My Favorite Viewer From the Past, the OnRez Viewer; Notice the Browser Bar!
In my previous post, I commented that I thought the new “Viewer 2.0″ (now called “Viewer 2″) would be the defining moment of Second Life’s year, and whether or not Linden Lab’s virtual world could break out of the plateau they have hit. Some interesting information has been released with the announcement of the public beta:
- Over 50% of Second Life first time users never log in again.
- Viewer 2 is being combined with the new web site, and a new Orientation Island (the first destination you reach as a new user) to try to make the first hour experience – and learning curve – much less intimidating and confusing.
- As I mentioned in my previous post, this is the first major overhaul to the user interface of the viewer since late 2003.
- Linden Lab has realized that by open sourcing the viewer, users will have the ability to create “power user” interfaces.
- This will allow Linden Lab to focus on the 90% of users, rather than the 10%.
I’m curious to give it a try. I’m betting I’ll absolutely hate it at first – as a traditional user going through change – but will grow to like it.