Firestorm Zero: Second Life on your browser with all the Firestorm goodies!
If you’re a die-hard fan of the traditional Firestorm Viewer, do I have some news for you! Thanks to the minds behind Project Zero, every resident that loves Firestorm is getting a major upgrade that will allow us to experience Second Life on any device, from anywhere - with Project Zero Firestorm. (Okay - I don’t know if that’s the official name. It doesn’t seem to have one just yet, but I’m going with it. )
PROJECT ZERO - FIRESTORM
Recently, Syntax Linden and the legendary Whirley Fizzle joined Philip Linden in a Zoom call with a small group of people that have been following the progress (including yours truly!) to chat about all things Project Zero. You know that feeling when you find out your favorite thing is about to get even better? That’s what these perks feel like to me. Whether you're on a low-end laptop or a high-powered gaming rig, this service promises to provide:
Play from anywhere, on any device (seriously, anywhere - It’s like ‘streaming Netflix’, but for Firestorm)
Full Firestorm feature set (YES, all of our beloved tools and settings!)
Keeps your preferences between sessions
Enhanced security and privacy (kinda like a VPN but better)
Immediate access—no waiting in line like the current Zero Project
WHEN? WHEN?
Starting Friday, residents will have the opportunity to purchase a 5-hour pass for L$250 to test out Firestorm Zero. But heads up—these passes will be limited! If you want to test it out, be ready to snag yours via the Second Life website. (More info to come)
Oh, and more info! Philip talked openly about costs because he’d noticed there can been some talk about it in the Second Life communities. The company’s refreshing transparency revealed that Project Zero costs Second Life about $1.75 per hour to run per resident —but thanks to some AI magic, that price is dropping fast (we’re talking $0.20–$0.30 per hour!). Who knew AI would help make our virtual world more accessible?
PUT THE PITCH FORKS DOWN! It was a bad AI joke - Calm down. (One day I’ll be brave enough to tackle that topic on theses pages…but not today, Satan!)
But seriously - even Whirley Fizzle, tuning in from the UK, reported a relatively smooth experience. Philip mentioned (honestly) that ‘there might be a tiny bit of lag for residents in the UK’, but it’s my understanding that thanks to Amazon’s global infrastructure, our ability to access Second Life via these methods will just keep getting faster as the Lab accesses ‘end points’ in Europe.
Translation? Soon, no matter where you are, Second Life will feel even more like home from a browser.
When asked if it could be a subscription perk in the future, Philip admitted that they are considering it. No real details yet, but I find it interesting to know that the option is on the table.
ONBOARDING & THE FUTURE OF THE ZERO PROJECTS
I’ve been following Project Zero, mostly because I’m interested in how Linden Lab plans to use the browser to onboard new residents. So, how’s onboarding going for new residents using Project Zero? I got curious and asked, and apparently it’s going well.
In Philip’s own words: “Like really well.” (Yes, he was giddy about it.) And honestly, seeing him that hyped made me even more excited. With the way the Lab has been ‘teaching new users how to use Second Life’ with the Zero Project Method, it’s my hope that onboarding via the Zero Viewer new residents will be able to digest all of the ‘new resident’ onboarding information more easily.
PRIMFEED GLORIOUS-NESS & FINAL THOUGHTS
Okay, side note: Did you know Firestorm has a super cool ‘to Flickr’ Snapshot option? I didn’t! But wait—there’s more. They’re also working on a Primfeed connection! That little gem was casually dropped in the call, and I nearly fell out of my chair. I mean - this is seriously me right now.
That’s all I’ve got for notes! :) I’ll leave you with this little click bait gem for fun - I’m really looking forward to testing this to see how it works for filming and machinima. Even though the service itself only streams in 1920 X 1080, I’m thinking that simply by running a browser ONLY that the film quality I capture should be better. I can’t wait to see!
P.S. Whirley Fizzle was really nice and super knowledgeable about the product. Can I get a recruiter fee if I just point whoever is in Linden Lab HR at Whirley for this new Executive of Strategy job at the Lab? Cause…uh… Whirley was VERY knowledgeable and, as a product, Firestorm has strategically grown bigger than the real Second Life viewer. Just sayin’ :)
