Sim Deathwatch: Firefly Roleplay Site Washtown to Close

Take a good look at Washtown in Burnet, the oldest sim in Second Life for Firefly-themed roleplay and the last one on the SL mainland, because after being around for over 5 years, it's reportedly going away after this Sunday, March 25. "Owners Anastascia Christiansen and Jadi Goodliffe had made the decision earlier in the evening," the Verse Voice wrote yesterday. "Economic issues have made the town too expensive to maintain as a fuctioning site." Joss Whedon's space Western has a passionate community of SL fans who not only roleplay Firefly in-world, but also have their own blogosphere, and that will continue after Washtown is gone: "The roleplay will wrap up any local storylines before the story moves on to other Firefly sims," notes the Verse.

Click this SLurl to see Burnet on the SL map and teleport in-world if you choose. Though after the 25th, the land will be bereft of Washtown.

Hat tip: Tillery Woodhen, who's had a place there for years.

Comments

[Ezra]

Who cares about beloved sims dying due to too expensive land costs when there's Premium and Wilderness?

[Iggy]

It's one sim. But that is how it starts. If LL loses its RPers, its over. They've already lost the business world. The educators and nonprofits are seeping away.

For all the fashionista angst over mesh doo-dads and the right eyeshadow, I'd wager that there's not enough XXX and play-Barbie customer base out there to keep the Lab open.

What did you say, Hamlet, the other day? "The sound of a dream slowly dying?"

[rikomatic]

Aww man, loved that sim.

"Take me out to the black, tell them I ain't comin back..."

[foneco zuzu]

Dune World is alive, Gor as well and so many others.
Just not on Second Life anymore!
Sure you already got it, it's called Open Sims!

[Pathfinder]

@foneco, a few months ago Lani Global gave me a I a great tour of her wonderful Dune RPG area on Opensim. Really great work! http://becunningandfulloftricks.com/2012/01/11/hypergrid-adventurers-club-visits-dune-inspired-science-fiction-world-january-10-2012/

[Ann Otoole InSL]

@pathfinder now that you revealed that info I predict that open sim venue to be sued into oblivion real soon now. duh.

As for the rest? Yes mesh is killing SL. All the ripped off models pouring in are killing the hobbyists who carried LL for years. Over it. The end of LL will herald the open sim boom time.

[Tillery Woodhen]

There were a few tears when we heard about it. No one is happy but we completely understand the need. It's not the first FF sim to close, but since this is the original sim, it's hit us hard.

[Deep Semaphore]

I hope Humble reads your blog. I have absolutely no doubt that Linden Lab's Second Life will not survive if they do not revise their pricing. In fact, right now, I develop SL and opensim worlds in parallel because am 99% sure, my clients will drop the SL version at the drop of a hat. The only attraction for SL personally is the physics engine ...pretty crap but better than opensim's. And for demos, if clients can afford it, I go for SL. But deployment on a large scale happens in OpenSim.

[Breen Whitman]

If this is another attempt to crowd fund another sim rescue I will be get very angry.

[shockwave yareach]

Another sim going away because... why was that? Too expensive?

LL, are you paying ANY attention YET? The tier is putting your customers out of business and YOU out of business with them! Cut the tier by 1/3 and initiate the "Welcome Home" program where people who lost sims can have them back at the new tier with no purchase price - just start paying tier again. You'd have the sim numbers and people numbers jump back up in under a week!