We can realistically expect a full suite of IM chat tools, friend lists and (big maybe) group chatter. You can be next to hundreds of other avatars and never know it. LL appear to be working on a different idea, avatars are loaded up on special 'mobile client only' regions with no attachments, no local build and no local communication. SL isn't designed with a mobile device's capabilities in mind, not at all.Ī full fat SL true mobile experience is not going to happen, even if one was created for iOS, it's not something anyone is going to want to use without tethering their device to the mains (and doing that obliterates battery longevity, leads to swelling, etc - hence some of the app store rules). This approach would also make sense from a technical perspective, as "0xc0ffea" explains: You could still colorize the parts, change head textures etc. Not that pile of attachments on top of each other that you see in SL. And they could be on demand, cutting the costs.Ī mobile avatar could be a single item or it could be customizable by replacing the body parts with dressed parts, as other games do. Mobile regions may have a clear grand total upper limit in texture and polygon count, instead of an obscure and exploitable "land impact". And you would still be able to use the old style stuff in the old regions as before. Here is the opportunity to start a sort of new SL from ground up: mobile-avatars on mobile-regions meanwhile you keep your account, friend list, chat, L$ etc, that keeps you on the SL grid. They are making dedicated mobile-regions now (just instant messages, but they plan to add a 3D view later). Over in last week's post on how Second Life might find a new audience on mobile, New World Notes' super savvy readers are picking up clues and speculating that Linden Lab is going to - or at least should - create what I'd describe as a lightweight, IMVU-like experience for mobile.