Linden Lab, the creator of the Second Life virtual world, announced that they will be laying off 30% of its workforce as part of a restructuring. Linden Lab says the software development teams will be consolidated in North America and customer support will be reconfigured to provide more scalable services.
Mark Kingdon, chief executive officer of Linden Lab, says, "We've emerged from a two-year investment period during which, among other things, we've spent a considerable amount of time improving reliability and the overall user experience. Today's announcement about our reorganization will help us make Second Life even simpler, more enjoyable, relevant and engaging for consumers starting with their first experience. It will also enable us to invest in bringing 3D to the web and will strengthen our profitability."
The buzz over Second Life has waned in recent years. The virtual world, which launched in 2003, may have been a little ahead of its time. Tech Crunch says Second Life's user base has been dwindling, but Tech Crunch says a renewed focus on social networking could enable the virtual world to "rise again."
