Wow! Did you see the Linden Lab land sale?!

[Melita Magic]

Basically they are giving away full region estate sims, and homestead sims. If you buy one this weekend. You only pay the tier and applicable VAT.

A full region estate sim bought from Linden Lab is normally $1000 PLUS then the tier. A homestead sim is usually $375 PLUS then the tier.

It's on the entry page at www.secondlife.com - Wow. But here is the catch. You have to buy it before this weekend ends:

" We must receive your Island order case submission between October 21 12:01 a.m. (Pacific) and October 23 11:59 p.m. (Pacific). Orders received outside of this time frame will not be processed. "

I had to go read the wiki about it, to make sure. Yep. No set up fee, the land itself cost nothing! I'm so tempted to dump all my land and get one!!  

What do you think about it?

[ralph Alderton]

I think it's marvelous to see a glimmer of light shining in the frozen darkness of LL's land pricing model

[wiked Anton]

except the tier is still $195.00 USD per month, i can pay off a car in RL for that. and why is it so expensive when service has gone down the shi_er? if you can run your own server (software) you can have a free sim with unlimited prims in osgrid. compare the difference.

[Sy Beck]

I can't knock the deal, but for me I'd rather pay the $1000 purchase price and have the ongoing tier reduced by a significant margin, that's what would make it a long term viability for me.

I also wonder what the people are feeling who put an order in yesterday or earlier this week for a sim?  I remember when I bought my last island sim being informed two days later that as a European it was going to cost me 17.5% more in VAT for the purchase price and tier, I was not best pleased.  To be fair LL offered me the chance to pull out without any fee, I hope they are going to be just as generous to people who have already got recent orders placed.

[Randall Ahren]

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wiked Anton wrote:

except the tier is still $195.00 USD per month, i can pay off a car in RL for that. and why is it so expensive when service has gone down the shi_er? if you can run your own server (software) you can have a free sim with unlimited prims in osgrid. compare the difference.

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The difference is that osgrid is virtually devoid of inhabitants. The difference between SL and osgrid is a bit like comparing sex to masturbation.

[Claireschen Hesten]

having the set up fee on a full sim waived is the best idea LL have since they did  the one off 50% off 3 months premium they are heading in the right direction if they want people to be buying land and putting money in to LL's back pocket for once i have to agree with what Ralph said in another thread make homesteads available to everyone at a reduced tier they could do well for the people who want a really good sized private space they can call home and don't need the full 15k prims. if this offer was permanent it could be a real boon for SL 

[Venus Petrov]

Thanks for the link, Melita.  This is great news for those looking for more land.  I, too, wish the tier for estate land were reduced.  Or, homesteads offered without having to own estate already.  But, this is a positive direction.

[Mayalily]

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wiked Anton wrote:

except the tier is still $195.00 USD per month, i can pay off a car in RL for that. and why is it so expensive when service has gone down the shi_er? if you can run your own server (software) you can have a free sim with unlimited prims in osgrid. compare the difference.

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I agree with Anton on the paying off a car part.  If I had money to invest right now, I'd be investing in real property, not internet "property".

Free start up and lower tiers might change my mind.  Otherwise, with prices as they are, no.

[Sy Beck]

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wiked Anton wrote:

except the tier is still $195.00 USD per month....

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That's the monthly tier for a mainland sim, the offer is for a private region therefore it's $295 per month, doesn't make it any better I know.

[Carole Franizzi]

You've got to hand it to the bright spark who thought up the concept in the first place.

How to make them pay as much as possible....? Can't say ya gotta pay a purchase price AND rent...nobody's daft enough to fall for that.... I GOT IT!!!! CALL THE RENT "TIERS"!!!!! That way nobody'll ever catch on!!!!!!!!

[nikita Jefferson]

Knowing LL as we all know LL it is indicative of a worried LL about land sales declining,because of numerous reasons, the poor world economy (RL) not the SL economy and the loss of islands because no one needs them for businesses anymore when they can have a free shop on MP.

It is of course, enticing not having to pay 1000US but we are still left with 295US a month and thats what everyone is complaining about, not the sale price of an island,

We all have to resist this temptation because if it does 'nt work LL will have no choice, if they are serious about trying to get us to buy land,,,,, to lower tier.

This is ploy, it's like the hard sell tactics, you have only two days to make up your mind and then it's gone forever, so people rush before its too late

LL has created their own monster and in the process shot them selves in the foot,,, again,,,, ( we all remember the great open space ( homestead debacle )and others ) ,,,,,,,,,,,,,they gave anyone free shops on MP and people realized they can save 295US a month.

For us to ever get tier lowered we have to resist this type of sales tactics,LL has to keep losing islands to be convinced they have to lower tier

I am one who, if tier is lowered will very seriously consider a full region

 

 

[Deltango Vale]

Poor old Linden Lab just can't get its head around land.

Go to http://gridsurvey.com You will see three small chart icons. Click on the middle one (solid blue). That chart tells you how much demand exists for a product that costs US$295 per month. Instead of sims, think of office space at US$295 per square foot per month. Think of the chart as if it were showing changes in the demand for office space. What do you see? Demand for 'office space' - 'sim space' - sims has been declining for 18 months. It's back to where it was two years ago.

On the mainland, the high relative price of tier coupled with massive oversupply (2007-2009) has driven up the price of small double-prim parcels (Nova Albion, Nautilus) and destroyed the regular mainland market. Mainland has become almost valueless. Once-beautiful sims are being carved up into junk lots. You can't give it away.

US$1000 represents approximately three months tier. Okay, that's nice; LL is offering your first three months free - for office space - for something long term. If you hold the sim for a year, it represents a 28% discount. If you hold the sim for two years, it's a 14% discount. If you hold the sim for three years, it's a 9% discount. The longer you hold the sim, the worse the deal becomes.

Therefore, this 'sale' will benefit those who are looking for an island sim in the short term - and who are fortunate enough to discover the sale before it expires in two days time. It does absolutely nothing to stem the long-term decline in private sims (and the mainland), which is due to the very high relative price of tier.

If Linden Lab had improved SL dramatically over the past five years, the current tier prices would be justified. Sadly, if anything, LL has made rather a mess of things over the past five years. Does the company plan good things for SL in the future? Who knows? There are lots of little hints scattered here and there, but never do we get a strategic vision of where the company plans to take SL. Nor does LL have a good track record of actually delivering anything complete or workable. Perhaps, Rod can move the company forward. I hope so, but, in the meantime, LL has no choice but to reduce tier to generate economic growth.

See also: http://deltango.wordpress.com/2010/10/26/a-proposed-land-tier-fee-schedule/

[ralph Alderton]

@Deltango, I totally get what you are saying apart from this bit :

'If Linden Lab had improved SL dramatically over the past five years, the current tier prices would be justified'

Even if there were no lag, SL never crashed at all, the GUI won a prize as a work of art, serach worked perfectly, mesh was seen by all viewers, and a Homestead had 100k prim allowance  - the current prices would still be too much for the customer base

The core enthusiastic users of this platform can not afford or justify paying these incredibly high tier costs and they never will.

 

 

[Jacki Silverfall]

It doen't matter if they gave it to me on a silver platter, the tier would still be to high.

Thanks for the heads up though

[Deej Kasshiki]

Nice try I guess LL but, the big problem is that paying $300 a month for pixel "land" in this economy is utterly insane. Entertainment venues can't recoup the costs, all but the most successful well-known merchants have great difficulty doing so (because you've foolishly allowed MP sales to cannibalize inworld sales) and for someone who just has a little discretionary income to blow on entertainment? No way. $300 a month is a car payment or an insurance premium.

Reduce your setup fees and drop monthly tier 40% or so permanently and people will consider buying land again.

[Wildcat Furse]

I thought Linden Lab was up for sale .... :matte-motes-big-grin-wink: *meows*

[Kylie Jaxxon]

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Melita Magic wrote:

 

I had to go read the wiki about it, to make sure. Yep. No set up fee, the land itself cost nothing!

I'm so tempted to dump all my land and get one!!  

 

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Great...now we're going to see even more yellow on the mainland map

 

[Gooden Uggla]

This "Land Sale" by the Lab will actually result in a smaller grid by the end of the year. They're shooting themselves in the foot again... Estate owners will bail out of any empty full sims they have.

[Ciaran Laval]

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Gooden Uggla wrote:

This "Land Sale" by the Lab will actually result in a smaller grid by the end of the year. They're shooting themselves in the foot again... Estate owners will bail out of any empty full sims they have.

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The sale only lasts the weekend, if this were a permanent deal the bottom would drop out of the second hand sim sales market.

[Chronometria]

I got all excited when i saw the title in my email inbox. Then i read it and realised it didnt really apply to anyone except people who are already able to cover the massive cost of sims anyway.

What it needs to be is either

1. A reduction in tier costs across the board.

or

2. Increasing the free tier allowance of premium memberships.

 

It's not the people at the top who need the boost, its the vast amount of normal folks. Mainland is half empty and putting more land in the reach of the average user would have a great benefit all round.

[Melita Magic]

I...feel like a preacher in a strip club.  I want it so bad, but I just can't have it.

After crunching some numbers today, and realizing the 20k parcel I needed to free tier from has sold, and paying 100 USD less per month is also within reach, I decided that is the only sensible thing to do.  

I want a full island estate so badly I can 'taste it' but - it has to remain just out of reach, for now. I owe more to my RL peeps than to my SL fun time, which is what SL is - I make not a single cent profit here. Nor do or will I try or expect to any time soon. 

I've been wrestling inside about this all day like Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde on a bender. But, I agree and it's something I've said long ago: Lowering tier like lowering taxes will bring in more revenue for everyone and stimulate the economy. It will make me wish I hadn't dumped land at .97 but I'm in good company.

Times like this make me wish I drank.