Second Life - Just another Sims© Game?

To our most concerned SL'ers and Lindens,

I've been around secondlife for months now, reading the blogs, doing some in-world work on a few accounts, and watching the economy flurish. Untill recently when I had to leave for a few personal reasons. Now returning to second life about 2-3 months later, I notice that the population has declined in online users, that the economy has droped, and now there is alot less of everything on the adult grid, because thats where anyone 18 or over would actually stay right? Anyhow, seeing as I use to frequent clubs and casino's around SL, I've noticed a few things. For one, The big blog post that said "Anti-Gambling Policy Update: FAQ" Which I viewed and read fully, and also another post "Keeping Second Life Safe, Together" Which I had to search for to fully understand where all the clubs went.

It seems that Second Life is no longer a place where a person can "Be anyone, Do anything, or experience total freedom" as shown by the "Prepare Yourself" Vidoe found in the media section. The Adult Grid is no longer the Adult grid, which it seems should now merely be tossed to teens. Sensorship is a strong economic wall, which limits the "Be anyone, do anything" and freedom factor. Not only that, but even without gambling, shuts the community limits to a miniscule porportion of what it was before I left. Casino's in First Life provide jobs, and income for many people, as well as the loss of alot of money to those who cannot control themselve's but thats why it is deemed as "Gambling" Now isn't it?

From the eye's of the soon to be Ex-Second Lifer It seems with other than just a few customization/creation options, Secondlife has become nothing more than another "The Sims" Game. And I'm sure that if its really looked at that closely, there may be a lawsuit in there for one of the two companies.

Please tell me that someone else see's this downward slope as much as I do,

Sincerly, With best regards,
~Sorin Kawashima

Can I have your stuff?

Nope. We see LL protecting the grid and future of SL with the banning of a practice illegal in the country/state in which they are based. More to the point, LL has done this becuase of the law enactment on Banks and CC companies with rreguards to online gambling. ei, those institutions would block payments to LL if such activities continued.

As for the decline in population...ummm...what? o.0

There was a influx and then settling from ad campains fro SL, but pretty much holding stead at 40k online at peak times. Compared to the 3-4k of two years ago, I see that as a HUGE increase.

~Jessy

With all investments, I like to see how things go for a little while before tossing them to the sharks. Otherwise, No.

LMFAO!!!!

just cuz Chris asked first doesn't mean you can't actually give it to me!

My view doesn't go back two years ago, as I was origonally around late last year. Yes, I can see the point with CC companies, not so much banks, as money is money. Gambling age does very depending on the Casino as well withen states if that is what you ment. Then again the adult grid is for "Adults" isn't it?

so, whens the garage sale?

Second Life isn't The Sims, Second Life is Ping Pals.

Back when I started in Nov 2006, I remember talking to the lady that owns Vixen's. She'd been around a lot longer than me and she was mentioning that she was shocked at logins being around 14,000, which was a lot for her. Meant nothing to me, although it seemed high, as I'd seen logins around 9000. Now they constantly hover around 30,000-40,000, which is still nearly 3 times (14x3=42) what I saw in November. I honestly can't say that the economy is "failing..."

No, because I'm not related to uppity poultry with delusions of meteorological doomsday prophesies.

SL is an RPG.... somewhat simlike. the land we buy on is called Sims. why is that?

*moves*

Lol, I had to look that one up. Does seem like so though.

you will all be GOMed. Oh take that back, first you must be successful at something THEN they will GOM you. =c)

The laws of gambling from state to state is only a small part of the issue. I think left with that, LL ~may~ have left wagering in place. It WAS a big money maker for them as well.

However, the CC Cos., PayPal, and yes, even the Banks with Debit Cards would withold payment to an online gambling institution. Since blockage of such would basically bankrupt LL overnight, I feel they had a very good reason for the current ban and continued "policing". I would in fact point out that anyone that continues to run such activities is only putting LL, SL and our continued fun of this virtual platform at risk.

"Adult" has nothing at all to do with the wagering ban.

And yes, the growth of SL has exploded in the last two years, and even before my time. When I joined in Oct of '05, the total population was a bit over 300k (for reference). Those longer lived Residents from back in '03 can tell you of times when SL wasn only 50 or so sims.

The historic trend is huge leaps forward and then slight backslides as that influx stabilizes. At 40k online at peak, I don't see the dropping of 5k a big issue (at the hieght of the influx online numbers were @45k, which is where I get that 5k loss).

As always, only the future will tell, but I do not see a reason to panic.

~Jessy

P.S. It is also summer time and some people do go out in RL instead of logging in here too ^.~

That made no sense whatever. Perhaps an happy turkey who thinks the sky is falling? No, but I do think that it hurts the jobs part of the economy as it seems that people asked if there were to be "Reimbursement" For the casino owners and such.

Banks are perfectly entitled to decide who they are willing to do business with and in what areas they are willing to risk their money. The decision of the major credit card companies to refuse their services to merchants involved with online gambling has nothing to do with any moral stance against and everything to do with how much fraud and financial loss they would otherwise incur. Money IS money and banks hate to lose it.

Failing no, Pitfall perhaps?

Hmm. For what I read in your post, one must 1) Gamble, and 2) Frequent clubs, in order to "be an adult"? Well, no. I regard both as vices (I'm not being religious..). I never did either one in RL and I'm not planning to engage in either one in SL, so no big loss from my point of view. Clubs have not been banned, but those who own them, have realized that they are a pipe dream if you want to go for profit.
There are thousands of other ways to have fun in SL. Go out more and EXPLORE what's there.

Eh? 0.o

That read more like a question to me than feedback *shrugs* I read it as more of someone asking for experianced outlook. Works here too though lol

~Jessy

Merely refuring adult to the age restriction on gambling within the states. Yes every game "Explodes" when it comes out for a first couple of years, but still a backslide is a backslide, just as the great depression was for the U.S. It was a downward slope, and we did come back up, but look how much time that took?

True, but then again, when people put money into a bank or financial institution to hold it, it is an investment in their part, so when they take it out to play a game, the bank isn't truely losing "thier" money, but more like investors money. Thats more of consumer choice to use the bank as a way to pay for "online" activities.

The Gambling and Clubs were also more refered as first life "adult" things. Not as a specific "only what makes it" adult. Clubs more retain to the Sensorship of the game as viewed as "Offensive" Material.

Perhaps you should make a guide for the thousands of otherways to have fun, and maybe one for making profit too?

You have all been eaten by a grue.