following is a selection of the more informative articles and media pieces on Project Sansar, produced over the course of the year from late July 2015 through early August 2016.