The article is a result of the Lab’s traditional June round of talking with the media to mark SL’s anniversary. While it doesn’t get into specifics about the platform, the comments are nevertheless interesting.

“Even the company’s new CEO Ebbe Altberg understands that in its current form, Second Life is a niche product,” Baldwin writes, “But, with 11 years of running a profitable business under its belt, Linden Lab believes it can create a new world that appeals to a wider audience. ‘It’s a massive project to do a new virtual world. To start from the ground up we’re hiring 40-50 more people,’ Altberg told TNW.

In keeping with comments various made during the TPV Developer meeting where the latest news on the new platform effectively broke, the article confirms that it will debut in beta form in 2015, and will potentially launch at some point in 2016.

Other reasons given in the article for the move include an observation that, like its active user base, Second life’s technology has plateaued. additionally, the piece further quotes Ebbe Altberg, “With technology, market interest, hardware and software available, now is the time to give it another big shot. We have the experience to do it more than anyone else.”

Baldwin indicates that the new platform will, “offer more robust tools for creators. Games, designs, goods, all the things that make the current incarnation of Second Life the go-to place for current users will be part of the new world.”

Nor is the “current incarnation of Second Life” left out in the cold. The article provides a brief overview of SL, albeit one slanted towards the commerce aspects of the platform and makes mention of the fact that SL has been continuously upgraded over the years. It also, unsurprisingly, refers to the Oculus Rift headset integration. Allowing for the fact he was using the SD-1 headset, which Oculus users have reported as given rise to feelings of motion sickness, Baldwin’s response to the work – which the Lab has stated still has a way to go in terms of development and refinement – is interesting / encouraging, “beyond the rising tide of uncertainty in my stomach, Second Life finally clicked for me. Years ago I logged on, flew around, got bored, and logged off. The headgear made the entire experience immersive and actually interesting.”

Related Links

A new version of Second Life is being built from the ground up, with a little help from the Oculus Rift – Roberto Baldwin, The Next Web