Hi All!
Here is the full text of Robin's email that went out last night to all our current beta members, in case you didn't receive the mailing:
On Wednesday morning (tommorow), May 14, we'll be sending out a press release
announcing the June launch of version 1.0 of Second Life. At launch we will
begin charging a $14.95 monthly fee for the Second Life service, with several
discounted longer term options and a limited number of lifetime memberships
available as alternatives. As a thank-you for being a beta user and for
helping to grow the world, you will be offered a substantial discount rate on
the annual and lifetime memberships.
We hope you'll all plan to stay with Second Life. Your creativity and
imagination have taken the world to a level we had only hoped for. I'm sure
you'll have lots of questions. I've tried to anticipate as many of them as
possible in the FAQ that follows. We'll announce a town meeting shortly where
we'll answer any others you have.
Thanks again for all your help, thoughtful input, wonderful creations, and for
becoming the first citizens of a new world.
Robin
FAQ
Will there be any special offers for beta testers?
Yes! We deeply appreciate all the time and effort you've put into making
Second Life the fascinating experience it has become. As one way of expressing
that appreciation, we will be offering beta testers large discounts on annual
and lifetime memberships. We are still working out the exact pricing for those
and various other packages within Second Life, but will have them out to you
within a couple weeks. We will also be recognizing our beta residents and
early creators in other special ways, so stay tuned!
Will there any upfront charges besides the subscription price for Second Life?
No. Second Life will continue to be freely downloadable.
Will I have to set up a new account?
No. You will be able to keep your Second Life name and account. You will need
to choose a new password, choose a plan option and provide a valid credit card
number.
Will there continue to be frequent releases for bug fixes and upgrades?
Yes! We will continue to incrementally update and release Second Life in the
same manner that we have during beta. Expect to see lots of exciting changes.
Having a small download means we will be able to frequently update the system,
and we intend to keep doing that.
Will Second Life or my account be 'wiped' at launch so I have to start over?
No. If you choose to stay with Second Life, your avatar, inventory, land,
objects, and cash balances will all remain at their current levels.
Will the service hours of Second Life expand at launch?
Yes. We are targeting 22/7 availability of Second Life by the launch date.
Will there be too much 'lag' as a result of launch / lots of new users?
Hopefully not. We've been substantially reducing lag and increasing simulator
performance with incremental releases, and have many more improvements in the
works. Additionally, we will be adding simulators so that the number of
members/simulator remains roughly constant.
Will the world size be expanding at launch?
Yes. We will begin expanding Second Life at a rate proportional to the rate of
new users, to keep things from becoming crowded. So expect to see lots of new
land to explore - Second Life will now become physically much larger and more
interesting.
Will there be more liaisons/Lindens as new members join Second Life?
Yes. There will be more liaisons added as new members join.
Will Second Life be overwhelmed/flooded with 'Newbies'?
No. We will admit new users at a controlled rate based on the observed number
of 'veteran' users online, so that new users will be able to find mentors and
other experienced members, and existing residents aren't overloaded. If demand
is larger than we can manage, we will create a queue and put new folks into it.
How long will I have to decide if I want to purchase a membership in the Second
Life service?
Within a few weeks you will receive a complete listing of the plan options and
pricing for beta members, and given the opportunity to convert your beta
account to the plan of your choice. You'll have two weeks to decide what you'd
like to do before we open Second Life officially. At the end of the two weeks
the special beta tester offers will end.
What if I don't want to continue using Second Life?
Those who choose not to stay will have 30 days to reconsider, at which point
their accounts will be closed and purged from the system. Content in-world
will decay and be released to public status.