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Lindens Lay the Smackdown on Openspace Sim Owners!
Guest Editorial: Jason Feingold
Earlier this year, Linden Labs repackaged their low prim sims as "openspace sims" offering sims with 3750 prims. These were only offered to owners of the main normal full prim sim owners. So existing owners of the normal full prim sims were offered smaller prim sims for $250 upfront and $75 monthly tier fees. These "openspace" sims were snapped up by existing sim owners. They were supposed to be for low usage although the exact definition of low usage was never specifically defined. So existing sim owners started renting and selling off their openspace sims to renters who wanted the luxury of a full sim, but with lower prims at more affordable costs. Openspace sims were also more readily available to setup and were easier to do so at a much more rapid rate. So, before you knew it, more and more openspace sims were cropping up everywhere, all over the place.
However, in true Linden fashion, an announcement was made earlier today that effective from January, the tier fees for openspace sims were being increased by 66% at a time where the RL economic climate is very difficult and many of the leading Western World's economies are on the brink of a recession. Furthermore, the Lindens have hinted that they intend to clamp down on those openspace sims that they deem as absuing what they say should be "low usage." So those openspace sims that currently run clubs and those that have stepped up the number of scripts and other related activities that increases server pressure will now face the prospect of being shut down by Linden Labs at the start of 2009. The Lindens take the view that openspace sims should be "ultra low activity" such as a few boats passing on water and a couple of people just taking usage on.
Many of the forums are already inundated with irate Second Life residents who own multiple openspace sims who all now face the prospect of 66% hikes in their tier fees in exactly two months from now. I'e spoken to several key prominent openspace sim owners who have all expressed that they will have no other alternative other than to let their opespace sims go and simply abandon them. Many other residents who are of more limited means will also face the same consequence of having to abandon their openspace sims. This means, many more failed businesses, lost money and disappointed and angry Second Life residents. It almost appears that once again, Second Life is imitating real life. Just as the Second Life economy and property prices are in decline, so are those in real life. Today's policy made by Linden Labs conveys that they are insensitive to the fact that people are losing their jobs and homes in RL and that many countries with the world's leading economies are all on the brink of recession.
This has been a decision made by the Lindens at a time when the RL global economy is in crisis. The ramifications of this will be felt by so many Second Life residents, sim owners and budding entreprenuers. It almost feels like we're facing increased taxes in the face of a recession. Sales are down in Second Life businesses just as they are in Real Life. Property Prices are down in Second Life just as they are in Real Life. Businesses are collapsing in Second Life just as they are in Real Life. People are facing losing their Second Life homes just as they are in Second Life. Yet this is a pre-determined action that has been made suddenly by the Lindens, which could have been avoided at a very difficult time for people not only in Real Life and Second Life. The Second Life Community is balking at the Linden Labs decision on Openspace sims, but this time around the Lindens may be unable to avoid the adverse effect on their reputation, failure to react to residents strong resentment and mean spiritedness unlike how they were able to escape the copybot fiasco in 2006.
Have you been affected or will you be affected by the Openspace sim 66% fee hike in January 2009? Will it make a miserable start for the New Year for you as an openspace sim owner? If so, be sure to leave a comment and let us know how it personally affects you. Or simply let us know what you think of Linden Labs sudden decision to hike fees for openspace sims? Is it unfair or a necessary evil? Let us know!
https://jira.secondlife.com/browse/MISC-1776">
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33 comments:
Holy crap, I received a notice about this, but since I don't own sims, (just yet), I sort of let it pass in review.
Thanks, Jason, for taking the time to do such an informative post, you've obviously been paying attention to these issues, much better than I.
I heard there was a blog at which we can post objections about the price hikes, but if the Lindens react in typical fashion, I'm afraid our voices don't much matter.
Wonder how this will all float when Korea's "Nurien" virtual world shows up, next year? I love Second Life, and sure don't want them to fail, but they seem to be tightening their own noose, at this point, as Jason so rightfully pointed out... things are tight for all of us, in the real world, and to gouge us for our recreational costs at such a time is unconscionable, but typical of corporate America... kick 'em while they're down, I got my mansion, where's yours?
To the Lindens... watch your backs... programmers work cheap in failing economies, and folks who can't afford to travel or drive spend HUGE amounts of time online... seems a "given" that a competitive product will come along and have us all gathering somewhere and saying, "Remember when we used to play Second Life? Those lame, cartoonie avatars, and flexi-prims that could only be attached at one end? HAHAHAHAHA!"
...Sl isn't a priority it is a privilage. If you can't afford it don't play. I am not crying or losing sleep because lindens are raising tier again.I am losing sleep over people dying in a war with no ending, people losing their rl homes, illnesses that can't be cured ect. (priorities).
NEXT
Priorities!!! and REAL LIFE wins!! thank you Ammon I stand with you "-)
... in SL we pretend. We can ONLY pretend, and its all just particles, prim hair and animations. Our greatest suffering; lag and tier.
No matter what, its a business and the owner, as with anyone owning a company, needs to make money. In a nut shell that's REAL life and commerce. His bills are going up too.
I get all personally involved as though "that guy" made this fantasy land just for me. But it was his dream and he can change his dream as much as he wants. WE can ride along or find another land. its not real ... its just pulling real strings of emotion in us sometimes.
What if "that guy" pulled the plug cuz he was done playing, and SL was gone in the morning? ... well that would make me sad. I would miss my friends.
Hang in there everyone! Either this game or another will be connecting us, or we can go back to plan old email ... oh, that's as long as the internet doesn't end! lol
If the sim owners are abusing then there should be an increase. I have seen sim owners putting up business and abusing the open sim rules. People like this have ruined it for the majority of people that own open space sims.
There are a lot of landowners who bought open sims for pure profit, like they buy full prims sim, and just sell square flat bits of boring land. Purely they are in it simply to make money. However there are some estate owners who spent a lot of time and money, making beautiful, landscaped family estates, where everyone mixed, met, talked and had fun. I have an open sim used as a meeting point for my residents, landscaped as beach islands..and trust me they loved the idea. There was never usually 2 or 3 on this sim at the same time. They would use it for boating, sailing, 'fishing', meeting other residents and in other words a very nice sociable aspect to my estate. The open sim connected my residential sims, and by being there you could see most of my estate lands. I did not use this open sim for profit, in fact I made a loss on it each month. It was a loss that was worth it, and added to the value of a resident parcel. Most of our residents looked further than the prims v price comparision. Residents who has a beach front parcel that connected to the open sim, could build a small harbour and park boats, ready for sailing.
I will be one of the first to admit, that I may have to abandon this sim, (although ideas are coming in!!) Doing so will split my estate into independent, disconnected, residential sims, that going from one to the other can only be by TP'ing means. It will break up the sense of the estate being one.
I know there is a lot of anger from residents to both Linden Lab for taking this decision and from residents angry at landowners abusing this use of open sim. Raising the tier 66% to price residents and landowners out of the market is a tough, unfair line to take. Action could have simply been taken for those abusing open sims But at the end of the day when the new open sim idea from Linden was introduced earlier this year, they should have thought this through properly.
From a positive note, the after math of open sims being sold as residential had a detrimental effect on full prim residential sims. Residents were leaving high prims smaller parcels for these open sims for just a little extra in tier. Many residential sims, had to reduce the price of parcels, and price of land did fall. Many were down graded or be abandoned, as competing against the open sim had become very difficult indeed. Hopefully from this residential sims will start to become more populated again and the challenge of the making the most interesting, beautiful, landscaped sims to attract residents will be re-ignited.
People used open space sims as full sim with a fraction of the cost. They are meant for low traffic and low usage period. Its a poor mans if you will way of only a sim. Buy a full sim and shut the fuck up.
Rules are rules and if they are broken, well, Time to Suffer. EAT IT. LOL
Fall for the hype and get bit. Best to wait in the background and watch. If you see Fruit Loops on TV do you run and buy them? PUKE
Why do I feel the need to say, "It's the economy, stupid!"
While raising the prices may be justified by the poor behavior of some open-space sim owners (I don't believe punishing everyone because some abuse privileges is right at all, but for the sake of argument, let's say it is), this is a bad business decision on the part of Linden Labs. A well-run corporation will focus on cutting internal costs when times are bad (no more colored Post-its) before increasing any costs to the consumer. The logical step for Linden Labs would be to postpone the price increase until the economy is improving. After all, this is not an essential part of life. People can give up their land to avoid the tier fee--especially if they aren't seeing any return on their investment. As more people give up their open-space sims, Linden Labs will see more of a profit decrease than they've seen so far.
More logical than a price increase due to the excuse of abuse, is the option of providing consequences for abuse. The Lindens could easily discover who is abusing the resources and place additional fees on those sims, rather than creating a blanket increase. This would be much more incentive to follow the rules than applying the increase to everyone.
Personally, I don't believe this is about abuse of sims. Land ownership has decreased; Linden purchases have decreased and consequently, in-world sales have decreased. With the issues we're facing in the world economy, it's hard to accept the smoke-screen that this is about abuse. If it were, more appropriate actions would be taken. Sure, Linden Labs has taken a hit, but haven't we all?
Unfortunately, this increase, without a grandfathering of the sims reduces faith in Linden Labs, decreasing the likelihood of land purchases anywhere. After all, what good is making an investment in land when the market is so unpredictable and LL seems to have little concern for what is happening in the real world.
If you intend on using it as a full sim with traffic then you buy a full sim. You people take this game so serious it not real life. Great point that not everyone shud suffer but I think the problem is way out of control and their is no other way. Clap down time. The people bitching are the same people using them as full prim sims. Tough luck and just like the stock markets things go up and down. Why shud sl be different.
I remember in college my rent was 700 usd for a really nice rl apartment. People are spending 300usd on a sim thats a game. If you can't afford it no matter the price thats a decision you have to make. Scale back why should it be any different in sl.
This STep LL is taking is the most ridicoulous thing they ever did. They are going t odestroy so mayn beautiful enviroments and living areas which for sure were not misused. I worked hard for over one and a half year to maintain an open sim as living area free of spying and disturbing neighbours. I made a small paradies for me and my boyfriend and now it is all going to be destroyed by this nonsense tier raise. And im pretty sure many people have the same problem and were the ones who will suffer for the idiots who misused the Open Sims. Shame on them. And shame on LL for not trying to find another solution.
I'm not sure how everyone thinks pricing should always remain. Inflation is everywhere. I can understand nobody likes inflation but lets say they dropped the rates we'd be singing. Sure nobady likes to pay more but that life and LL have all rights like anyone to raise the cost. I hardly think 66% is going to bankrupt anyone.
...yes it sucks. Everyone plays sl like it's rl. We buy homes, cars, clothes, furniture ect. Everything in rl goes up. I know my taxes went up 2x the norm in one year on my home. Sure it sucked but I love it so I pay it. If I couldn't afford it I would have moved and scaled back. I buy what I can afford and I don't buy to impress. I live within a bugdget. Did I say that out loud...LOL and I'm gay. Now is the time to start putting the value on friends and families and not things. The econmoic crash will get better and until then learn from past mistakes and get in touch with things that really matter again.
I agree does an open space sim bring you that much joy to rant and rave about increase in tier cost. if it is your values are really messed up.
Spying and sim owners planting things in rocks recording your conversations is why I bought mine. I don't trust any sim owner. I never understood land anyway. You pay an intial fee to the sim owner and tier and you still don't own it. Sound like a great deal for a shady sim owner.
Obviously some people dont understand that when you are a creative person and make things where you even invest a lot of time and emotions, that these things are grew close to you, especially if you did it for yourself and someone who is your partner and that is maybe the only way where you can meet and have a life together as RL distances are way to far. Its a shame that people dont see this and being just ignorant in this matter. And why are those people here then, if they cant understand that? Complaining about others that they invest feelings and emotions, and that those shall go and find a RL, then i ask why are you here? This is for sure not the way as it should be, if this is the idol of the so called gay community im happy im not much more involved. Thank you. Back to topic: Open Sims should stay as they are as those are the options for the people who cant get an own full sim.Period.
As a gay person this isn't just a gay issue cale. Why invest in anything rl or sl. I don't see the point your making. You not being involved not much in the gay community is ignorant and using the gay community in your comment. It isn't a gay issue it is about many people.
I didnt say its a gay issue, i complained about the way some ppl see it and think this is sorta ignorant in my opinion. And this discussion here is for me now ended as there is not coming a solution out of it anyway. Shows only how useless it is to show how frustrated one got by LL's nonsense decisions. Have a nice evening all. (save your energy and dont make any comments to me, im not checking back anymore),bye.
...I see Cale's point and I sympathise with him. He and his partner created a place they call their own. This is what an open space sim was designed for. Unfortunately many people are opening big business with high traffic on them and everyone is being punished.
I'll give back my open sim and rent a small condo. I won't buy land anymore from a sim owner. They are the biggest crooks in sl.
The people not using the open space sims as stated have ultimately cut down on the overall productivity in the game for everyone. Whats 125.00 anyway? Pay it and have fun.
There are so many ways to be creative and make money. A sim owner is not creative and to the above comment most are crooks out there. I can name one that has been abusing open space sims so it is good lindens is putting a clap on these type of thieves. I also feel bad for people just making a home for themselves and wanting to have a part of sl no controlled like a plot of land from a sim owner. I do think if open space sims go up hike the full sims too. Raise it all around. If it improves sl then it will be worth it.
Second Life is just like real life it is what you make of it. People have to scale back in real life sometimes and make due with what they have. Businesses are having hard times financially just like the rest of us. If you cannot afford the new tiers do not pay them find another way to enjoy yourself in SL. I am not working in real life and cannot afford at the moment to pay for a SL account but I have make the best of what I do have. I also have my own theories about the direction SL is going it is becoming more business oriented. I am sure in the future the creative folks will move to creating their own open source sims and tp in and out of the SL and more and more businesses will be supporting Linden labs as ways to reduce their cost. Think about it, Phillip Linden is no longer the director some financial person is although he is still on the board and i am sure the creative aspect will still be here but be prepared for more business like decisions to come down.
published at GameDaily
by Tateru Nino Oct 28th 2008
SL users are already calling it Second Life's second revolution. Outside of Linden Lab's in-world Land Team offices, capacity crowds of users have been gathered through much of the day, though there's been nary a Linden Lab staffer in sight. People are cursing, newcomers are asking for protest signs, and there's angry chatter in over a dozen languages. There are a lot of Europeans here, which is not unexpected. They have to pay VAT on top of any additional costs.
There is talk about switching the signs and banners for flaming torches and pitchforks, because, if nothing else Second Life users find value in tradition. There are even discussions about picketing Linden Lab's Battery Street office in San Francisco.
All of this started yesterday at 6PM SLT (US Pacific time) when Jack Linden, head of Linden Lab's land team, announced a price-rise to void simulators (known to Linden Lab as Openspace sims). The reaction since then has been ... robust.
Void/Openspace simulators are low-capacity simulators that were once known as 'quad' simulators (because they ran four sims to the CPU rather than the usual one). Void simulators were used for coastlines, patches of ocean, rolling plains and other environments where there was a need for simulated space, but no need for construction.
Second Life pilots, sailors, sightseers and travellers used void simulators extensively. Bought in packs of four, they could add spacious regions for all these activities to private estates. That is, until March this year, when Linden Lab increased the capacity limits on those simulators, and changed the pricing model, allowing them to be purchased individually. People who valued space more than raw capacity snapped up the new offering, building out vast territories and themed communities.
If you've heard Mark Kingdon or John Zdanowski (Linden Lab's CEO and CFO respectively) talking at conferences and to the press about the boom in land area in Second Life lately, that seems to be a direct product of the Void/Openspace simulator market. The announced price-rise seems to shoot all of that PR in the foot.
Linden Lab has not apparently previously concerned itself much with changes that might cause users to sell their land or simulator space and abandon the platform. As they've said before, there is always a queue of people waiting to buy. What happens if that queue dries up, however?
The spirit of 1776
Since yesterday's announcement the Second Life blogosphere has lit up with angry posts, the titles of many of which we won't reproduce here due to crude language concerns. Many users are definitely angry.
Second Life users, and various Linden Lab staff are referring to this as 'a revolution', likening it to the original Second Life Tax Revolt in 2003, which was in a large part responsible for the formation of the modern Second Life economy as it stands today.
Between official and unoffical blog and forum responses, there have been several thousand negative reactions to the announced price rise so far. Operators of open-source Second Life alternative grids have enjoyed a surge of interest, and the open-source alternative 'opensim' (not to be confused with openspace/void simulators) has been getting more interest and more discussion among users than at any previous time.
On the Second Life public issue tracker, issue MISC-1776 is attracting comment-after-comment, and vote-after-vote protesting the price rises, at the rate of over a hundred an hour.
Rumors are already circulating that Linden Lab will capitulate rather than take a negative public relations hit over this issue, which is far from an unprecedented situation.
Linden Lab has yet to respond to any of the protests or protestors, and is not available to us for official comment.
...If the tier is to much hand back the sim and look for something within your budget. The day you become honest within yourself about your money and don't care what the neighbors have is the day you will be free of the chaos. Live within your means. If you really step back and look at what brings you the most happiness in rl and sl it isn't things.
Everything is going to be fine and enjoy your day.
I watch people in sl all the time buying homes ect and isn't this the fun of sl creating. Giving your money to someone that had the fun of creating your new home seems really a waste and laziness on your part. Learn the games tools instead of just spending your money ns shopping. It's alot more fun for you and cheaper.
The people that are complaining are the ones that do nothing like normal. They don't create, they spend their rl funds and now that rl funds are short they complain about things in sl. which they should be complaining to the rl governments for their first lives like Ammon and Ricken said. The only people they should be complaining to is themeselves for being lazy and having a thumb up their arse. If you come in to just play then get another rl job. The sl economy isn't ran by people that just dance and look pretty. It's created by many talented people.
Places have closed down, renters have been evicted, landlords have increased rents, businesses have been screwed, openspaces dumped. And all this in a RL recession, and after a slow summer in SL.
Maybe Linden Labs are listening. They say they are. The latest blog post from Jack Linden hints at a review of the decision. But I think the outcome will be a compromise rather than a galloping retreat. Or a confused, mystic mess like the gambling ban.
I could understand if it was RL pressure that forced a price increase or even greed, but this seems like a deliberate attempt to squash openspaces as any kind of useful or viable alternative to full sims.
And apparently because they were not used as Linden Labs intended (sailing and flying). Well... DUH... If it is there, it will be used in every possible way, shape and form that players can think of, as encouraged by Linden Labs own slogan, "Your World. Your Imagination."
Sl is is in a ride of a depression. With rl so messed up sure the first things to go will be sl. Like someone said there is so much fun in sl without spending your money.
Well, I have to turn to basic market principles on this issue. There is obviously a demand for a "scaled" down private sim for individual residential use as seen in the poliferation of these open space sims. My boyfriend and I have created our own little piece of paradise on such a space and we, like everyone else, have been impacted by this decision.
So with there being demand for such and offering the question then becomes at what price are people willing to pay? These are tough economic times in RL and SL spending is certainly a discretionary expense.
The cost of an individual sim for one person is simply too expensive for the majority of people, and those of us who have experienced and enjoyed open space sims are not likely to go back and purchase land on the mainland. So, right now the Linden proposal leaves us without an option that fits our budget and our desire for privacy.
So without a viable option avaiable, the option is no land at all. This seems to be a loose-loose scenario for Linden and us. Let's hope the "customers" raise their voices and Linden gets the message that they may be very well killing a product offering that could account for an amazing revenue stream.
I will never buy a plot of land from a sim owner either. Giving them an intial fee to simply rent and then tier monthly makes no sense. Buying plots of land from someone is more a risk than the open space sims. Maybe i will just rent by the week.
Any land purchase is a rip especially froma sim owner. I love paying a bit more for the privacy and the fact it's really mine.
I agree with just about all of the above. In RL I have two homes, and each of them has seen a tax increase, not to mention increases in the day-to-day expenses like alarm systems, pool care, lanscapers, etc. I hate taxes, as I'm sure we all do. That is why I will NEVER EVER purchase land from LL again - I am 100% against paying for land and then paying tier (the LL equivalent of property taxes).
Kiki and I currently rent three parcels - none of which required the extra membership fees, and none of which required a purchase price.
We simply pay the tier for the lands and therby we avoided having to actually 'pay' for the land before we are taxed.
We have 100% ownership, the land is in our name, assigned to our groups, and we have access to all the options in the 'about land' sections.
Of course, our landlord does not allow goofy blue castles, or other eye-sores, but aside form that, we have complete freedom.
I have recommended our landlord to many people in SL and they all say the same thing - best decision they made. This lady owns about 200 'real' sims - some of which are the 1.3 prim sims witgh extra prims at a slightly higher rent. She rents for commercial or residential - never mixing the two, so you never have lag issues at your home because there is a mall or club nearby. She has a staff that is available just about any time to assist renters and she is one of the nicest people you could ever meet in SL.
For instance, one of our plots is 16,384 sq m with open ocean on two sides, 3750 prims, and goes for about $90 US per month.
It's simple - you cannot have land in SL without paying taxes (tiers) - but you CAN own your own parcel without the expense of purchasing land and without the added membership fees required to buy land and hope like hell someone will buy it from you when you want to sell. Kiki and I are ex-owners who got 'stuck' with purchased land that nobody would buy - we had to just abandon it as do many peeps. You just need to make sure you rent land from a reputable landlord and that you get 100% ownership rights for your money.
If you're presently on an 'open' sim, you will see a huge improvenent in the lag. A reg sim shares a simulator with 3 other sims - an open space shares with 7 other sims - thats why LL says they should be 'low-use' and thats why the prim count is so low on each open sim.
If anyone wishes to rent from a trustworthy landlord and get full ownership rights, I recommend you contact Alliez Mysterio. We have been with her almost since our first day in here and everyone we send to her has been 100% happy with her.
Larz Beresford
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