Second Life turned 20 years old

The Immersive Wire - 26 June 2023 (Monday Briefing)

Author

Tom Ffiske
June 26, 2023

Executive summary

Welcome to your weekly briefing on the metaverse. Here are your snippets to sound smarter in meetings this week:

  • Headline: Second Life turned 20 years old (analysis below).

  • Conversation-starter: MSNBC argued that the OceanGate disaster shows the necessity of the metaverse.

    • (I personally find the article a tad tone-deaf).

  • Stat of the week: 56% of Immersive Wire readers agree that spatial computing fits within the metaverse (analysis below).

  • Other stories: Goldsmiths University is hosting a VR for health conference on 4 July, Mesmerise Group announced the hiring of four executives, and Roblox has a fair few crypto phishing scams right now.

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor was a good game with questionable plot-points. Captured the feeling of being a Jedi really well, and it’s a miracle that Turgle survives to the end.

Tom Ffiske, Editor of the Immersive Wire

Analysis

Second Life turned 20 years old.

  • After growing through its awkward teenage phase, the platform is now cited in constant studies and reports when exploring the nature of social interactions and economies. I bet a few Linden Dollars that the debates will continue for 20 more years.

  • Metacrun.ch analysed why it potentially dipped in popularity: “Over time, numerous other virtual worlds and social platforms emerged, offering alternative virtual experiences. Some of these platforms provided more intuitive user interfaces, better performance, or specific niche features that attracted users away from Second Life. The emergence of new and innovative competitors may have contributed to the decline in Second Life's user base.”

  • How will the mobile app version go? Who knows, as it may bring new players into the world. But with big competitors like Rec Room on mobile too, it will be critical to see how Second Life can differentiate itself appropriately.

Spatial computing and the metaverse: Last week, I asked if you agree that spatial computing forms a part of the metaverse. Here are some responses - with some powerful counterpoints:

  • Rob Tannen, EY: “Perhaps a simplification, but I see Spatial Computing as the platform - like desktop and mobile computing - each with its own technology, operating systems and constraints. Metaverse is context & content - which can be accessed from any of those platforms. For example, while spatial computing provides a more immersive metaverse experience, it could also be accessed via mobile.”

  • Jon Jaehnig, ARPost: “The metaverse is the end experience and product, and spatial computing is one of the technologies that allows some of those experiences. But a spatial computing-enabled experience might not be a metaverse experience and not all metaverse experiences use spatial computing.”

  • Alicia McCallen, Intel: “I think the definition of Spacial Computing overlaps with the Metaverse vs a sub-set.”

  • Stephanie Smith, Double S Consulting: “I TOTALLY agree 100% that spatial computing is a part of the metaverse but I am uncertain, and 100% curious, about where we'll land on a term for continuous, immersive, interoperable, virtual spaces. Is the term metaverse too damaged by the early hype cycle to become the defacto name? Why did we get "internet" rather than "world wide web"? If anyone has the market power to solidify "naming rights" for the metaverse, it's Apple.”

Other notable stories

Got any stories? Let me know at tom (at) immersivewire (dot) com.

  • Goldsmiths University is hosting a VR for health conference on 4 July.

  • hundo has been awarded as the 2023 Technology Pioneer by the World Economic Forum.

  • Japanese VTuber and writer Virtual Girl Nem published a 5,000-word introduction part to her book Metaverse Evolution Theory, available for free on her Medium blog.

  • Lego and Epic Games are partnering together.

  • Mesmerise Group announced the hiring of four executives.

  • Roblox has a fair few crypto phishing scams right now.

  • Stereopsia announced the nomination of Alexandra Gerard as its new Managing Director.

  • The Man Who Couldn’t Leave won the Grand Jury Award for the International Alternate Realities Competition.

  • White Spark Pictures announced that its VR film, Beyond the Milky Way, will have its UK and European premiere in London this summer at the Royal Institution.

Help corner

Need some assistance from other readers? Let me know at tom (at) immersivewire (dot) com.

  • PartySpace, a metaverse events platform, is seeking a strategic acquirer for its business, brand and technology. Run by Yurii Filipchuk, the browser-based product uniquely blends traditional video and 3D objects to create immersive experiences. If you are interested or want to have a conversation, send him a DM.

  • Metaverse Monday is another weekly newsletter that teaches you about the AR/VR industry by interviewing the founders, investors and developers building it. Join readers from Google, a16z and Nvidia - Check it out here.