Is Linden Lab REALLY giving up on SL's VR?

[Nalates Urriah]

With the opportunity VR provides for bringing new people into SL, can the Lab really give up on it?

We have lots of recent improvements to SL performance server and viewer side. Avatar Complexity will move SL conent toward being more optimized. So... will VR support be more likely in the future as possible performance improvements more us toward a better experience? Aren't more people upgrading computers to handle VR?

I doubt the Lab can completely and forever give up. So, what might be going on? My thoughts are here: Second Life VR Door Closed?

What do you think and why?

[Alwin Alcott]

i'm not a VR user, but SL is far from being optimized, we all know how hard it is for graphics to render all in reasonable time when running in higher settings... it's simply too old and complicated to realize a satisfying VR

 

and.. as mentioned on your blogpost : In fact, this is one reason why we’re creating Project Sansar a new, separate platform optimized for VR ..

so...

a: first sansar

b: sansar first

[Sassy Romano]

VR provides no tangible reason to bring new people into SL.

 

Take the number of people with an Oculus Rift, multiply that by the number of people looking for a fabulous and exciting Modern VR experience and divide by the value of that experience in using SL.

 

You should be looking at a divide by zero error.

 

I'm not being particularly negative, just that of the limited number of people with the gear, they're unlikely to be flocking to SL for their main excitement.

 

If you want a mass of new users, trying to appeal to a niche group would be the wrong way to spend marketing budget.

[sirhc DeSantis]

With all due respect (as I read your blog as any SL'er should) I have still to see any compelling case to even try the strap-a-diving-mask-to-your-head unless I am being paid (or forced which is an idea) to do so. In any form.

And it is odd that the most content rich collection of stuff actually in use by actual users is within the SL vault And mine of course because whats mine - really is.

But yes understand the 'running for cover' bit I thought that was quite brill. Oh did you also see hifi launched a marketplace - with no actual money:)

 

 

[Monti Messmer]

The Lab won´t completly dropping it, just the resources there are very limited - for all SL stuff.

As said, ~500~ bucks for a VR device, while the majority of people on SL are not rich and/or famous ...

Too many ask for help using SL on old Laptops and PCs, they won´t/can´t spend money for a Nerd-Device, what all 3D devices are right now.

I read a post that LL Ceo will look into VR and a special viewer but if that ever makes it into the release state, god knows.

Best would be creating a new world special around VR but that would leave "normal" users out. No one is really working on that right now because the market is too small.

Wait till the p... industry jumps on the train, they already did, that sets industrial standards (like they did with betamax vs. VHS or DVD, CD) then more manufacturers more competition - lower prices 

Monti

[Jo Yardley]

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Monti Messmer wrote:

I read a post that LL Ceo will look into VR and a special viewer but if that ever makes it into the release state, god knows.

Monti

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Where did you read this?

[Monti Messmer]

@Jo

Someone on these forums posted a link to an interview. Can´t remember when or where just sometime in June 16

Monti

[Kyle Burum]

Their virtual reality project is currently titled Project Sansar and should launch around the time the occulus rift is released or shortly there after. It is not a special second life viewer. I've not heard of a new virtual reality second life viewer. Project Sansar is a virtual marketplace geared toward real life companies from what I've read.  If anyone can provide the link about a new version of Second Life that is virtual reality then I'd gladly correct my post, but from what I've read Sansar is not going to be secondlife.  

[Jo Yardley]

Oh that, that is all old news.

Sansar will be opening to those who registered next month and to the general public by the end of the year if all goes well.

I thought you meant Ebbe was looking into something for SL.

I think a simplified SL HMD viewer might still work.

One that concentrates on letting you look around, (voice) chat and move around but nothing else.

Looking around SL with a HMD is an amazing experience I would love to repeat, even with lower framerate.

I spend most of my time (hours) simply in apartments chatting with friends, really didn't expect to run and fly across region after region without any lag.

 

 

[Loki Eliot]

I think the way the Lab added Oculus support to SL was very poor. They basically splapt the 2D user interface on a HUD PRIM. To make SL a good VR experience would require a tone of extra ideas, the likes of which we are seeing in Unity3D with arm mounted inventory lists, proper laser pinter cursors, paradigms that are completely different from how we currently use SL with our computer screens and keyboards.

The latest SDK probably leans heavly on these new paradigms making it hard for LL to easily make it work with old Second Life without a crap load of workthey cant be arsed to do since Project Sansar is specifically built for the newer tech. 

I personally think LL should have made the oculus feature a simple one click feature that allowed quick immersion in an environment instead of trying to add the full complicated SL experience. Ther are times where you visit a place and id like to quickly see it via google carboard or Oculus without the need to chat and navigate and build and puke.

I'm not suprised LL dropped the Oculus Viewer, but im annoyed becasue that viewer had the Action'X' feature key that i've been hoping they would move to the main viewer cos i need it!