Metaversed notes that Trion is entering the "Web3D" space with a war chest and big backers behind them.

On that page a reader notes his or her wonder if Linden Labs can't develop scaling with a fat client, how can Trion do such a thing with a thin client?

Easy.  They have NCSoft America's former games architect.  NCSoft develops rich content online games including Lineage/Lineage II which were designed for the other side of the digital divide.  They started lean on persistent worlds, and now think they can run lean on dynamic content.

Compare Lineage II's PC requirements to Second Life's.

And then imagine you actually got performance out of Linden Lab's "recommended" configuration.  Lineage II runs like a dream at their recommended requirements level.  On the Lineage II minimum requirements, it's a judgment call if it runs better than Linden Lab's "recommended" level.

Frankly, I am not impressed with Linden Lab's ability to design and implement code, but they have created the first large social non-persistent virtual world (unless you count Eve Online, which involves a world which while somewhat dynamic, restricts you to playing a brain planted in a starship).  LL rushed in where angels feared to tread, and they can expect competition -- competition that is better funded, with better tech staff, and no utopian libertarian aspirations to fetter their behavior.

Is this a good thing?  Dunno.  Look at the megacorp badges on trion's front page and then think what your code of conduct will be on their sites?  Your privacy?  The marketing load you'll be subjected to?  The amount of freely authored content, vs corporate content.

Perhaps this is the beginning, effectively, of the "network neutrality" fight for "Web3D" space?