Linden Lab Presents Project Sansar – Platform For VR Experience Creation
Linden Lab announced a new virtual reality project project called Sansar, a virtual reality platform where the users are the creators. Users are given tools to create VR experiences for the platform.
Linden Lab made the Project Sansar announcement on Twitter on July 22!
Project Sansar was first announced and confirmed back in May on Linden Lab’s Twitter!
Below is an email from Inara Pey of Living in a ModemWorld with Peter Gray, the Lab’s Director of Global communications from May 5, 2015.
Hi Inara,
Project Sansar is the internal code name we’ve been using for the new platform, and we do plan to use that name externally in its early stages (like the invite-only alpha we begin this summer). However, this is just the project name, and we anticipate changing it prior to launching the platform to everyone.
best,
Peter
Initially, when users are creating VR experience in Project Sansar platform, it will support Maya. Other 3D software support will be added later.
Which means, players, VR developers or even brands, can use Sansar’s tool to build VR experience and cultivate their own audience base. Creators of VR experience can also monetize and make some money.
Project Sansar is also being described as a new VR social platform, where players can be free to socialize, create, co-create, show-off, engage, interact and express themselves in the virtual world!
According to Variety, a 30+ programmer team is working on Project Sansar for PC and Oculus Rift at this time, plans to create iOS and Android compatible Sansar is in currently in process.
Lessons and inspiration are drawn from Linden Lab’s infamous virtual reality social platform Second Life, built in 2003, a widely popular virtual world where players use their own avatars to interact and engage with other players. Second Life once had over 1 million active monthly users.
Second Life was built for adults; you have to be at least 16 years old to join the Second Life community. Linden Lab decided to lower the age limit for Project Sansar to 13, and promised to filter content for players under 16 or 18.
According to Linden Lab, Sansar is not a reincarnation of Second Life. Each of the two virtual social platforms will be treated as a standalone platform.
Linden Lab CEO Ebbe Altberg and Senior Director of Global Communication Peter Gray told Variety that a more effective communication between Sancar users community and Linden Lab team will be a main focus when building and managing the platform.
“Second Life is a platform dressed as a product,” and Project Sansar will be a platform that will allow others to build products. “The experience is the primary brand,” said Linden Lab CEO Ebbe Altberg.
Sansar is not likely to support Second Life goods port-over, but overall, Sansar will be a brand new virtual world that starts from the beginning, a virtual reality realm will be built from ground zero by users.
Project Sansar is inviting selected users to join an alpha beta test, the official launch is expected to come around the end of 2016.
Content Source: Linden Lab, Variety.com, MMORPG.com
