The Second Life Herald carries an interesting take by Onder Skall from SL Games. It hits on the real problems with Second Life…

This just has to be said.

The Herald recently featured an announcement about the YearlyKos Convention using 8 sims with 4 more set aside as backups. Many of us read that and thought: “Oh, ok, I might actually be able to go to this event without the sim crashing.”

We probably said it without any bitterness because we’ve become used to the limitations of SL. Most of us have abandoned other virtual worlds in favor of this grand experiment in self-expression, and we’ve forgotten that most MMOs don’t lock up just because there are ten avatars within a thousand meters of each other.

This is why I love when publications like Kotaku comment on Second Life. While the details aren’t any more in-depth, they say things that we don’t think to, like:

“What I don’t get is why organizations waste their time. I mean most sims have a pretty tiny cap. For instance, the turn out at last week’s book reading by Dean Koontz was expected to be about 30 people. Why in the hell would he waste his time?”

They have a point. This is ridiculous.

There is no truly viable alternative to SL yet so we put up with the limitations. Nowhere else offers people the opportunities for self-expression that we have here, and when you add to that the free market economic system, Linden Lab pretty much owns our asses.

However…

Notable points because what really does hold Second Life back?
Why do the subscription numbers seem suspect or hyped?
Why does one feel the system isn’t reaching its full potential?

Because the system’s architecture is flawed and always has been. Citizens have come to accept this, while many, those who perhaps would be permanent dwellers, leave rather quickly.

One would ask why do corporations continue to sink monkey into it? Easy to answer for me. The future of metaverse worlds, shadow economics and life via an avatar does not hinge upon Second Life. Second Life is a pivotal point in the virtual timeline that includes: MOOs, MUDs, MMOGS, and games. Whether Linden Labs fails or manages to fix the problems does not change the bigger and long-term picture.

These virtual worlds, these robust shadow lives, and 3D experiences are here too stay. Future generations will dwell or spend significant amounts of time in this type of poat-human like existence. Savvy business people know the value of Research and Development.

This new frontier requiries a radically new skill set, and you won’t acquire this skill set by sitting on the sidelines.

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