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Wednesday, March 03, 2010

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Eddi Haskell

There was simply boring. Let's face it. Without sex, high end content creation, or some other activity to do, virtual reality in its current manifestations is not going to hold on to large audiences for an extended period. I am actually beginning to think that Blue Mars might not make it now because of the lack of usage- no one seems to be there except bots. I put on money on Second Life for making it long term.

CyFishy Traveler

I never made it to There because last I checked they didn't have a Mac option. But judging by the CNET analysis, I don't think I'd ascribe SL's survival to the naughty bits that There didn't have, but the fact that their business model led to steady profitability instead of the usual Burn Through Venture Capital While We Wait For Something Amazing To Happen that seems to be distressingly common in the Internet world. (You'd think we'd have learned something from the dot-com collapse. Apparently not.)

Ann Otoole

I don't think a really strong parallel can be drawn between SL and There. There had noobish avatars. But then I can't see the pull of IMVU either so what do I know?

Personally I don't think just trying to have a foothold in Facebook is going to make any difference at all in the quest to bring the reality factor to SL. It will take something a lot more eye opening.

As for adult content in SL? I don't think that policy is all that rigidly enforced. I'd be careful about assuring people the segmentation is complete.

One thing is certain. The recession is not getting better and eventually people will have to make hard choices. When they do LL might suffer the same fate as There. Not much anyone can do about it really.

LittleLostLinden


Do we have any more info on this story?

Is it still possible to create a There account just to check it out before it goes away?

Also, do we know when the closing date is?

Ignatius Onomatopoeia

I keep wondering if the "casual" virtual worlds can add enough immersive new features to grow from "the bottom up" into something interesting.

That will be worth watching, because I agree with "Eddi" (Mrs. Cleaver! Eddi's here again!). Without something to do for those who don't build or roleplay,and without at least a whiff of naughtiness, my guess is that 3D VWs won't catch on with a mass audience. I'd just add "and without an intuitive UI and helpful/fun first hour" to Mr. Haskell's list. That does not mean LL won't make money off us.

At the Herald we often joke about an apocalyptic "blingtard exodus" from SL, triggered by some LL change in the client. I've seen instead a slow attrition; I've known many purely social users who have quit, bored by the latest dance-party or shopping excursion.

LittleLostLinden


Just found out. It appears March 9th is the closing date.

http://www.prod.there.com/info/announcement

I tried to create an account today but couldn't. Anyone else able to create an account today? I really want to check it out before it leaves.

LittleLostLinden


I'm not one to triple post often, should have read the whole thing:

"We're very sorry to announce that There.com will be closing to the public at 11:59 PM on March 9th, 2010.

We'll be closing registration, billing, and member program upgrades immediately.

Developer submissions are closed effectively immediately.

Rental processing will be stopped, so no more rent will be collected for neighborhoods, lots, or There homes.

Paintgun refills will be free."

Two Worlds

>>I think it's fair to say the last remark is a veiled slam at Second Life...

http://www-uxsup.csx.cam.ac.uk/~fanf2/hermes/doc/talks/2004-02-ukuug/crybaby.png

>>but perhaps some bitterness isn't surprising at this point. Second Life still has a considerable amount of adult content (albeit cordoned off), has little if any corporate advertising sites, yet still remains extremely profitable for its holding company, Linden Lab.

http://leeyuhjin.files.wordpress.com/2009/01/smug2.jpg

Arcadia Codesmith

Any virtual world dependant on corporate patronage/sponsorship will suffer when the markets head south.

Any virtual world dependant on government/academic patronage will suffer when the Neo-Anarchist party is ascendant and enacting its usual schemes to cripple the public sector.

A virtual world that places intense focus on community building and creating a sense of investment on the part of its residents will weather adversity that crushes other worlds.

I'm sorry to see any VW fold at this point... if for no better reason than the Lab needs competition to keep them from getting stagnant and complacent. I wish the There team the very best in their future endeavors.

Doreen Garrigus

I'm sorry about There, too. It seemed like a great place for kids to chat and hang out---the pre-teen-grid but too big for Club Penguin set doesn't have very many opportunities.

Hitomi Tiponi

I feel so sorry for all the members of There. It must be heart-breaking for them to lose the place they love. Let's hope we can welcome some of them to join us in Secondlife.

Fogwoman Gray

My condolences to the fans of There.com on the loss of their community.
And where are there bots in Blue Mars? I have never seen one. And what sort of bots are they? Like NPCs? Or do you mean the boids? Like the birds and turtles?

Two Worlds

If it was truly Mars in Blue Mars then they would be sexbots. With three boobs.

Sasha

Such a shame. I wasn't a member of there, but as a member of many sites, I have a lot of sympathy towards those members.

I found an article about There alternatives. I don't know how useful it will be to those users.

http://www.theredotcom.com/

I agree with what Arcadia said a few posts before me. Really a shame to see another VR disappear with the recession. Good wishes to all the There members and team.

Nalates Urriah

A significant number of Myst-Uru fans participated in THERE. Some of the areas they built won awards. Many feel they had a positive effect on THERE.

Those builds will cleaned up and referenced for a Sunday 'Good-bye' party. For details see: http://mystonline.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=326977#326977

SL residents can contact members of the D'ni Refugees group for more information.

Tsu from AW

All this talk about There and SL, and everybody forgets about the oldest one of all, ActiveWorlds... Yes, it's still around, and they've even stepped up to offer a 6 month free account for displaced There users.

We've been around since '95, and aren't going anywhere anytime soon. Best of all, once you're logged on al the objects and land to build are completely free for anyone, and anything you build remains as long as the servers.

With a free 6 month account there's no reason to not come over and check us out, so c'mon down!

www.activeworlds.com

William Brown

I found this post very interesting, thanks for sharing it.

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