New World Notes

Deadpool Dance-onomics: Surprising Revenue Details from Top Seller of RL Mocap Animations in Second Life

Since we were recently talking about the harsh economics of shadow meshing in the Second Life economy, here's a look at another SL market with some impressive revenue numbers: Premium mocap animations.

Paragon, a Los Angeles-based mocap studio, has been creating and selling RL mocap dances in Second Life for over five years. (Marketplace page here.) That includes the excellent dorkiness in the video above: Deadpool's dance from the opening of Deadpool & Wolverine, a motion capture of dancer Nick Pauley AKA Dancepool, who actually performed it in place of Ryan Reynolds. (Currently selling for L$300 to L$330, click here to get the Deadpool dance from the Mount Paragon sim.)

Pauley himself is a top dance pro and social media influencer, while the mocap process is time consuming and expensive, so I was curious how the economics here worked. Can an SL merchant really make a profit from real life mocaps that sell for the L$ equivalent of less than $2?

Paragon Owner/Producer Jon Nakagawa gave me a full run-down:

WATCH: 11 Players in VR Rigs Re-Enact Church Gunfight from Kingsman in VRChat in Real Time! Here's How They Shot It & Other Fight Scenes.

If you've seen the hit movie Kingsman, you'll remember the amazingly choreographed church gunfight between dozens of combatants which plays out in a single, deranged take. (Watch here.) Now watch a segment of that scene recreated in VRChat with eleven people in real time, wearing Star Wars-themed avatars. ("I promised the person who was leading it as our MC that we'd make it Star Wars themed for Star Wars day," the director explains to me.)

It's hard for me to process how impressive this is. To shoot it, each of these eleven players had to log in from around the world, perform separately in full-body VR rigs, and somehow, while hundreds or thousands of miles apart, still coordinate this group choreography that requires split second timing.

The director is "Legend50210" (let's call him Legend for short), who back in 2022, created and starred in this cool machinima shot in VRChat, with the fight scenes recorded in a full VR rig. Since then, Legend has continued building on his practice to turn VRChat into a platform for making machinima -- and has also turned his SYNC Studios into a VRChat community of like-minded players/machinma makers:

Cajsa's Choices: Amazing Shots of Second Life-Based Superman From "It's a Bird..." to a Bathroom Break

Cajsa Lilliehook covers the best in virtual world screenshot art and digital painting

Mr. Royal was inspired by the recently released Superman movie to create this spectacular “Is it a bird…” It seems very true to what the movie seems to be. His Superman’s hair is not perfect but slightly mussed, as though today’s challenges are tougher than before. I haven’t seen the film, but there seem to be a lot of supervillains and, in the end, perhaps the toughest conflict of all, the culture war. 

Royal’s Superman was so good, I was curious to see what other people were inspired to create.. 

For more Superman-inspired by earlier films, click here:

VRChat Community Currently Making an Infinite Monument in the Sky

Monument is a new VRChat world that's obsessed me more than any other community project since someone built Jorge Luis Borges' infinite library in the metaverse platform. I'm hoping to get in touch with the creator, Sylan Troh, but you should definitely visit before then -- here's the world's web page.

Hat tip: Patchouli Woollahra

Guess What Major Tech Company Looked to Be Interested in Buying Linden Lab / Second Life

Second Life co-founder Cory Ondrejka has gone back to blogging memories from his long career in tech, and just casually dropped a nugget of SL history that's new to me. Back in 2005 / 2006, a top tech company seemed seriously interested in buying Linden Lab / Second Life. Can you guess who that could have been?

No, not Apple, though there were rumors after an Apple Store "appeared" in SL (which turned out to be an impressive fan-made stunt), nor Google, though there was some serious speculation, after rumors emerged that they were building a virtual world (which turned out to be a half-ass attempt called Lively).

So, who?

Tell us, Cory:

Cajsa's Second Life Flickr Picks: Incredibly Naturalistic Photos from Someone Named YO!

 Cajsa Lilliehook covers the best in virtual world screenshot art and digital painting

YO! has such an exciting, naturalistic photostream. Like this picture of her leaning forward and looking into the distance as though she has heard some distant sound like maybe the piercing cry of an eagle or the haunting laughter of a loon at night. The picture is aged and damaged by time and it seems that there might be a mountain in the distance, as though she is outdoors. There is a sense of urgency in the way she holds her body. I can think of so many stories. 

For more of YO!’s pics, click here:

Three Surprising Findings from My Patreon Report on the Second Life Economy in 2025

Over the Summer I'll be sharing highlights of my new in-depth, voluminous (over 4000 words!) Patreon report on the state of the Second Life economy in 2025. If you find my coverage of Second Life and other virtual worlds valuable, I hope you consider subscribing so that I can, well, keep covering Second Life and other virtual worlds.

That said, here's three surprising (at least to me) findings from the report, based on anonymous interviews with over 100 veteran SL content creators:

Combined, Brands Selling Pets & Breedables and Home Furnishings are about as Common as Fashion Brands

[I]n terms of content types, a majority of SL merchants surveyed (nearly 60%) sell products in the avatar style and home decor categories: This strengthens my view that most SLers enjoy the virtual world as a kind of turbo-charged online version of The SIms of inZOI that's mainly focused on social / life roleplay. (Further strengthened by the fact that the third most popular category at 19% is pets/breedables.)

Two more findings below the break!

Since Roblox Developers Are Selling Their Hit Games for Millions, Read Making a Metaverse That Matters for Advice on How to Make One

Thanks to Bloomberg's Cecilia D'Anastasio, people in tech are belatedly beginning to grasp how huge Roblox is as a metaverse platform -- or as she describes it, a "popular gaming platform", which doesn't quire capture why and how Roblox has become so huge, but anyway -- yes: Roblox Game-Buying Frenzy Is Turning Teens Into Millionaires.

My book has a whole chapter devoted to Roblox, where I interview both a Roblox company developer and two successful community creators (InTrance and LAGurlz), about how to create hit games on the platform -- excerpt below. Unlike say Steam, Roblox is very much a single social virtual world, which comes with its own particularities:

Cajsa's SL Flickr Pick: Myrdin Sommer Fabulously Photographs Flat Avatars

Cajsa Lilliehook covers the best in virtual world screenshot art and digital painting

Myrdin Sommer is one of the many people who have embraced Project Mesh Revolution’s fabulous flat avatars. She has even made a few accessories and outfits for them, many of them free or at low cost from her Marketplace store Visual Junkies. Here is “Jimi Cardrix” playing a cardboard guitar in a cardboard world. I love the humor and I love how it reminds me of the glory days of Second Life before getting dressed required an advanced degree. 

For more flat Myrdin, click here:

Top Five Posts Including a List of Web3-Based Virtual Worlds & a Updated Metaverse Platform Leader Chart

• Top Twelve Tips Veteran SL Merchants Wish They Knew Before Creating / Selling Content in Second Life
• SL Meshers/Riggers: How Much Money Do You Make Subcontracting in Second Life? Take This Anonymous Survey!
• Updating My Metaverse Platform Leader Chart for 2025: First Draft Numbers
• The Pros of Shadow Meshing vs Going Solo in Second Life: One Mesh Maker's Take
• What Blockchain/Web3 Virtual Worlds Should We Add to the Virtual Worlds Museum Gallery?

Sannyのおすすめバーチャルワールドニュース : 2025年6月 Sanny Reports For Virtual Japan

Sanny Yoshikawa が、New World Notesのなかから、毎月おすすめのバーチャルワールドニュースを日本語で紹介します

Sanny Yoshikawa covers the monthly virtual world highlights from New World Notes for virtual Japan.

 

Watch Me on a Live Recording of The 4th Wall, an SL Podcast -- Starting 1pm PT Today!

 

Starting at 1pm PT today, join me for a live recording of The Fourth Wall, a YouTube podcast, mostly devoted to Second Life's pro wrestling community (!). I'll be taking on Zuckerberg, crypto bros, and all the other heels out there in a steel cage death match to determine who really makes the Metaverse matter.

To send live questions during the recording, text them through The Fourth Wall's Discord server -- click here to join.  

How Eleven VRChat Players in Full VR Rigs Around the World Recreated the Church Fight from Kingsman in Real Time -- Read on My Patreon

This is such zany amazing coolness:

To shoot it, each of these eleven players had to log in from around the world, perform separately in full-body VR rigs, and somehow, while hundreds or thousands of miles apart, still coordinate this group choreography that requires split second timing... The SYNC team works with VRChat players performing together across Australia, Singapore, the Philippines, the EU and North America. And despite these regions being thousands of miles apart, Legend says they're still able to shoot their group scenes in real time.

Watch the results and read the rest on my Patreon.

Top Twelve Tips Veteran SL Merchants Wish They Knew Before Creating / Selling Content in Second Life

Here's twelve highly useful tips from veteran SL creators, taken from the survey for my report on the state of the Second Life economy in 2025 (Patreon subscription required).

I framed it in the form of the question, "What are some important lessons/tips you wish you'd known before starting out as an SL creator?", and got a slew of valuable answers, some of them running along the same theme which I then stitched together.

Excising the snarky replies ("try VRChat instead lol"), here they are, running from the highly practical to the somewhat philosophical:

Patreon Supporter Shout-Out: AvatarLife, Open Sim-Based Virtual World With 1200+ Users and Free Land for New Users

Here’s my official shout-out to AvatarLife, a new Creator-level subscriber of my Patreon, and an OpenSim-based virtual world worth checking out. It was founded by Sushant AvatarLife (in-world name), who tells me the world has over 1200 monthly active users and 300+ daily active users, making it one of the larger OpenSim worlds. It also offers free land to anyone who creates an account (info below).

Sushant says this about the inspiration behind AvatarLife: 

It stemmed from a deep desire to redefine digital identity, creativity, and social interaction in the virtual world. We saw an opportunity to build a platform where everyone, not just developers or crypto natives, could create, earn, and express themselves freely. 

Too often, metaverses are either too technical or too closed off. We wanted to change that by offering accessible tools, free land for creators, and a rewarding ecosystem for both gamers and builders. AvatarLife was born out of the belief that the future of online life should be fun, rewarding, and owned by the people who contribute to it. 

We wanted to merge the best of virtual living, parties, games, contests, avatars, and creation tools, with true ownership and fair rewards. In short, we were inspired by the idea of building a metaverse where imagination meets opportunity, and where everyone, no matter their background, can build, play, and thrive.

Video and more about the features and free land offer:

Cajsa's SL Flickr Picks: Exquisitely Imaginative Images by Ayesha

Cajsa Lilliehook covers the best in virtual world screenshot art and digital painting

Ayesha recently posted “Fish Make Us Realize How Beautiful Silence Is,” one of a three-picture seat that is simply exquisite. The second picture zooms in on her hand holding the cup with fish and the third focuses on her face inside the glass dome. They should be considered as a set and are a joy to see. 

For more of Ayesha’s fabulous pics, click here:

SL Meshers/Riggers: How Much Money Do You Make Subcontracting in Second Life? Take This Anonymous Survey!

NOTE: Take survey using mouse/trackpad to scroll!

UPDATE, 3:45pm PT: If you feel uncomfortable naming specific SL brands that pay well, feel free to describe them by content category they're most known for, i.e. furniture, clothes for men, etc.

Since my post on "Shadow Meshing in SL" attracted outsized interest and controversy, I'm delving deeper! Specifically, I want to know how much SL meshers and riggers are paid, on average, so we can establish benchmarks.

If you work on mesh content for Second Life, please take the anonymous survey above or at this link.

Results published first on Patreon and then on this blog soon! And please consider the last two questions where you can share your advice to new creators, and name SL brands which pay well.

Updating My Metaverse Platform Leader Chart for 2025: First Draft Numbers

I'm almost done writing a new 2025 edition afterword to my book, which means updating my top 10 chart of leading metaverse platforms. These are platforms which qualify under my book's broad definition of the technology:

The Metaverse is a vast, immersive virtual world that's simultaneously accessible by millions of people through highly customizable avatars and powerful experience creation tools that are integrated with the offline world through its virtual economy and external technology. 

This is very much a first draft, as I run down some more leads, but here's the most current numbers I have now:

• Roblox: 390 million MAU (Source: RTrack + my estimate)
• Minecraft: 170 million MAU (Source: WN / Game Industry Ecosystem)
• Fortnite: 126 million  MAU (Source: Business of Apps as of 2023)
• Rec Room: 40 million MAU (My estimate based on sources)
• ZEPETO: 20 million MAU (Interview with company as of 2024)
• VRChat: 12 million MAU (My estimate based on sources)
• IMVU: 3 million MAU (My estimate based on sources)
• Avakin Life: 1.5 million MAU (Interview with CEO, see below)
• Second Life: 500,000 MAU (Interview with owner)
• Horizon Worlds: 200,000 MAU (Source: WSJ as of 2022)

Note: Not a final estimate -- please do not cite without that qualifier!

The term "current" is doing some heavy lifting, seeing as it's been difficult, for example, to get a new stat from Horizon Worlds more current than 2022. Also, I suspect the Minecraft number is at its peak right after the Jack Black / Jason Momoa movie came out a few months ago, but has since fallen somewhat.

Anyway, if you have insight on any of these figures, please get in touch off the record and on background! Hit me up on Bluesky or on Reddit here.

Cajsa's SL Flickr Pick: Amazing Images from Wonderland 2.0, Incredible New Sim Experience

Cajsa Lilliehook covers the best in virtual world screenshot art and digital painting

Cat Afarensis posted this glorious picture to the Flickr group Wonderland 2.0, which is named after the sim Wonderland 2.0, Realm of Wonder. [To teleport, click here] 

I love her choice to do the picture in sepia, without all the bright colors that would distract from the picture and confuse the emotional context. She is framed by the moon. If you want, you could imagine her hair is a black full moon, perhaps in eclipse. 

For more Wonderland 2.0, click here:

The Pros of Shadow Meshing vs Going Solo in Second Life: One Mesh Maker's Take

There's been a really interesting reader conversation in last month's article on "shadow mesh" subcontractors in SL, including these thoughts from Dino Sophers, who explains why they themselves prefer shadow meshing -- this is her subcontractor site, I believe -- as opposed to running their own mesh brand, which they have also done before:

I'm a shadow mesher — though I personally prefer the term ghost mesher. I currently charge L$7,500 per hour (about $28 USD), but let’s break that down. Linden Lab takes 5% on cashouts, so that’s immediately $1.40 gone, bringing it to around $26.60/hour. Then, as someone in the UK, after currency conversion, that becomes roughly £19.75 per hour. That puts me somewhere in the mid-range of hirable mesh creators.

I’m experienced and support several stores, but I’ve seen many ghost meshers taken advantage of — especially riggers. Rigging is complex. A full outfit can take anywhere from one to four hours, yet I’ve seen riggers pricing their work at just L$6,000 per body. That means someone might be working four hours for only $23 — that’s $5.75 an hour, which is below minimum wage.

But what about when some big brands take credit for mesh work? She has thoughts there

What Blockchain/Web3 Virtual Worlds Should We Add to the Virtual Worlds Museum Gallery?

Check out our latest wing of the Virtual Worlds Museum (tm), this one devoted to Blockchain Worlds, i.e. virtual worlds integrated on some significant level with crypto/blockchain, or what's often called web3. This is very much a work in progress, and we're looking to add other web3 virtual worlds beyond the twenty or so we're tracking, and as we work with marketing partners to expand the exhibit. Here's just some of the worlds I've covered on New World Notes:

Decentraland: Browser‑based, Ethereum‑powered 3D virtual realm where users truly own their creations—from parcels of digital land to wearable NFTs—and shape the world through community governance.  (Read some NWN coverage here)

Sandbox: Decentralized virtual world built on the Ethereum blockchain that allows users to create, own, and monetize interactive experiences using NFTs and the native SAND token. (Read some NWN coverage here)

Somnium Space: VR‑centric metaverse built on Ethereum, accessible via PC, mobile, and major VR headsets. (Read some NWN coverage here)

Upland: Property trading metaverse mapped to real-world cities, built on EOS. (Read some NWN coverage here)

Read the rest of the list is here or after the break:

Cajsa's Second Life Flickr Choices: Beautifully Framed Photos by Boots

Cajsa Lilliehook covers the best in virtual world screenshot art and digital painting

Boots ™ posted this marvelous “Be the Lighthouse” is a great example of clever framing, using the life preserver as a “viewing window” to see the lighthouse. Ships and lighthouses go together like bacon and eggs. I love that she found a new way to see the lighthouse. This is such a great picture. 

For more of Boots’ lovely pics, click here:

Top Four Posts Including "Gatekeeping" in SL Shopping Events & Philip Rosedale on the AI-Driven "Ultraviolet Catastrophe" Coming for the Internet

• SL Brand Spotlight: Readers Recommend These Newer/Smaller Stores!
• Quality Control vs. Feudalism: Two Views on Second Life Shopping Event "Gatekeeping"
• Philip Rosedale Believes AI Will Soon Ruin the Internet As We Know It. So I Asked Him if He's Worried AI Will Also Ruin Virtual Worlds.
• Should Linden Lab Add Revenue Sharing Tools for SL Merchants & Their Subcontractors?

SL Brand Spotlight: Readers Recommend These Newer/Smaller Stores!

Here's three new-ish/small-ish Second Life brands to check out over the long weekend, recommended by readers:

Sanny advises checking out **..NL..**, "a shop that sells useful tools for Second Life. My recommendation is the *..NL..* Pos Adjuster HUD. It allows you to adjust the position of your avatar when taking group photos. What's more, it's a bargain at L$60."

I'm also intrigued by this intriguing avatar enhancement by **..NL..** : Cold Breath! Not sure how it works (the listing doesn't have any info) but then again, it's free.

Two more new and/or small brands to check out:

 

Cajsa's Choices: Dramatically Pensive Avatar Dudes, Beautifully Photographed by "Pxtrx"

Cajsa Lilliehook covers the best in virtual world screenshot art and digital painting

P x t r x describes himself as a simple lover of photography and editing, but there’s nothing simple about his skills in bringing avatars to life. I love how natural this is, with the three sources of light illuminating him and it looks just right. 

For more of Pxtrx’s pics, click here: