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Second Life MMO Update Creates Virtual Eviction Notices

Posted by simoniker on from the giveth-and-taketh-away dept.

Thanks to Yahoo for reprinting the Linden Labs press release officially announcing major pricing/allocation changes to PC 'virtual world' Second Life, as reported earlier this month. The detailed effects of the announcement include charging for property owned in-game, but allowing players "a new pricing option with no monthly fees" if they own no land, and the official 'Notes' section on the site points out that the update "...meant drastic changes for some the most creative, dedicated residents." A forum posting mentions that new limits tying "building primitives" to land allocation may mean painstakingly constructed virtual property will need to be demolished: "I have been flying around the world and seeing lots of cool builds on small plots... that are way over their prim limit and will be going away." Linden Lab employees say they are "working on a plan to address" this issue before the January 11th deadline. Elsewhere, an intriguing thread details problems with letting novice players build permanent in-game architecture, particle systems, and textures for this innovative 'virtual world'.

4 of 25 comments (clear)

  1. Just like real life by El · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Why can't they do what they do in the real world, that is, grandfather in any existing structures?

    --

    "Freedom means freedom for everybody" -- Dick Cheney

  2. How enlightened. by mazarin5 · · Score: 2, Insightful
    Wasn't there a story recently about how these guys were acting like the progressive bunch and telling their users that they own, as property, the objects they create in the game?

    So all the creative types show up and invest a month or two where they know their efforts won't be wasted by their forward-thinking hosts, then BAM! all those objects, that they really own? Start coughing up rent for it!

    Clever, clever bastards.

    --
    Fnord.
    1. Re:How enlightened. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

      You retain the IP rights to what you create. That doesnt mean you can sue someone for using your sword or whatever. There's a clause in the ToS where you agree to assign a runtime licence to all other SL players.

      As someone says, it's analagous to retaining your rights to web pages you create.

      SecondLife is a very interesting concept. Worth checking out.

  3. Re:Over at the website. by simoniker · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I believe that this one-time fee option is viewable on a specific page on the Second Life site, but for whatever reason (probably due to the proximity of the announcement to Christmas?), this page is tricky (impossible?) to find through the main Secondlife.com site.

    Anyhow, it's there, just badly linked to, so it works right now - I'm kinda tempted, actually.