Second Life gets a second life as Second Life Mobile.
Watch: Linden Labs Unveil First Look at Second Life Mobile Port
"Metaverse" originator, Second Life, has been around for nearly 20 years. Which in gaming years, makes it something of an elder. But in its latest attempt to show that this old dog can learn new tricks, Linden Lab is finally making Second Life mobile.
The move to mobile is great news for anyone who feels that they can't squeeze in enough Second Life into their real one. And to be honest, it's great to see MMO OGs modernizing to keep their heads above water. And whether we like it or not, mobile gaming is now the industry's biggest platform. Which is why we've already seen so many of the industry's biggest titles make the leap themselves.
Linden announced its own transition with a forum post and first-look video in which a few of Linden's devs showcase what Second Life mobile will look like. It isn't the first time that Linden has attempted to make Second Life mobile, a fact that the devs acknowledge in the video. But this time they are committed to ensuring that the project is seen through. And it doesn't look bad.
Linden were keen to tackle the more challenging hurdles first before publishing their early look. These include avatars and "beautiful world views" as well as ensuring the app works on all platforms. The mobile viewer has been built on Unity, which the devs say allowed them to make a mobile port without giving up on too much graphical fidelity.
Second Life has never been the most graphically stunning "video game". But the insane amount of detail, including things like an actual economy within which people earn IRL money, make up for the rough edges.
Though the early stages of the mobile viewer won't have every feature currently available in the PC version of the title, turning Second Life into a like-for-like mobile port is certainly in the pipeline. From now until then, Linden has promised to keep its loyal fanbase up-to-speed on the development process over the coming months.