Tue, 10/28/2008 - 14:02 — Dana Bergson (not verified)
While I am certainly more than a little annoyed by this move (Otherland is probably the estate with the most Openspace sims of all of SL), I don't think it was "bait and switch". The reasons cited by Jack for the price increase is not implausible: using the same server hardware for hosting 4 regions instead of one (even if this regions only carry 1/4 of the prims and scripts) probably does lead to increased network traffic and maintainance efforts.
Actually, the "new model" for pricing Openspaces seems sound to me and reflects their true value IMHO. But ... this realization comes AFTER the have sold thousands of regions under the old pricing model and after nearly destroying the land market for independent resellers. I have always been a huge fan of Openspaces and Otherland was the first estate wo offered them as a thought out product. It is total BS, that they are not fit for residential use. We have more than 100 in our estate and on average they do not generate more complaints about lag than our full prim regions - because we only market them for purely residential use. They offer a great value for everyone interested in beautiful scenery, wide landscapes etc. The raised price reflects this ...
What makes me very afraid though, is the utter lack of understanding of the market (of the economy of Second Life) with some of the decision makers at Linden Lab. It looks like they were really surprised that the new Openspace product sold as well as it did and did not anticipate the effect this has on grid resources and on the economy of SL. Or - in other words - Linden Lab changes a product B, so that it offers 4 times the land area for the same prim capacity at nearly the same cost as another product A and they are surprised that product B sells much better than product A?
This is scary. Really scary.
It makes me feel as if I am a helpless guinea pig in the hands of some guys, who really don't get it.
I just wish there already was some viable competition on the market (No, unfortunately OpenSim is not ready for prime time, yet). Competition usually leads to better management. I does not feel good to lead a business which depends on a company where business models are developed and changed by hackers.
While I am certainly more
Tue, 10/28/2008 - 14:02 — Dana Bergson (not verified)While I am certainly more than a little annoyed by this move (Otherland is probably the estate with the most Openspace sims of all of SL), I don't think it was "bait and switch". The reasons cited by Jack for the price increase is not implausible: using the same server hardware for hosting 4 regions instead of one (even if this regions only carry 1/4 of the prims and scripts) probably does lead to increased network traffic and maintainance efforts.
Actually, the "new model" for pricing Openspaces seems sound to me and reflects their true value IMHO. But ... this realization comes AFTER the have sold thousands of regions under the old pricing model and after nearly destroying the land market for independent resellers. I have always been a huge fan of Openspaces and Otherland was the first estate wo offered them as a thought out product. It is total BS, that they are not fit for residential use. We have more than 100 in our estate and on average they do not generate more complaints about lag than our full prim regions - because we only market them for purely residential use. They offer a great value for everyone interested in beautiful scenery, wide landscapes etc. The raised price reflects this ...
What makes me very afraid though, is the utter lack of understanding of the market (of the economy of Second Life) with some of the decision makers at Linden Lab. It looks like they were really surprised that the new Openspace product sold as well as it did and did not anticipate the effect this has on grid resources and on the economy of SL. Or - in other words - Linden Lab changes a product B, so that it offers 4 times the land area for the same prim capacity at nearly the same cost as another product A and they are surprised that product B sells much better than product A?
This is scary. Really scary.
It makes me feel as if I am a helpless guinea pig in the hands of some guys, who really don't get it.
I just wish there already was some viable competition on the market (No, unfortunately OpenSim is not ready for prime time, yet). Competition usually leads to better management. I does not feel good to lead a business which depends on a company where business models are developed and changed by hackers.
/me sighs