With more the 1 million citizens it is interesing to me that when 13,000 of them are online at the same time the system lag is irritating. 9,000 or so seems about the comfortable capactiy of SL in actuality. So what happens if 100,000 log on at the same time? Total paralysis?
Likewise, my experience is that when there are 30+ people in the same general area, like a dance, paralysis ensues.
What this suggests to me is that the SL hardware is too little to handle its actual membership base. To be so bogged down with 1% of its population on line concerns me. Now the nice thing about a virtual universe is that it never need run out of land to buy, but if it is running too little hardware the play experience will deteriorate.
So, even as the prices on islands are being raised, I think it is time for some minimal price to be charged to everyone. And if yo do the math you discover that by paying the $72 for an annual membership and thus getting 400$L a week for pocket money you just about break even. But take $72 a player and pump it into hardware and you might achieve a system that does not lag when 1% show up.
Michael Norse