Growing Pains Yield Virtual Reality Check

The paparazzi have left, but the party isn't over for Second Life, the virtual world's founder says in a combative interview with Der Spiegel. Philip Rosedale acknowledges that the media hype has all but dried up but says he hopes new voice and education tools will turn the spotlight back on. Making the system crash less, however, is his "number one mission."

Improving the usability of the interface and adding the ability to browse the internet from within Second Life are also on the to-do list, he says. Though Rosedale addresses concern about competitors like Twinity, he doesn't shy away from grand statements about Second Life's future: "Ultimately, use of the virtual worlds will be greater than use of the web." (More Philip Rosedale stories.)