So I was wrong. I’d been expecting Bob Komin to be a shoo-in for the post of CEO at Linden Research. Seems not, as the job has in fact gone to Rod Humble.
This is an interesting piece of news. Firstly, it keeps Komin out of the firing line (unlike Kingdon). Secondly, and far more importantly, it brings someone into LL who – for the first time – a) isn’t “home-grown” from the company itself but b) actually has gaming / virtual world experience. In this latter regard, Humble is perhaps best known for his input into The Sims 2 and the Sims 3 – and even has his own non-player character in one of the expansion packs for the former.
His credentials, games-wise are impressive – at least to my untutored eyes (I make no secret of the fact that I don’t play computer and video games, other than an occasional fling on a Wii). This in itself could indicate interesting times are ahead for LL and SL as a whole. He’s certainly very hands-on and is a self-confessed “games hobbyist” – hopefully, this will mean he’ll not easily succumb to the Ivory Towers Syndrome that has otherwise infected 98% of staff at Linden Lab and forced them to withdraw from almost all forms of positive interaction with the users of their platform…
…On the other hand, his own “designer games”, such as The Marriage, which interprets marriage as a series of interdependent geometric shapes moving around a colourful box – tend to suggest that he is someone who perhaps needs to simply leave the computer screen every once in a while and get out a bit more.
Mr. Humble doesn’t take on his new role officially until some time in “mid-January”. However, he is already spending time in-world, where (to quote BK Linden) he is exploring and experimenting inworld to familiarize himself with the pluses and minuses of our product and the successes and challenges faced by our Residents. If so, then it is going to be interesting to hear his views on things, should he chose (and one would hope he does) to air them.
In the meantime, and with an eye to the future, I’ll add my greetings to Mr. Humble as he joins the Second Life fold. And as a piece of small, humorous advice, Rod, I think the perfect avatar name for yourself might be Humble Linden – it would strike chords for so many and on so many different levels!
Inara Pey: Living in a Modemworld 