Category: News-Opinion

Looking at Streaks reward testing on the SL Mobile app

Posted on by Inara Pey
Streak rewards are available to some users of the SL Mobile app as an experiment

The most recent update to SL Mobile – version 2025.01.538 Android) / 0.1.530 (iOS), dated January 14th, 2025 – introduced an experimental rewards scheme for some of those those using the app to log-in to Second Life, in order to encourage daily engagement through the app.

Encouragement of this kind is referred to as “streaks”, and can be used as a form of incentive to encourage or maintain specific routines or achieve daily goals through game mechanics, or some form of reward in return for engagement. Snapchat for example offers “collectible” emojis to users who exchange Snaps through the app with one another on a daily basis; meanwhile Roblox includes the ability for users to build their own streaks rewards systems into their games. With SL Mobile, the rewards take the form of modest (and incremental) offerings of Linden dollars.

The idea behind the experiment with SL Mobile is to see how rewards might influence people’s use of the Mobile app – particularly those referred to as “lapsed” Second Life users; those who have walked away from the platform and who have, according to Brad Oberwager, cited a lack of Mobile access as being one of the contributing factors for them doing so. This aim was also reiterated by Bridie Linden, the Project Manager for SL Mobile during the inaugural Monthly Mobile User Group meeting.

Some of you may have noticed we are doing an experiment that is trying to encourage follows to come back to Second Life and increase their engagement. So [it is] a log-in rewards offering. Not everyone will see the same thing, because we’re trying different variations in incentives.

Bridie Linden, SL Mobile Project Manager, January 30th, 2025

As it is currently an experiment and subject to A/B testing related to the general use of SL Mobile, not all users downloading the app or currently using it will be able to engage with the streaks rewards, as Grumpity Linden also explained during the same meeting:

Currently, log-in rewards are only available to subscribers, but not all who are subscribers will have the same experience; so I’m not going to say you should subscribe if you want to get log-in rewards in Linden dollars, because that’s not always going to be the case. But if you’re already a subscriber, you should check-out Mobile, and come back every day and see whether, maybe [you have the option]– because we’re going to continue tweaking this programme. Obviously, we want people to be happy, and we want this to be successful.

– Grumpity Linden, January 30th, 2025

To find out if you are eligible to join (and have not already done so – I am intentionally late in reporting on this scheme as I’ve been poking at it for the last 8 days), proceed as follows:

  • Start SL Mobile on your device and log-in.
  • Click the Menu button (top left, three horizontal bars) to open the menu.
  • If you are eligible to join the experiment, you will have a Streaks button displayed in your menu Highlighted below, left).
  • Tap the Streaks button to opt-in to the scheme and start the clock counting down to when you can claim your first rewards (which appears to be set to L$15 for everyone).
Those who are included in the initial testing can opt-in to the Streaks rewards by going to SL Mobile’s menu and tapping the Streaks icon (if available), to opt-in to the the rewards
  • Note the two sliders t the bottom of the Streaks screen allowing you toggle daily streak messages as soon as you log-in to the app off/ on, and to opt out / in to Streaks, both of which are enabled (“on” and opted-in) by default.

Once you have joined Streaks, rewards can be claimed daily, starting with the initial L$15. In addition, please note:

  • The amount of the reward offered each day increments (e.g. L$15 on “day 1”; L$20 on “day 2”).
  • The amount by which the daily rewards increments also increases the longer a streak continues (e.g. rising from a L$5  increment per day to (first) L$10 increments per day).
  • Streaks appear to last for 7 consecutive days before the reward amount automatically resets to L$15 (or you miss a daily log-in), and you start over again.

To claim a daily reward:

  • Log-in to the SL Mobile app. Your Streaks status should be automatically displayed unless you have turned off the daily login message, in which case, open the app’s menu and tap the Streaks button.
  • The display should tell you the amount available to claim, and the incremented amount that will be available for you to claim in 24-hours’ time (below left).
  • Tap the Claim button to claim the available amount and have it added to your SL amount L$ balance, and update your Streaks status (below centre).
Claiming daily Streaks is required to transfer them to your account L$ balance (left and centre). Streaks appear to rest to the baseline L$15 after around 7 days
  • Per the notes above,  Streaks rewards appear to increment of a 7-day period, and then reset to the initial L$15 (see the image above right) and build up again. However, whether this is an infinite cycle or also limited; I have no idea.

As a means of encouraging users (current and “lapsed” to use SL Mobile, this is an interesting approach; I’d been particularly interested in how much traction it gets amount its intended primary audience  – “lapsed” users – over time, and in how well it might act as incentive as new users are able to sign-up to Second Life through the app. However, we’ll hear more on both in due course.

Runitai Linden departs LL for public service

Posted on by Inara Pey
Runitai Linden in both his "Classic" (Primitar-esque) look and his more recent avatar look
Runitai Linden in both his “Classic” (Primitar-esque) look and his more recent avatar look

Update: subject to direct correction, I believe (from comments made) that Runitai is moving to work as a paramedic.

During the Content Creation User Group meeting on Thursday, January 16th, it was announced that Runitai Linden (often referred to as DaveP) is departing Linden Lab.

One of the now longest-serving employees at the Lab, Runitai joined the company in 2005, and has been a core member of the graphics / rendering team throughout most of that time, although he was moved over to work on Project Sansar, remaining with that project through to its launch as Sansar, before transferring back to Second Life when the Lab suspended work on Sansar in early 2020, prior to its eventual sale to Wookey (then Wookey Projects Inc).

Commenting on his departure, Runitai stated:

It’s been almost 20 years, and I’ll always be grateful for the time that I’ve had here, no doubt, and everything Second Life has done; and I’ll always be proud of what Linden Lab and the residents have accomplished here. But I’ve been convicted [sic] recently to pursue a career in public service, and at the same time I felt that calling things stopped coming together in my head for doing the work that needs to be done here; I really feel that I’ve done all that I can do  and it’s time for me to go on to something else.
I wouldn’t be able to do that if it wasn’t for all of you. The career I’ve chosen doesn’t exactly pay a living wage, so I’ll definitely be living off my savings! But I feel this is what I have to do. I also feel that the Second Life team has never been stronger, everybody at the Lab and the open-source community does such great work, such talented people; world-class engineers all round. I have no doubt that Second Life will thrive in my absence.
I will definitely miss all of you, I’ll miss this place – it’s been a rollercoaster, that’s for sure! 

If you wish to listen to Runitai’s comments you can do so via the CCUG meeting video [3:52-7:20].

One of the things very much marked by Runitai’s return to Second Life following his time working on Sansar, has been the drive to update the visual fidelity of the platform more it towards established graphical standards. While this initiative may not have originated entirely with him, his involvement in this work has been instrumental – particularly in looking at how best to enable key aspects of the glTF specification the Lab hopes to adopt (e.g. supporting current mesh data formats over the outdated Collada .DAE, prototyping scene upload capabilities, etc.), and in driving much of the work in getting the viewer’s performance back up to acceptable standards following the issues coming out of – but not necessarily entirely the result of – the implementation of PBR materials and rendering.

Runitai did not elaborate on the specific area of public service he is moving into (or which is perhaps now claiming his full-time attention). However, everyone in Second Life who has come to know him well or distantly (as in my case) over the years cannot fail to understand the incredible amount of work his has put into the platform, or the sheer wealth of technical knowledge he has acquired and put to use throughout his time at the Lab. This along with his openness, honesty and jovial nature, will be very much missed.

For my part, I’d like to thank Runitai for all of his work with Second Life and wish him well in his new career path. Also, for those who do know Runitai and who have not already obtained a copy, his Linden Bear is available at the Hipptropolis Campsite, home of the CCUG meetings – it is floating (at the time of writing) serenely next to the table and camp fire.

 

A holiday gift from the Lab: 6 months access to MadPea Unlimited in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
MadPea Unlimited – free access to all SL residents for 6 months

Update: January 1st, 2025, MadPea Unlimited is now open.

On Monday, December 23rd, 2024, Linden Lab announced a special holiday gift for all Second Life users: six months access to the upcoming 2025 seasons 1 and 2 of MadPea Unlimited, which commences on January 1st, 2025.

MadPea is well-known name within Second Life, producing a wide range of interactive games, adventures and experiences in Second Life, some of which I’ve covered in these pages. Unlimited is MadPea’s subscription premium group, providing members with early access to games and experiences, product releases, gifts, and hunts. Membership costs L$6,000 for three months.

With the gift from Linden Lab, residents get 6 months access to MadPea Unlimited – that’s two Seasons of Unlimited activities normally valued at L$12,000 – from Wednesday, January 1st, 2025 through until the end of June 2025. As such, the package includes all of the membership benefits through the first two seasons of MadPea Unlimited 2025.

What MadPea Unlimited brings you
Why We’re Doing This
Second Life is all about celebrating creativity, community, and connection. By teaming up with MadPea Productions, we’re giving our residents the opportunity to experience some of the most innovative and engaging content available in our virtual world. Since 2008, MadPea and its talented crew of designers, writers, developers and artists from all around the world have been creating immersive and thrilling fun across over 100 gaming experiences with a large and active ‘Pea’ Community of well over 26,000 players. Whether you’re a seasoned explorer or new to Second Life, this gift is our way of saying thank you for being part of our vibrant community.

– From the Linden Lab blog post about the MadPea gift

An important note with the gift is that is does not require any sign-up or commitment to any on-going subscription; to participate, all residents need to do is hop along to the MadPea Unlimited region from January 1st, 2025 (the region and its SLurl will be be public on the 1st) and join the fun.

This is NOT one of those things where we give it to you, you sign-up, and then six months later, you’re automatically going to get dinged every month or something like that. This is a pure gift. They’re [MadPea] taking down the paywall for all of our residents for six months. At the end of the six months, we may continue it; at the end of the six months we may stop it – but there’s no obligation; it’s purely a gift, and hopefully people will enjoy it. 

– Linden Lab Executive Chair, Brad Oberwager, discussing the MadPea Unlimited gift with me

From the MadPea Unlimited Season 1 2025 page

Obviously, even should the offer not be extended, anyone who has joined in the fun and enjoyed themselves through the six month gift period can always opt to take out an Unlimited subscription directly with MadPea at the end of that time if they want; but the key thing here is that for the duration of the gift period, no sign-up is required.

As a former MadPea player, I’ll be looking forward to the opportunity to renew my involvement in MadPea’s adventures – so maybe I’ll see you there!

Related Information

Second Life: $1.3B to build; $1.1B paid to creators

Posted on by Inara Pey
Frost Peak, Second Life, November 2024

During the December 6th, 2024 Blogger Town Hall, the company’s co-owner and Executive Chair Brad Oberwager, revealed some outstanding facts concerning the platform: how much, cumulatively, Linden Lab has spent on building Second Life, how much has been paid out to creators, and how much money the company’s various owners have taken out of the company over the years.

At the time he revealed these figures, he did so under and embargo preventing them from being reported until such time as the number were officially released – which occurred on December 20th, 2024, with the publication of an article by VentureBeat’s always excellent Dean Takahashi – see: Linden Lab has spent $1.3B building Second Life and paid $1.1B to creators.

In summary, the figures Mr. Oberwager revealed were that:

  • Linden Lab has spent in excess of $1.3 billion in building Second Life over 20 years, and
  • $1.1 billion over the above, paid out to creators in that time, and
  • $0.0 taken out of the company by shareholders / owners (presumably outside of buy-outs).
That is not a company that strips out profits. That is a company that puts its residents first. 1.3 billion dollars building Second Life. That is something I’m incredibly proud of, and I want the rest of the world to know.

– Brad Oberwager, December 6th Blogger Town Hall Zoom event

However, in talking numbers, the VentureBeat article goes much further, presenting some interesting comparisons between Second Life and Roblox (a platform which also published its own economic summary), are made. These include:

  • A breakdown of pay-outs the two platforms made to their respective creator communities in 2023 (shown below).
2023 pay-out comparison, Second Life and Roblox. Credit: Linden Lab via VentureBeat
  • Despite increasing the costs of cashing-out over the last 8 years, Second Life still only takes some 10% in fees; with Roblox taking an estimated 27%.
  • When taking the comparative size of the two platforms creator communities, it is estimated that a creator in Second Life is 100 times more likely to achieve $10,000 pa income (or greater) than a creator in Roblox.
  • Given the relative sizes of the platforms’ creator pools  / active user counts, the Second Life figures on creator pay-outs are not that far removed from those for Roblox. This is something Philip Rosedale ruminated on (in a wider context) during the December 6th Zoom round table.
Second Life has generated about as much economic opportunity for its community as Roblox has. The population of Roblox, though, is about 50 to 100 times higher than Second Life; so one of the other things it suggests is the ability that a community needs to participate economically in its own activities is probably a lot higher with Roblox … People have made that much money [as those in Roblox], but they’ve done it in a much smaller community in Second Life,  and that’s probably what’s necessary to get the virtual world looking more like the real world. 

– Philip Rosedale, December 6th, 2024

And if the 14 people cashing out US $1 million (or more) comes as a surprise, keep in mind that the SL mesh body / fashion market is huge (and has even led to ventures involving physical world fashion designers); thus, the earning potential within this particular market segment is potentially equally high for gifted creators.

Further, the article notes that the Second Life economy continues to equate to some US $650 million a year, with $78 million paid out to creators in 2023 (up $10 million compared to 2017). And whilst the number of engaged users remains smaller than Roblox, individually, those users have on average been involved in Second Life for some 14 years. All of which offers food for thought – and I recommend reading the VentureBeat article in full.

Looking Ahead

When revealing the numbers on expenditure and total pay-outs to creators on December 6th, Mr. Oberwager noted that since starting his tenure as a co-owner of the Lab in 2020, he has placed the emphasis on spending almost entirely on investment within the platform and it services – and going into 2025, this will be changing.

I can tell you [that] over 20 years, investors have not taken money out of this company. Now the company is worth money [but] everything that we’re making, we’re putting back in.
What I am going to do, is I’m going to start changing where I’m putting that money; and I’m going to start to put that money into marketing dollars, because I want to bring folks into the world – a re-energising of that. It’s not going on be a $100 million dollar marketing campaign, but I think that [with] Second Life, there’s an imperative that it continues, and that it is extremely valuable for folks out there to learn about and come in. 

– Brad Oberwager, December 6th Blogger Town Hall Zoom event

The marketing effort will primarily be focused on attracting users to Second Life through the desktop (as I’ve previously noted – see here and here – the SL Mobile app is currently seen as more as supporting existing users rather than a tool with which to engage new users). Some of this spending actually started in December 2024, but it will become more involved from January 2025.

However, it’s not going to be a case of throwing money in the hope of generating an immediate return in terms of new users (although that would obviously be nice!), but rather a case of spend, review and extend / change, depending on how initiatives work. That said, one potential interesting aspect with the upcoming marketing drive is that it will be synced to the likes of product releases and “new things” LL plan to release in 2025, thus potentially generating more of an interest in those to whom the Lab is marketing in actually signing-up and giving SL a go.

Obviously, how successful these marketing initiatives are remains to be seen. And there will doubtless be more to report on them in the future. For more however, I’ll close with a further recommendation to read Dean’s article over at VentureBeat. Meanwhile, the numbers mentioned above make for interesting reading for the curious and interested; while the VentureBeat article makes for positive reading above Second Life as a whole as Linden Lab commences a new drive towards marketing and (hopefully) growth within the platform’s user base.

Related Links

Linden Lab leverage Convai for AI character generation in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
via Linden Lab

Update, December 21st: this alpha experiment has been suspended for the time being – read more here.

On December 18th, 2024, Linden Lab announced the Alpha release of a new Character Designer, a toolset for the creation and management of AI-backed NPCs (non-player characters) for in-world use.

Access to the new Character Designer is, at the time of writing, limited to Premium Plus account holders only – as was originally the case with access to the Second Life Mobile app; so expect access to be expanded over time in a similar manner to that seen with the SL Mobile app.

The Character Designer provides a solid foundation for immersive roleplay, offering a range of features that let you shape and refine the personalities and behaviours of your inworld characters. Current capabilities include:
  • Early-Stage Roleplay Support – Characters respond intelligently through IM, adapting and evolving as you interact.
  • Custom Personalities and Backstories – Define unique histories, preferences, and communication styles to bring your characters to life.
  • Integration with Existing SL Systems – Connect through a dedicated alt account, set arrival points, and fine-tune behaviour filters for a seamless inworld experience.
For a comprehensive overview of all options and detailed instructions, please see the Getting Started with the AI Character Designer guide.

– from the Second Life blog post on the Character Designer

Character Designer is being developed in collaboration with Convai, a platform for developers and creators proving an intuitive approach to designing characters with multimodal perception abilities in both virtual and real world environments.

Precisely how much of the Convai interface and workflow has been incorporated into the Second Life Character Designer flow is unclear to me (primarily because I do not have a Premium Plus account, and so am currently ineligible for the alpha trial). However, aspects of Convai’s ability to build character backstories and personalities appears to have been utilised, and will potentially be built upon, with knowledge and situational awareness capabilities recorded among a list of “planned enhancements” for the toolset.

With multiple experiments already in progress within Second Life in the use of AI alongside in-world NPCs, the development of the Character Generator and the noted work on an upcoming NPC functionality specifically to compliment its use could be of interest to many in developing NPCs for a range of NPC-related capabilites: for utilisation in actual immersive role-play environments, to shopping assistants, tour guides, to assist with simulations and training, education, and more.

Soon, you will be able to place multiple dynamic NPCs that welcome visitors, provide assistance, and enrich the overall atmosphere of your regions. By combining rule-based behaviour tools with Convai’s Narrative Design system, you can craft evolving narratives that adapt to your visitors’ actions and choices.

– from the Second Life blog post on the Character Designer

Convai promotional video. Note that not all capabilities shown may be applicable to the current SL Character Designer

Further information on the new capability can be found within the official blog post announcement, and the links below. I hope to be able to report more on the capability as I gain access to it with other Premium subscribers in due course.

Related Links

Kitten’s Artistic Gothic Tales in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Kondor Art Centre, November 2024: Kitten – Gothic

I’ve had the pleasure of writing about the art of Kitten (Joaannna) since 2022, and have never ceased to be stunned by her artistic ability when it comes to Second Life photography. Her work spans both landscape and avatar studies, with the former as engaging and rich as those of another Second Life landscape photographer I have long admired, Ziki Questi. Kitten’s avatar studies are equally as rich and evocative – and also contain that element I always enjoy with such pieces: the telling of, or hinting to, a story that reaches well beyond the framing of the subject.

I first encountered the latter during Kitten’s 2022 exhibition Nior, at Nitroglobus Roof Gallery (which also hosted Kitten’s Fourth Wall in 2023), and also through the like of Tales from the Wastelands, also in 2023.

Now Kitten has a further avatar-centric exhibition available for viewing. Hosted at the Kondor Art Centre, operated and curated by Hermes Kondor, Gothic present sixteen black-and-white images which carry with them strong Gothic / Victorian themes, and which touch on horror, mystery and a touch of literature.

Kondor Art Centre, November 2024: Kitten – Gothic

I’ve no idea if thoughts of Halloween  – the exhibition opened on October 31st – sparked the idea for this collection of works, but the fact is that whether it did or not really doesn’t matter; these are pieces for all seasons, and which carry with them a richness of narrative that draws one into them.

Some might overtly put one in mind of classic literature, whilst others do so perhaps in a more subtle manner. Spectral Hound is perhaps the most obvious among the former, bringing forth as it does thoughts of Conan Doyle’s classic tale of The Hound of the Baskervilles, set within the Victorian era; whilst We Have Always Lived In a Castle and Gargoyle might act on that more subtle level, perhaps leading one to thoughts of Bram Stoker and Dracula.

Kondor Art Centre, November 2024: Kitten – Gothic

However, the truth is, each of these 16 pieces stands in is own right as a prompter for the imagination. No reference of literature is really required; only the ability to view each in turn and allow it to speak as the eyes travel over its detail, the words of the tale it wishes to tell evident in the pose and poise of the central character (Kitten herself) and the response to her by everything around her- animate and inanimate.

And I do mean response; setting and character in each image are deeply intertwined, rather than one being the backdrop for the other, as might be the case with a portrait; everything has to be considered as a whole. As to what the stories themselves might be is a matter for Kitten’s images and your imagination; I’ve said more than enough here – other than, as ever, Kitten’s art continues to engaging and enthral –  and I will leave it to you to visit and see what the art says to you.

Kondor Art Centre, November 2024: Kitten – Gothic

SLurl Details