The rumours that have been floating around the Second Life grid became truth last week, when Linden Lab, the company behind the virtual world, announced rather quietly that their product is now Open Source. For many who have suffered the crippling interface and have attempted to find things to do without a comprehensive integrated search engine, this is a day to celebrate. The source code is now freely available, so some clever person out there can use these tools to fabricate a system which will make the online world easier to negotiate. Oddly, this comes the same week that Linden officially dropped their Researcher's Agreement and Code of Ethics for Researchers, but I'm struggling to find any link between the two.
The inimitable Wagner James Au managed to nab a few quotes from CTO Cory Ondrejka about the shift, and offers up his interpretation of the proceedings. For more on the subject, another Cory (Doctorow, from boing boing), blogs that this is a "HUGE" move for the company, and for the Residents:
... by opening up the source code for Second Life, Linden is inviting a competitive marketplace for Second Life hosters. Indeed, they describe a "Second Life grid" of multiple Second Life hosters who interconnect -- the way that today's Web consists of a single Web with millions of servers that are all linked together by their users.
This turns Linden wealth into real-world wealth. And it also takes an enormous stride towards turning Second Life residents into real citizens instead of mere customers. Citizens get to petition for redress of their grievances from a state that represents them; customers can only take their business elsewhere. Customers only ever get to love it or leave it. Citizens get to change it.
Brilliant. I'll continue to hoard my Linden dollars until Mr. Trump comes knocking at my door. Yes, I'm a real-world and a virtual miser (giving it up to the Freecycle posse).
And while this news has taken precedence, there's another very exciting development in virtual worlds news. Raph Koster, designer of MMOGs since Ultima, officially announced his much anticipated project, Areae, late last year. I've been struggling to find the best place to put this information, and unfortunately it's landed at the bottom of this post. James has an interview with Raph. The development appears to converge multiple universes into one game-centred Web 2.0 bucket. The list of advisors is seriously kick-ass. More from Raph (and others) is here.
Oops - forgot another crucial piece of VW information: Disney have announced that they will be creating even more Massively Multiplayer Online Games based upon their home-grown properties, starting with its forthcoming Pirates of the Caribbean world. Announced at last week's Consumer Electronics Show, the megacorp suggested that its popular brands (including Toy Story) could be slated for MMO development. Cynics may see this as a blatant attempt to sell more stuff, but their branders will couch this as an important way to extend the longevity of a franchise. They've already hosted a hugely successful kid's virtual world, Virtual Magic Kingdom, which made leaps in security facilities for under-18 online spaces.
Disney have been refreshing their fairground attractions with big screen adaptations for a few years now (remember 2002's The Country Bears, based on Country Bear Jamboree? Or Eddie Murphy's outing in 2003's adaptation of The Haunted Mansion? Thought not.), and now it seems they're set to do it again in the cyber-sphere. So will Disney Virtual World Inc breathe new life into my favourite Disney attractions: Peter Pan, Space Mountain and Mr. Toad's Wild Ride? Will they even try a dab hand at bringing Videopolis back to life? What about a crazy future-set environment hosted by Michael Jackson's pervasive Captain EO? (What can I say, I spent my formative years 30 minutes away from The Happiest Place on Earth.)
