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Linden Lab's New CEO


BK Linden

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I’m happy to announce some very exciting news today: Rod Humble is Linden Lab’s new CEO. Our press release is here. You’ll hear from Rod himself after he starts in mid-January, but in the meantime, we wanted to share a brief introduction.

Rod has an impressive depth of experience in developing and leading fun, immersive entertainment experiences that have been great successes. As a 20-year veteran of game development, he’s worked on more than 200 games, and last year, the gaming magazine Edge named him #2 on their annual list of Hot 100 Game Developers. Rod is coming to Linden Lab from Electronic Arts, where he was Executive Vice President and led EA Play, including the best-selling PC game franchise of all time, The Sims. Prior to EA, he was a VP of Product Development at Sony Online Entertainment, where he led the EverQuest Studio.

Rod has a deep appreciation for what makes Second Life special. He’s already been exploring and experimenting inworld to familiarize himself with the pluses and minuses of our product and the successes and challenges faced by our Residents. He’ll officially start at the Lab in mid-January, and I’m excited for us to begin 2011 with fresh perspective, renewed energy, and creativity.

To give you a sense for Rod’s creativity, personality, and perspective, here are few links to his personal creations and a couple of press interviews he’s given:

Art games Rod has created in his ‘spare’ time:

Press interviews with Rod:

Happy holidays to you all from Linden Lab! We wish everyone a very happy and prosperous new year -- it’s going to be a great one for Second Life!

Rod's bio:

Rod Humble is Chief Executive Officer at Linden Lab, and he leads the company’s strategy and the development of Second Life. Humble’s 20-year career in the game development industry has included work on more than 200 games. He joined Linden Lab from Electronic Arts, where, in his role as Executive Vice President, he led the EA Play label, which includes the best-selling PC game franchise of all time, The Sims. In 2009, he was ranked #2 on the annual list of the Hot 100 Game Developers from gaming publication Edge. Prior to his work at Electronic Arts, Humble served as Vice President of Product Development at Sony Online Entertainment for the massively multiplayer online game (MMOG) EverQuest.

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A resume in virtual worlds, but all games, or in the case of MMORPGs, manipulating characters against characters.  I'd like to see his view of Second Life as a cybercultural environment and microcosm of civilized society first.

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Welcome to Second Life, Rod! Great to have you join us in our corner of the Virtual Universe. Please feel free to explore along with us the many possible variations of experience that our world offers.

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Welcome to wonderland Sir.

The best piece of advice I can give you is to listen to the residents, not only the ones that shout loudest either!

I look forward to seeing your contributions.

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This should be interesting.

I can't wait to see what Rod does with Linden Labs.  I hope he starts with a nice dusting and cleaning, followed by fixing things up to work like a business whose interested in actually serving its customers.  Just don't make SL into the sims online.

Welcome, and good luck.

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Can I say "yay"?   Welcome aboard Rod.. we don't bite.. too hard that is.  I'm looking forward to see what you bring to the table.  I'm excited by the possibilities in 2011.  What a great Christmas present to the users of Second Life.. 

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With that resume, he must have cost a mint. That's fine because good talent typically does cost good money. And for once, it appears LL didn't go with the lowest-cost bidder. I just hope he knows what he's getting into with LL and SL. I certainly don't envy him. However, for the sake of those who have not already given up on LL and SL and essentially left them behind (I have.), I hope he performs most superbly. He has the difficult task of succeeding where others have miserably failed.

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Welcome to SLRod!

As an educator teaching in virtual worlds, particularly SL, I'd like to see you address the needs of the huge educational community and appreciate that this platform is a powerful teaching tool for the 21st century( and beyond) student.

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This just in from the WSJ, EA buys LL in 2012...

Welcome to the snake pit, Rod.  The more you leave alone, and the more improve without actually "changing," the happier most of your current customers will be.

Oh, and take a look at the property tax bill for your RL home and ask yourself if you'd own more or less if the annual tax rate were 360% of the original purchase price.  Then review SL land tiers and ask yourself the same question.

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Here we go again.  Things look good on paper lets hope your actions prove to be good for all the community. Actions will show.  An i agree with the other person lets hope you do listen to the residents that is what makes SL up is it not

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Fantastic news!  I think it's great that our new CEO has such a solid background in serious game development.  This can only be good for Second Life.

Welcome Rod

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I thought all the hopefulness had already been beaten out of me, but this news makes me feel hopeful again, so welcome to Rod Humble, and good luck!

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As an MBA and higher educator, may I welcome Mr. Humble and point out that currently the most sustainable asset and most ignored, is that of higher education.  Please take note of this fast-growing demographic, one with budget to purchase sims and introduce young learners to 3-D virtual spaces through the use of credit courses and cultural events, with professionals behind them.

Mark Atkinson

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Greetings and Welcome Mr Humble!  I'm sure you realize by now you have your work cut out for you at the Labs, but with that impressive resume and the experience under your belt, you give us, the customers and residents, hope for a better future for our incredible world.  Thank you for taking the job and I wish you the best of luck!!

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I must say that I'm quite pleased with this, it's not just another bean counter arriving.  Perhaps we can finally get started on improving a few things for users that have been broken for a time now, and start focusing on growing Second Life in all new ways.

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