Linden Lab Can't Confirm Chinese Presence

On Monday local media Chinese media "reported today that Second Life has recently established its China office in Beijing," according to Redline China. In spite of difficulties with government regulation and a broad existing ecosystem of virtual worlds and many more native-born worlds on the way, the report sparked speculation that Linden Lab was entering China.  When asked where Linden Lab would host the servers, how it would deal with the government, and whether it would integrate with existing worlds in the China Recreation District, the company could not confirm its presence in China.

"Like all evolving companies, we’re constantly evaluating new markets and opportunities," said the company through Lewis PR. "Second Life already has a vibrant and fast-growing international user base, with Residents from more than 100 countries around the world. So, it makes sense for us to consider a potential presence in China, along with other markets where there is a high broadband penetration and active Internet user base. While there’s nothing more we can confirm at the moment, we’ll be sure to update on those plans in due course."

Linden Lab apparently has also recently signed a deal with T-Entertainment to extend its presence in Korea, but more details were not released.