On Monday, October 27, 2008, Linden Lab rocked Second Life with an announcement regarding Open Space regions, namely raising their pricing to a buy in of USD $375 and monthly tier fee of USD $125 effective Jan 1, 2009. I'm not going to speak much about the overall rather extensive uproar this caused across the grid. You can find that easily enough on the SL blog, the SL forums and independent blogs and forums all over the internet. I would like to take time about what I thought, the actions I took, the follow up posting by Linden Lab and how it changes nothing I planned in response to the initial posting.
When I first heard the news, I was stunned. Then I did the math. 66% increase. I could keep tier under 10k a week for the whole region only by chopping nearly 22% of an already slim profit margin. That wasn't going to fly for very many people, though I could live with the slimmer margins to keep anyone who wanted to stay in.
I acted immediately to notify all Open Space region residents in the estate what the new terms were, what the new rates would be, pushed hard for a decision by making Dec 1, 2008 my new tier effective date, and started plotting to convert 4 region sets of OS to a full prim region. I had the first conversion ticket in by 9pm the day they released the news.
Since then, I have put in conversion tickets for eight more regions to be converted to full prim regions.
The disruption and change to the estate is enormous.
Phoenix Nest = Gone
SkyBeam Harbour Cove = Gone (being replaced by SkyBeam Phoenix)
SkyBeam University = Gone (being replaced by SkyBeam Vistare Manana)
SkyBeam Deep Brine = Gone
The Back 40 & Back 40 Too = Gone
Tuscan Sun = Gone
SkyBeam Silver Sea = Moved to where SkyBeam First Cove (will be renamed)
SkyBeam First Cove = Gone
Scepterd Star, Glen & Forest = Staying.... maybe
Fox = Staying (may be moved if the scepterd regions go)
Instituto Espanol = Staying
Dark Passions = Staying
SkyBeam Trailridge = staying
3 remote regions: 2 converting, one being sold to another region owner adjoining.
Its a huge transition and its been very painful, not so much to my pocket book, but I was heartsick having to tell people their dream visions were coming to an end, having to watch them tear their world apart, and face moving into something smaller, different.
The follow up posting announced today, gives us back some means to replace our open waters, but little chance of restoring the bulk of what we lost. It spreads out the price increase over more time, but the end result is still 125/mth beginning July 2009.
As a quick recap, we will now have three levels of product:
Private Estate region:
$1000 purchase
$295/mth tier
15,000 prims
100 avatar limit
full scripting resources
Allowed renters, classified ads, event listings
Homestead Region: (effective Jan 1, 2009)
$375 purchase price
$ 95 per month tier through June, 2009, then $125/mth
3750 prims
20 avatar limit
To Be Determined scripting limits & CPU ratio
Allowed renters, classified ads, event listings
Open Space Region: (effective Jan 1, 2009)
$250 purchase price
$ 75 per month tier
750 prims
10 avatar limit
To Be Determined: scripting limits and CPU ratio
NOT Allowed: renters, classified ads, event listings
Current open spaces will automatically be assigned Homestead status unless they are stripped to 750 prims or less, tenants removed, and a ticket generated to LL notifying them that we opt out of homestead status and want to be kept as Open Space regions. Finally a smart move on their part as I presume those being kept will be predominantly Homesteads with the minority converted to the lower prim and avatar ratios and falling completely in the estate owner's 'expense' column.
In short, it extended the time before the full pricing change comes into effect, but really doesn't change the overall gameplan I've enacted. Had all my Open Spaces been predicated on parcel level sales, had I converted full regions, as so many estate owners did, to Open Spaces to fill demand, were the majority of my income based on Open Spaces, it might have been a different story. Despite the integral beauty the various regions added to our estate, the solid financial base is, and obviously will continue to be, the full prim regions.
There is still a cost, despite conversion fees being waived. I can't begin to guess exactly what the cost is, in the lost set up time on the estate office, in the time I've spent helping residents find temporary housing, in showing them the possibilities for their long term land needs, in potential overlapping tier on old OS and converted OS and so on. It doesn't matter. That's just biz. The market changes, you do what you have to do to adjust. What did matter greatly, was everything you, my residents, lost. Green spaces, sailing waters, views, time, effort, labors of love, hopes and dreams.
Once I stopped moping over all we lost, it became time to just look forward. It is time to build anew. Vistare Manana means 'view of tomorrow' or perhaps 'future view', depending on dialect. And SkyBeam Phoenix rises from the ashes of four open space regions, including Phoenix Nest. Seems appropriate :)
I hope you will all be around to help celebrate all that we are, all that we will be going forward, as we celebrate SkyBeam's second birthday. We will persevere, we will be stronger for our hardships and having worked together to get through this. I know I am enriched by all those who have reached out to say 'we're with you' and 'we trust your judgment' as all this has transpired.
Thank you all for being a part of my life.
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