Second Life was brought online by Linden Labs in 2013.
It is a massively multiplayer online game that has offered a dating virtual world that boasts of content made by those who are actually immersed in the game.
The content goes from that which is artistic in nature to actual embassies of various real-world countries.
And now, over a decade and a half later Linden Labs are breaking into the virtual reality world with Sansar which starts where Second Life leaves off.
Sansar breaks into the world of virtual reality offering what Second Life had and more.
Second Life and Sansar
Second Life and Sansar are now constantly compared by online gamers and bloggers.
While they have similarities as they are coming from the same creator and seen as lineage, they are quite different.
Both games offer virtual worlds for the gamer to participate in but approach these worlds in a different manner.
Gamers will tell you that there are experiences you can have in Second Life that you cannot have in Sansar and the opposite as well.
Each game his its own good and bad points.
One blogger describes Sansar as Disneyland and Second Life as your hometown.
Sansar has lots of fun things to do, is flashy and stylish with lots of up to date technology.
It offers experiences that seem unending that players can immerse themselves in.
Players can sit in a small entertainment club or go to an arena for a show.
Neither of these venues would work well if the player is in Second life due to its restrictions.
Sansar is an extremely interesting system available to gamers when they want to explore and enter various venues.
However, as creative as it is actually “living” there may be somewhat difficult.
Interactions with objects that are physically enabled are the only way a gamer can leave a sign that they have been in that particular experience.
You have to simply be a tourist rather than someone who is ingrained in the experience.
It ends up being somewhat cold when it comes to ongoing interaction in certain experiences and lacks the flexible creativity that Second life offers.
Sansar does not let the gamer have any creative pull beyond the area that is set aside for them.
No one can interact with the gamer unless there is a personal decision to allow it.
If Sansar would allow other creative interactions and a collaborative experience, then it would make sure that teams and big experience builds can happen.
It would mean more socializing, fun and certainly more social interaction for those who are playing.
Opening up the flexibility of the game would be a big bonus for Sansar.
In comparison to Sansar, Second Life can basically be compared to the place you grew up versus Disneyland.
Your hometown that is not terribly flashy and is rather basic.
When Second Life hit the internet in 2003 it had the random customization bar and was a way to get gamers interested in the fairly new concept of a virtual world online.
It is now a little bit behind the times and most certainly needs an upgrade for some of its content.
The background remains a little dated and other gamers can be annoying and a little bit old school.
However, while some things need some freshening up, every virtual space the gamer in Second Life enters allows a lot of creativity if the right combination of people are part of it.
It builds community easier than Sansar and because of its high number of players allows connections at almost any time of the day.
And Second Life must be given kudos as it changed the face of gaming on the internet with its creative virtual worlds.
While Second Life is said to be lagging when compared to Sansar, it is in reality still doing well.
The platform is doing sustainable and is still turning a profit.
Most of this profit is through the sale of virtual goods which were always what drove much of its online community.
Commerce has always played a major role in Second Life and continues to be in its online world currently.
Commerce is allowed to be creative and innovative still.
There are games, shops and interactions that all create a virtual world that often mirrors the real world of users.
People make and spend money all while interacting with others.
Second Life has also created a space where they are linked with other platforms such as YouTube.
People buy things on Second Life and then unbox them on YouTube.
Both platforms have significant followings still and are utilized by both older and younger gamers alike.
Creators say Sansar was not created to replace the game of Second Life.
Both games each have to good points and gamers that are beholden to that particular game.
Linden Labs and those who mingle in the online worlds understand that both games are different and offer varying experiences.
Some players are more comfortable with the creativity of Second Life while others want the virtual reality excitement of Sansar.
Second Life is known for its ability to let players be creative and is free to users with a simple download so is economically viable for many.
In contrast, Sansar is dealing with actual virtual reality technology so it has more barriers that have been set both financially and technically.
Sansar becomes a game meant for those who have money whereas Second Life allows anyone to play.
Second Life and Sansar both bring good gaming offerings to the online gaming market but target somewhat different audiences.
While they are both online virtual worlds, Sarsar takes it to a new level with real virtual reality input.
Both are creative games that are limited in different ways and while many see Sansar as a new extension of Second Life, it is actually quite dissimilar and requires more hardware to even be part of.
If you are interested in either game, do your research so you know how both work and what system you have to have in place to play.
Linden Labs says it is not interested in removing Second Life from its gaming library so you can continue to choose from either game depending on the venue you are looking to play in.
