New World Notes

Virtual World Using Bitcoin Beset by Virtual Currency's Wild Fluctuations

Hey remember when someone idiotically suggested that Bitcoin might be a great virtual currency for indie virtual worlds like those based on OpenSim, the open source spinoff of Second Life? (In my defense, that was back in 2011.) But yeah, no:

 YrGrid denies allegations that it is refusing redemptions in order to profit from the recent spike in Bitcoin prices. Instead, the problem is caused by their Bitcoin wallet service provider, said the grid, which is a Hong Kong-based commercial gambling-oriented grid with a Bitcoin-based virtual currency... YRGrid, known as a Bitcoin-based gambling grid, brands itself as a Bitcoin economy in OpenSim and uses Bitcoin as their in-world currency meaning users and residents can spend and buy land or services with Bitcoin in the virtual world without having to exchange to Gloebits or Podex or other in-world currencies... In a Twitter response on December 14, YrGrid said, “bitcoins isn’t money you lost nothing.”

More good reporting from David Kariuki of HyperGrid Business. While much of the controversy stems from how the virtual world owners are responding to community complaints, even the best run MMO that tried to operate with Bitcoin would take on a whole host of heartaches -- especially now, as Bitcoin value wildly fluctuates.

OpenSim Grids Beset by World-Spanning Content Infringement, HGB Reports

In-depth report by Hybergrid Business' David Kariuki strongly suggests that content infringement is such a rampant problem in worlds based on OpenSim, the open source version of Second Life, that it's demoralized and drained the creator community uploading their own content there:

In most cases, creators do not like to engage in this time consuming and cost prohibitive activity of chasing grids. Some do not feel that it is necessary to pursue cases on the matter at all.

“I have been creating since 2005 in Second Life and since 2007 in OpenSim,” said Kelly. “I just don’t believe in lawsuits for trivial things and I would never go to the trouble to file one for my own intellectual property.”

Many OpenSim users have individually also been vocal on social media and here about illegal redistribution of creators’ content, from Moonrise Azalee to Zangrid’s Suzan Mönnink to VirTec’s Virtouse Lilienthal to Candi Collins of Genesis Metaverse to creators such as Noxluna Nightfire. The list is endless at OpenSim Virtual, OpenSim Everything and other OpenSim forums.

The post's long and passionate reader comment thread (99 comments at this writing!) affirms what a pervasive problem it is. Some suggest having a grid-spanning "neighborhood watch", which also raises the specter of vigilantism. Frankly the underlying problem seems to be deeper:

OpenSim Community Contemplates Future Competing With Upgraded, Cheaper Second Life

Interesting article and reader comment thread in HyperBusiness where users of OpenSim, the open source spinoff of Second Life, contemplate the future of their virtual world activity in the wake of news that Linden Lab is massively upgrading SL and will probably discount land prices. For instance:

“For me, the main reason to leave Second Life, and I believe for many others, was the relation of land size verses land fees and OpenSim has a huge strong selling point — ten times more land with ten times less fees,” he said. “No matter which other aspects you bring to the equation, this is the determinant factor at the end of the day.”

Loff himself has three large projects currently underway in OpenSim.

“All this said, and with no offense to many wonderful OpenSim efforts, we must keep recognizing that OpenSim still has a bit of an refugee camp feeling,” he said.

This from Carlos Loff, owner of the OpenSim-based Virtual Lisbon project (pictured above). In comments, however, Han Held has another opinion:

Monday Open Forum: What Should New World Notes Cover This Week?

Tell us what deserves coverage in NWN over the next few days and why, including links to pics and video where possible. And yes, self-promotion is permitted, as long as it's awesome.

SPACE LIFE: Indie MMO Project Created in OpenSim Inspired by No Man's Sky & Other Open Universe Games

SPACE LIFE is a mini-MMO that's also a mini-universe, currently being created on a grid of servers using OpenSim, the open source spinoff of Second Life, and as you might have guessed, it's pretty damn ambitious:

"Inspired in Star Citizen, No Man Sky and Dual Universe, I'm building a huge Space Sim on the OpenSim grid - Digiworldz," lead developer Carlos "Loff Auer" Loff announced in NWN's open forum last week. Loff's been creating in Second Life and other worlds for a decade. "It's a 36 sims-wide megaregion where you can free flight between Planets, Moons, Suns, Comets, Asteroid Fields and Space Stations, and on each one you can land, explore and in some even colonize. There will be kind and rough places, dead and live ones, harsh and gentle, also possible to complete missions and get rewards and later on even have your own sim alien planet connected to my space wormholes system." Follow the Google+ community for more updates and info.

Comment of the Week: Grandmother of Six Contrasts & Compares Second Life and OpenSim

Last week a post on Second Life subscriptions re-ignited a regularly occurring reader argument on the merits of SL versus OpenSimulator, its cheaper, open source spinoff. (Which for my money, seems a bit like still arguing whether Orkut is better than MySpace in 2016, but OK.) Into the breach rides Ms. Dykoda Desmoulins (pictured), who speaks from experience:

I am not going to get into an 'Opensim vs. SL' debate, but there are a few things I would like to address.

I have been in Second Life since October 2005. I've watched it grow from a primitive virtual world into what it is today. I am a fashionista to an extent. I spend a LOT of time shopping. I find a lot of enjoyment, and spend a lot of time decorating my house, however, I tend to shop at various well-known stores, rather than Gachas (though I've been known to do the latter occasionally). I absolutely LOVE Second Life because I can satisfy my desire for all of those things, and much more. SL offers me things that I simply can't get in OpenSim.

I am a RL grandmother (of 6, actually). I love spending time in a sandbox building. I rent regions on several OpenSim grids. I love to travel the Hypergrid, exploring what others create, what others have built. I love the fact that I'm not limited by various things in OpenSim such as the linkset limits, etc.

More from this metaverse exploring grandma:

Manager of US Army's OpenSimulator Project Proposes Oversight Be Transitioned to Civilian-Run Foundation

Interesting proposal from Douglas Maxwell, manager of the U.S. Army’s MOSES OpenSimulator project, which recently got an open source, web-based viewer, for an independent, civilian-run foundation to manage development and evolution of the codebase:

This organization would not be controlled by MOSES in any way, but a parallel civilian entity that shares our work ethic and philosophy for the application of virtual world technology to civilian educational and training uses. Ideally, this foundation would be supported through membership fees, research grants, and service contracts. The foundation should support a staff of code and content maintainers. This foundation would be responsible for the maintenance of a source code repository that would serve as an official residence for a safe and secure open source simulator.

On the surface this looks like a great idea and boon to the future of open source-based virtual worlds:  

Open Source Web-Based Browser for OpenSim Coming Soon

Really interesting post on HyperGrid Business about an HTML5 viewer for the MOSES project, the US Army's OpenSim grid. Set for release this fall, it's developed to be usable on any device supporting HTML5 and WebGL, and even more crucial, will be released as open source. Another intriguing hook is that they're aiming to greatly improve the graphics with some new back-end:

One-Click Viewer for OpenSim Goes Open Source

OpenSim is an appealing open source virtual world platform for hardcore coders and such, but user friendly it is not. Veteran SL/OpenSim developer Fred Beckhusen has a solution for that, and he just made it open source: "It copies the necessary files to disk, sets up Firestorm all ready to log in, and has pre-configured avatars that can log in to a Western town all ready to explore on a horse." Get it here on Github.

Lumiya SL Viewer for Android Gets Major UI Update

Lumiya, the SL viewer for Android devices, recently got a whole host of updates that longtime SL artist Douglas Story just e-mailed me excitedly about. (Disclosure: Lumiya and its talented creator, Alina Lyvette, were NWN media partners a few years ago, but I sadly haven't heard from her in awhile.) I don't regularly use an Android device or currently have one on-hand, so let Mr. Story tell you what's in store: