New World Notes

Second Life Economy Report Now Free to All Patreon Members

My Summer 2024 report on the Second Life economy is now free to all my Patreon members here.

Bringing together responses from one hundred and eleven SL merchants, this overview of the Second Life economy goes in-depth on current/future trends and summarizes their sales results on topics like the best price to sell an SL item (see above).

Other topics include:

• How much realm money SL merchants are earning
• Where most of their sales originate (Marketplace, mainstore, etc)
• Their overall outlook on the current state of the SL economy

Join my Patreon and read it all for free here!

New On My Patreon: Why Gizem Went Beyond Berry & Second Life (But Came Back Again)

New on my Patreon: Excited to finally run my in-depth interview with Gizem Mishi Akin after months of mystery about her departure from her famed virtual world fashion brand, Blueberry. We talk about that and many things -- including of course her new SL brand/mainstore The Kiwi Co. Sample:

[Her] trajectory has been something to behold: First stumbling upon Second Life as a college kid in her home country of Turkey, she came to America, and quickly created a behemoth brand of virtual world fashion. And as hype over the Metaverse hit in recent years, expanded her SL-based brand, Blueberry, into Roblox, ZEPETO, and other massive platforms.

She was on her way, in short, to metaverse royalty across many platforms.

And then, suddenly, Gizem announced she and Blueberry were leaving Second Life...

Join my Patreon to read for free.

Coming Soon to My Patreon: The Mystery of Gizem Mishi, from Blueberry & Beyond

Join my Patreon for free to read a story I'm excited to tell (very soon):

What's been happening with Gizem Mishi since launching a successful cross-platform metaverse company which she grew from Blueberry, her beloved Second Life brand? Readers have been wondering about her mysterious absence from SL in recent months, what will become with Blueberry in SL, and how that relates to her new plans in SL. 

After a long and heartfelt chat with Gizem recently, I'm happy to tell all that and more, expanding on a story I first told in Making a Metaverse That Matters, beginning with her time as a teenager in Turkey, who first happened upon the virtual world to attend a Skye Galaxy concert, but wound up changing her entire life's direction.

Sign up to my Patreon for free to be first to read about Gizem's new chapter. 

Become a "Creator" Level Supporter on My Patreon, Get an Ad on New World Notes + Other Benefits

The Creator supporter level for my Patreon ($50/month) is designed for virtual world creators who want to promote their brand to New World Notes readers. Benefits include:

• A permanent 300 x 300 ad on New World Notes with 100K+/monthly visits.
• A special sponsor shout-out post on NWN highlighting your brand and offerings.
• A monthly social media shout-out to my 20,000+ followers tagging your brand/social account and plug for your project/offering.

All that plus a free signed hardcopy of Making a Metaverse That Matters! Check it out here.

Here's a List of 30+ Live Virtual Worlds We're Tracking. What Others Should We Add to the Virtual Worlds Museum?

I'm helping advise the Virtual Worlds Museum update this list of live virtual worlds to include in its programs, track in its database, and add to a timeline of virtual world history featuring nearly 100 virtual worlds over the decades.

We're tracking well over 30 live virtual worlds now, all of which fit these three basic criterion:

• Immersive virtual worlds with avatars that are not primarily games/MMOs.
• Enables users to build their own world/space and invite friends into it.
• Currently online, out of closed beta, with over 100 active users.

Here's what we're tracking now, with links to smaller/newer/lesser known platforms, arranged in alphabetical order:

Watch Us Live Build in Equimake, The Platform For Real-Time, Multi-User World Creation On The Web

Here's a new demo video of Equimake, the new indie platform which enables live, multi-user collaborative 3D building on the web (and a proud sponsoring NWN partner). Lead developer Alex and I do some real-time building and editing together while going over the platform's features. Like I say in the video, it kinda evokes the fun, classic sandbox experience of live building with other people, riffing off each other's work.  

Since launching about 60 days ago, the platform already has 800 users who've created over 200 worlds. Alex tells me he's adding a Javascript scripting system to Equimake as early as next month to enable building games and other interactive coolness.

Another feature worth noting: There's now a GLTF export feature enabling you to export your Equimake world to Blender and other platforms -- even into Second Life (though that may require some additional file conversion).

Please Subscribe to My Patreon -- Top Tiers Get Prominent Ads on New World Notes!

Please follow my Patreon for free! And if you find New World Notes valuable, please consider subscribing! Members at the Supporter level ($5/month) get early/exclusive access to premium articles and a free Kindle copy of Making of Second Life, while subscribers at the Creator and Metaverse level ($50 or $100 month) get many additional benefits -- including a prominent ad for your virtual world/metaverse brand on New World Notes, with 100,000/month visits and an audience highly interested in virtual world/metaverse content, especially Second Life! 

More details here.

Please Join My Patreon for Exclusive Articles & Special Benefits, Including Ads & Sponsored Posts on New World Notes!

I just launched a Patreon with excitement and trepidation! If you’ve found my blog and books valuable over the years, I hope you consider subscribing, or at least joining Patreon to follow my updates for free.

Starting in the next week or two, subscribers will get exclusive early access to feature articles, available for the first time only here on Patreon. These will be in-depth, deeply reported stories about virtual world culture across Second Life and the broader Metaverse -- from business to art, to amazing new projects and established personalities.

In return, paying subscribers will also get a number of benefits, including copies of one of my books, and several ways of promoting your own virtual world/metaverse-related business or project -- both here on New World Notes (which will continue as usual!), and to my 20,000 followers across social media.

Is there a market for premium news and cultural stories about virtual worlds, and the communities which make them real? Let’s find out together! 

New World Notes Columnist Cajsa Officially Featured in the SL Spotlight!

In case you missed it, longtime New World Notes columnist Cajsa Lilliehook is now being wonderfully featured in Linden Lab's Second Life Spotlight here:

Cajsa's dedication to uplifting artists through her discerning "Cajsa's Choices" and her unwavering commitment to social activism stand as a testament to her influential presence in the virtual world and beyond.

Yes. Stunningly, Cajsa has been writing the Cajsa's Choices column for over 8 (!) years, a testament not just to her dedication, but to the incredible breadth of talent of SL creators on Flickr. Movingly, Cajsa is often messaged by creators grateful for their work being appreciated in her posts. Take this Flickr post by Sydd Sinister, profiled on New World Notes here, posted during the worst of the pandemic:

Try the Seraphim HUD (in Beta) for SL Shopping & Events, Get a Free Gift from Bad Unicorn!

New World Notes' media partner Bad Unicorn is helping develop the Seraphim HUD, designed to make in-world shopping and events in Second Life easier and more accessible. Currently in Beta, consider trying it out, sharing feedback with the team -- and get a free gift from Bad Unicorn in the process.

Here's how:

• Click to teleport to Bad Unicorn's in-world store.
• You'll see the "Get the HUD" panel right at the landing point.
• Install the HUD like any other HUD.
• In the HUD, click Brands to Bad Unicorn, and the free gift offer should pop up!

Again, the Seraphim HUD is still in Beta, so please share feedback (good and not-so-good) in Comments below.