Are virtual pets just the latest money pit?

[MoiselleErin Teardrop]

Yeah like even right now on the front page of the market site - some happy blonde holding a dog.

Plus yeah lately I see these animals in SL, not furry avatars but like these prim animals that have all these stats, and I was asking a friend about them she said you have to buy them food so they stay alive or whatever.

So is this like some new money pit or have I just not seen it before?I feel stupid enough caring about my avatar which, like all of them, is a computer graphic when it comes down to to.

 

I don't get it, why would people want to buy some prim whatever that required constant feeding of L$ to be able to use it?

I am more used to - buy something ONCE and have it until I give it away or trash it when I get tired of it. Bad enough I let landlords stick it to me with renting virtual land. MAybe I am a sucker too.

 

So what kind of L$ range would one count on spending to keep their prim animals alive? I know it varies but what would be a ballpark etc?

 

[Jo Yardley]

I only bought a black cat, it reminded me of one I used to have in RL.

I simply 'parked' it by the fireplace in my bar and there it sleeps, 24/7.

Lazy good for nothing cat, big failure when it comes to catching rats.

But I love it.

It just sleeps there, moves a little, makes a few sounds.

Never needed any feeding or any extra spending.

It was not cheap to buy, but worth it.

 

[Tari Landar]

Only a money pit if you make it so. I've never considered mine a money pit, but even if I did, who cares? Maybe others do consider them that, but they must enjoy something about them, or they wouldn't have them at all.  For most of those virtual animals-well the breedable ones, people can make money off their offspring. Sometimes quite a bit of money, sometimes not. Sometimes the offspring simply pays for basic upkeep of the original animal(s) too. Not too different from rl in many aspects, lol. I'm sure there are plenty of other areas in sl that people are constantly putting money in, for basic upkeep/functionality of something. Anything can be a money pit, if you want it to.

Virtual animals that require being fed to function, have been around sl for quite some time. Not everyone enjoys them, but those that do usually have a lot of fun with them.

[Ziggy21 Slade]

Virtual Breedable Pets are not a new thing, although there have been many new ones in the last year. The first was the now infamous Sion Chicken, which became a craze in SL, peaking around June 2009, before this there were lots of pets they just didn't have breeding capability

 

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MoiselleErin Teardrop wrote:

So is this like some new money pit or have I just not seen it before?I feel stupid enough caring about my avatar which, like all of them, is a computer graphic when it comes down to to. 

I don't get it, why would people want to buy some prim whatever that required constant feeding of L$ to be able to use it?

 

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Whilst its true that you avatar is a computer graphic it's also true that your real life self is a collection of Oxygen, Carbon and Hydrogen atoms , but of course we rarely think of it that way, we know that there is far more to a person than that. Your avatar is a 3D expression of yourself, its a little taster of the 'you' that you want to present. and this is why you care about it so please don't feel stupid, caring about how you represent yourself in Public is a very Human thing to do.

There are lots of reasons why people will spend money on an item that constantly needs feeding, remember there are many people who for one reason or another can't keep a pet in RL, and having an animal that requires your attention and care is appealing to them, more appealing perhaps than a non breedable pet. I think many people enjoy the breeding games, striving to gain a certain trait for their pet, shopping and trading and studying the genetics to reach the right result. But of course there is another reason why people keep these pets and that is that they can provide a financial return, you can breed offspring and sell them and sometimes for some quite astounding prices, I have heard of certain pets being sold recently for prices around 100k, no thats not a typo  - 100k around $400 US.

A very very rough price I would suggest, might be around L$100 per pet, per week , so you could keep 10 for the price of a Big Mac, unsurprisingly many people can manage this.

 

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MoiselleErin Teardrop wrote:

I am more used to - buy something ONCE and have it until I give it away or trash it when I get tired of it. Bad enough I let landlords stick it to me with renting virtual land. MAybe I am a sucker too.

 

I would suggest that in SL a more tolerant approach is needed, there are people here from many countries, cultures, ages and backgrounds, naturally they find there entertainment in many different ways, if those ways are different to your own, it doesn't make them suckers, and you are not one either.

SL is a form of entertainment, spending money  here is no different to paying for any other form of entertainment, ultimately you are paying for an experience and not for a material possession. You might spend money going to watch your local football team for instance, you pay your money and in return the only non virtual thing you are given is a small badly printed piece of perforated paper (a ticket), it has no more value in reality than a slice of virtual land, you part with your cash in both instances because you are being provided with an enjoyable experience.

[Starr Heron]

IDK but sure would love to have a Jack Russel

[Ishtara Rothschild]

Breedable Tamagotchi-style pets that need expensive prim "food" are indeed a huge money sink. However, most virtual pets that are sold in SL don't need to be fed and don't have a built-in expiration date

So, make sure that you buy the right kind of pet with no follow-up costs. I wish that was possible in RL too.

[Wildcat Furse]

it is fun if you understand the game ...... I have about 40 breedable horses as hobby and by breeding the right horses with the right traits sometimes I can breed some really good baby horses .... my latest demon horse got sold for 125K with a breeding cost of 0.25K ..... I was lucky to get this unique horse and found easily a collector that wanted to buy it from me

it is like any other hobby; collecting stamps, lighters ... it will cost u money, so are the breedables

I am not surprised that LL is promoting this, it is fun *meows*

[Faithless Babii]

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MoiselleErin Teardrop wrote:

 

Bad enough I let landlords stick it to me with renting virtual land. MAybe I am a sucker too.

 

 

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Hmm...how do Landlords *stick it to you*? They pay cash to have a sim to LL..they ask you to pay rent for using space & prims on that sim...no one forces you to rent...your SL isnt dependant on renting a piece of land or a home...your av wont perish if you remain homeless...

?

[ChuckBaggett1488303079]

It's something people might enjoy enjoy and spend money on that requires no new work by Linden Lab. I suspect that has something to do with LL's promotion of virtual pets.

[Jaylin Wytchwood]

Whilst i agree that virtual BREEDABLE Pets are a moneypit, some people have their fun with it. And why not, Auctioning Horses seems to be the craze... As long as they dont lag out Sims with their pets, im fine with it.

Live and let live, and enjoy your SL.

My wife & me have a VKC-Dog on our parcel as well as (non-breedable) riding Horses (in inventory, only out to ride), and are quite happy with them, so, why not.

 

 

[Josh Susanto]

I don't have to like everything that happens in SL for it to be legitimate.

The horse thing is at least better than when SL was full of casinos.

 

[Persephone Emerald]

Starr Heron said : "IDK but sure would love to have a Jack Russel"

 

VKC has a cute Jack Russle. 

[Kascha Matova]

All I know is that my collie looked like a block of wood.

He followed me, and barked when I told him to, but when he walked, his legs didn't move, and that made me wonder if he was Satan.

Later, I sent him running and because of some weird lag issue, he kept going to the end of my property and beyond. Using my lightning quick thinking processes, I determined that this was my chance to do something to rid myself of the E-vil. So I didn't call him back.

Didn't whistle, nothing. Nada.

If he tried to run back, the attack bot I deployed immediately after he faded from view has dealt with him, and will probably continue to deal with him until it receives further orders. And if he was return by headquarters, well then he must have fallen into the cracks during inventory cleanup. I like the first ending better.

Still basking in the peaceful afterglow to this day. Thanks. I made it right. :smileyindifferent:

[Storm Clarence]

There are hotels and spas for pets in RL.  Celebs dress their cats and dogs in mink coats.  Some dogs get t-bone steaks for dinner.   Gold ID tags.  Gold water bowls.

Pets are important to people.  If you don't want a pet in SL then don't buy/create one.  

 

[Venus Petrov]

Is it not Your world. Your imagination? 

Then, is this not true for everyone?

I have one cat and one horse (both the non-breedable type).  They do not need feeding or attention and they happily sit in my inventory for months until I haul them out again.  Others like the breedable type.  They pay for their pleasures as does anyone else.

[Paul Hexem]

I'm with you. I think it's a waste to buy something that just lags up a sim and charges you a recurring fee to do it, only to eventually die. Or whatever it is they do.

Granted I have a dog- but said dog doubles as a security system, with push and damage enabled, and has no recurring costs. That's the way to go.

[WADE1 Jya]

I'm an artist working in SL who has been creating non-breedable pets since 2006. My pets (The LOLO Pet Shop) are not about tracking stats or breeding, these are just fun little interactive animals.

My animals always have had zero care costs, no food costs. They don't die inworld or in inventory, or have "expiry" dates.

Second Life didn't always have these pay-as-you-go subscription-based pets. It used to be that buying pets in SL was the same as buying any other item -- there was never any additional costs after purchase.

But then these companies entered Second Life and began to virally distribute "breedable" pets -- aiming that some people will begin to pay the company for all the food and other subscription costs.... many people who are new to Second Life first discover this type of pet and mistakenly think all pets in SL operate this way... it simply isn't true.

These days, many people seem to think owning a pet in SL is a complex & costly chore. People are always asking me where to buy pet food and stuff like that at my shop. I have to explain to at least one person per day that there is no extra costs! :smileyvery-happy: