A bug in the Quicktime player, which is used to play video in Second Life, allows a malicious user to create clothing or buildings which can rob people of their money when they come in proximity of the video object. Yikes.

Submitted by jason - 2007-12-01 18:37:41
Channels - hackszine metaverse
Tags - hack secondlife digital_currency quicktime

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This looks really cool: an open platform for creating massively multiplayer virtual worlds. Objects in the games you make--like characters, buildings, flowers, whatever--have the ability to talk talk and post to the web, so they could export rss feeds, or pull in links from delicious, and that sort of thing.

I've signed up for an alpha account but haven't heard word yet. I'm interested in seeing how you develop for the platform and how open it really is.

Submitted by jason - 2007-09-19 09:05:19
Channels - web2.0 metaverse
Tags - gaming web2.0 programming online platform metaplace multiplayer

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I spent the evening looking at the SL presence for as many major brands as I could find. I'm sure I've missed a few, but this is a fairly good representation of what real world advertisers are doing in the virtual world space. From a creative standpoint, it's not hard to see why advertisers are so interested in exploring Second Life's possibilities. There aren't a lot of creative or physical limitations inherent in the environment, so it's a unique opportunity to present a brand in an entirely new context.

So, without further ado, here is the massive list of real world brands that are currently participating in the virtual world of Second Life. Enjoy.

Submitted by jason - 2007-07-26 12:26:29
Channels - blogcadre fallonplanningblog metaverse collemcvoy
Tags - advertising brand virtual identity secondlife

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Brady Forrest's take on Linden dollars as a micropayment device.

At the current "exchange rate" of L$265 to the dollar, extremely small fractions of a dollar can be exchanged in game, without any transaction fee. Compare that to the paypal $0.05 minimum transaction fee, or typical credit card minimums on the order of a dollar. The same reason the Kwikie Mart doesn't accept cards for transactions smaller than $5 is the same reason it's impossible at the moment to charge a reasonable sub dollar or sub cent fee for online content.

See also time Murtaugh's discussion on the topic:
http://o2b.net/archives/second-l...

Submitted by jason - 2007-07-25 21:20:50
Channels - general online metaverse
Tags - secondlife micropayment linden

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A pretty interesting economic look at the Linden dollar and Second Life economy. Where is the money coming from? Who is it distributed to? How does it resemble, or not resemble, a Ponzi scheme.

Here's my own takeaway. Most other games cost money to purchase or play. People understand that they are purchasing a product for entertainment. In the case of Second Life, the possibility exists that one can make money, in world, by exercising their creative abilities. Furthermore, Second Life is often promoted as "not a game" but a "virtual world," so there is sort of this presumption that everyone will be able to build wealth.

It's that "everyone building wealth" point that the article's author is really calling into question. With Linden Labs exchanging L$ for US$ -- money that was contributed by game players -- it's obvious that not everyone can cash out.

Submitted by jason - 2007-07-25 21:13:37
Channels - general metaverse
Tags - money secondlife economy linden ponzi capitalism

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Total volume of Linden dollars: 2,608,448,990
At the current exchange rate of L$265 to $1, this is roughly $9.8 million.

Cash flow:
Last month, there were 42,597 avatars with an increasing balance. 132 of them were earning over $5000 a month. The graph is very bottom heavy, with most users making less than $10. No mention is made of users with a negative cash flow.

Transaction size:
Most transactions are for small amounts under L$500 ($1.88). I'd venture to guess most of these are texture uploads that cost L$10 ($0.038) or small L$2 camping transactions ($0.008). There were 856 transactions over L$1,000,000 ($3,773).

Submitted by jason - 2007-07-25 20:04:09
Channels - metaverse
Tags - virtual money secondlife economy micropayment linden

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Linden Labs just released an update to their terms of service that appears to outlaw most forms of gambling. Specifically mentioned are any activities where currency (Linden or otherwise) is transferred based on games of chance or the outcome of sporting events.

This is huge for a lot of property owners in SL that run large casinos and clubs, as well as all the folks that earn revenue from the happenings at these locations. It's also bound to affect everyone who purchase and sell land, now that land can no longer be used to generate virtual money in this manner.

It's also an interesting example of how first-life regulation is adapting to "virtual" economies. Think about it: is the paper in your wallet or the record in your bank account fundamentally different from the value of the 0s and 1s being created in online activities?

Submitted by jason - 2007-07-25 19:06:06
Channels - blogcadre metaverse
Tags - online secondlife gambling regulation elaw currency

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