Very Sad News for Blueberry lovers

[Theresa Tennyson]

2 hours ago, CaitlinParker said:

If Blueberry itself is pulling back from SL while making money in other virtual worlds, then that is a business decision.

I'm guessing that they're not making that much to justify the sort of investment that was made. It sounds a lot like the hype for Second Life in the mid-oughts. 

[CaitlinParker]

6 minutes ago, Theresa Tennyson said:

I'm guessing that they're not making that much to justify the sort of investment that was made. It sounds a lot like the hype for Second Life in the mid-oughts. 

Possibly.

We know that there's a massive number of daily and monthly users on ROBLOX (70.2 million daily and over 216 million monthly active users)... but according to Zepeto's numbers, they have around 300 million users worldwide.  Go ahead and look, I did so myself.

Compare those numbers to what the daily and monthly numbers are for SL, and you'll understand why this was more or less a business decision.

[Qie Niangao]

2 hours ago, Persephone Emerald said:

Look again. That article is from January 2023, over a year before the Medium post.

Yeah, hence my earlier footnote edit. On that much longer timeline, it's possible the investors got impatient with progress and a decision became inevitable to focus on the new opportunity. Still, though, they're turning away from a pretty big cash cow here; one would think they could get somebody to at least keep it running even if their focus shifted. Roblox is big, but I'd be surprised if Blueberry is hauling in such mega-Robux as to already see all that SL revenue as a mere paltry distraction.

As to the cast of characters, I realize the Forums policy forbids naming names, but we're quoting from an article here so there's:

• "Founded in 2012 by Mishi McDuff", "… said McDuff, in a statement", and "excited to support Mishi and her team", and
• "Katherine Manuel, chief operating office", "Manuel will be speaking", 

Then in another GamesBeat article from April 2023, more names:

• "Ashley Hopkins, chief creative officer at House of Blueberry"
• "Emily Eitches, head of business development at the House of Blueberry"

So... I've kinda lost track of why it matters and don't know any of these people, but I don't see why we'd need to skirt the known identities of company officers with titles and all. 

That's a very long, detailed interview article. It's a subject I never cared about before this thread, but I found this quote interesting:

Quote

A lot of times in something like Roblox, they will advertise that they only keep 30 percent while the creator keeps 70. But one thing that was sort of shocking to me is that then there’s the currency conversion. Everything happens in the local currency, which is Robux in the case of Roblox. Then there’s a currency conversion on top of that, where they take a further cut. It ends up that the creator makes anywhere from 25 percent to just shy of 10 percent, with 10 percent being the most common. Roblox is doing very well.

 

[Scylla Rhiadra]

47 minutes ago, Liaa Nova said:

It just misses off her first name IIRC

That's my understanding.

https://www.crunchbase.com/person/gizem-mishi-mcduff

[Scylla Rhiadra]

10 hours ago, Marianne Little said:

This is the real deal?

There is no way a scammer can fake a name? A potential scammer would have to use a name like SidddeanMunro or some other spelling?

 

I'm in no position to make guarantees, but I'm pretty sure this is legit. There was a notice in the Slink group (to which I apparently still belong!) a week or so ago. I don't think it's easy to spoof someone's account name (unless you've hacked the account of course) on the MP,  and I don't think a scammer would have just relisted Hourglass, or warned that it was no longer supported.

[Scylla Rhiadra]

I'm not entirely sure that the tangent this discussion has taken, with the suggestion that this is a business decision prompted by diminishing returns from SL, or pressure from investors, has any real foundation in the very few facts as we know them.

The announcements have been pretty vague and confused so far. Blueberry is leaving -- but not necessarily permanently! Store credit will be lost -- or, no it won't! The MP store will be closed -- maybe, but possibly not.

This is not sounding to me like a carefully premeditated move. It reads more like a sudden, spur-of-the-moment thing, with details being sorted on the fly.

[Persephone Emerald]

I don't think it's also been mentioned here that the group moderators said in the group that they were basically laid off, but were continuing to support users as best they could for the sake of the Blueberry customers and group members.

[Cynthia Raviprakash]

This is a shame, she made quality clothing.

[Cynthia Raviprakash]

Strange, ive been on SL for almost 15 years and this says I am a new user.

[Scylla Rhiadra]

6 minutes ago, Cynthia Raviprakash said:

Strange, ive been on SL for almost 15 years and this says I am a new user.

That's just a reflection of the fact that you are a new poster here; it has nothing to do with your in-world age.

[Love Zhaoying]

1 hour ago, Persephone Emerald said:

I don't think it's also been mentioned here that the group moderators said in the group that they were basically laid off, but were continuing to support users as best they could for the sake of the Blueberry customers and group members.

That's impressive if they were ever paid!

[Chantilly Levee]

In the beginning, when I first went to Blueberry, I liked a few things but not that much.  Then I went back and found so many newer items that I simply loved.

I never had the opportunity to meet the creator, but all in all, her craft and integrity to detail was impeccable. Her textures, and no I did not like them all, but her textures for items like jeans or leather far outweigh many designers out there. I shop at many venues, and although the style may be cute their textures need help, I never felt that way with blueberry, even the textures I was not that fond of were very well-placed on the clothing, it looked good, it was not distorted like some creators do. But I am not a fan of all the textures in many different creator's fat packs, bc it just is not my style.  No one can say that Blueberry clothing textures were off, or blurry, or too big for that piece of clothing, like some other creators are. 

Her attention to detail when the bento animations came out, again impeccable.  She had class and style, that is how I will remember Blueberry, and I can only thank her for the many years of beautiful outfits, clothing and memories in second life.

I always looked forward to seeing what was new at Blueberry, and over the past year you could tell things has slowed down considerable.

I do hope all is well for her, and she and her store will be missed by many. 

Edited April 15 by Chantilly Levee

[LuuBibrova]

Anyone read this on Facebook ?

Gizem Mishi Akin

I want to stress once again that this is not a goodbye.

I need a minute to reflect on the changes I want to make to the future content I want to create.

Please allow me some time to think in peace. This isn’t just a business for me, it has been my passion. This platform specifically has been my passion. The people have been my passion.

So I ask of you, please, to take my word at face value here. I don’t want to make promises to anything because I don’t know what changes I want to make as of yet.

[Annie Nova]

On 4/12/2024 at 6:40 PM, AzureWaves said:

The store isn't closing in SL. It was a vague announcement at best, I think we shouldn't read too much into it. They will still be on Roblox and other platforms.

The store IS closing in SL. The CSR's have announced that in group and her discord group is gone as well. 

[Persephone Emerald]

3 hours ago, LuuBibrova said:

Anyone read this on Facebook ?

Gizem Mishi Akin

I want to stress once again that this is not a goodbye.

I need a minute to reflect on the changes I want to make to the future content I want to create.

Please allow me some time to think in peace. This isn’t just a business for me, it has been my passion. This platform specifically has been my passion. The people have been my passion.

So I ask of you, please, to take my word at face value here. I don’t want to make promises to anything because I don’t know what changes I want to make as of yet.

Thank you for quoting this post. Unfortunately, the link to her FB page doesn't work for me anymore.

(The link didn't work on my phone, but it did on my laptop.)

Edited April 16 by Persephone Emerald

[AzureWaves]

21 minutes ago, Annie Nova said:

The store IS closing in SL. The CSR's have announced that in group and her discord group is gone as well. 

They have no more CSRs, only recently laid off employees. Those people are saying they do not know whether the store will stay or go, but they know that for now, no new releases. No support provided, buy at your own risk. Whatever was said 3 days ago is vague and it still remains a mystery on what is happening with this brand.

[Chantilly Levee]

1 hour ago, LuuBibrova said:

Anyone read this on Facebook ?

Gizem Mishi Akin

I want to stress once again that this is not a goodbye.

I need a minute to reflect on the changes I want to make to the future content I want to create.

Please allow me some time to think in peace. This isn’t just a business for me, it has been my passion. This platform specifically has been my passion. The people have been my passion.

So I ask of you, please, to take my word at face value here. I don’t want to make promises to anything because I don’t know what changes I want to make as of yet.

Thank you for sharing that information

 

[Kyrie Deka]

22 hours ago, Chic Aeon said:

it could

Good point! 

[Kyrie Deka]

20 hours ago, Ze Helix said:

a little disappointing that the original Physique isn't up

Me too.  And though my fav is the Physique, I thought it would be so helpful if the male Slink body was also available. Lots of clothes still possible with that one, and there just aren't enough male bodies in the mid-price range.  

[Kyrie Deka]

6 hours ago, Scylla Rhiadra said:

just relisted Hourglass,

Interesting! I belong to the Slink group still myself.  Shows me there are still 21k members, but no notices are there and I know I would have been jumpin up and down with glee had I received the notice.  Sorry I missed that one, it would have made my day.

[AmeliaJ08]

9 hours ago, Kyrie Deka said:

Me too.  And though my fav is the Physique, I thought it would be so helpful if the male Slink body was also available. Lots of clothes still possible with that one, and there just aren't enough male bodies in the mid-price range.  

A real 'nice' move would have been to open source Slink, IMO. If the creator had no intention of further sales or support then hand it - and its scripts etc - to the community. Ruth/Roth V2 are pretty neat and I think Slink would have been welcomed as a new open source alternative.

 

Edited April 16 by AmeliaJ08

[Persephone Emerald]

.

Edited April 17 by Persephone Emerald

[EllieDCastillo]

Well this is sad news. I love Blueberry

[Kyrie Deka]

2 hours ago, AmeliaJ08 said:

would have been to open source Slink

Absolutely, or that LL didn't just buy the body and use it for the Senra releases.  Whatever they would have paid, it would have been a quality move on the part of LL and confidence raised.  I thought that before Senra came out and hoped for it, and even after it came out working with it for awhile.  Would have been a delight to see that kind of investment by LL. 

I went to the Blueberry shop yesterday.  Good times, good times...  Prices are such, that I dreamt of a no-support period (temporarily it is hoped!) with half-off the entire store. They've done that before the half-off, so it wouldn't be such a reach hoping for that.  Outfit I have put off gettin forever is now priced at L$2600.  Half off that is still, for me, quite high, but absolutely even full price well worth it (love the BB!) if all works as expected in the box. No support just made me hesitate yet again in case a model or something I need is a little off.  

BB deserves whatever rest they would like, and whatever good things have come their way.  Hard work pays off for many, I am not at all surprised, and I couldn't be happier for them.  Picturing them on a RL beach somewhere thinkin of nothing at all, just nothin at all and having an empty to-do list for the day.

 

 

Edited April 16 by Kyrie Deka

[Midnoot]

Come to think of it , blueberry was one of those creators who made everything no mod, made fat packs with colors that wouldn't even completely match the bottom to the top , or the socks to the shoes , etc . For example , one of my favorite shades  was in their fatpack .I bought it and then the " supposed" matching shade fat pack for the bottom. Literally didn't fully match the top. And ofcourse , there was never a shading option in any of the Huds.  Blueberry was overrated . I learned to never support no mod , fat pack selling people ever again through blueberry .