Socially|Mundane

According to Tateru Nino over at Massively, It's "Ursula."

The push to add a third rating in Second Life is in full swing. In addition to "PG" and "Mature" we also will have "Adult". She also reports that "PG" might be renamed to something else (good - because why would adults - which you must be one to even use Second Life - need "Parental Guidance"?)

The new continent is in place. It's called Ursula and currently includes 153 sims, each named contiguously "Ursula 000" - as in Ursula 151, Ursula 152, Ursula 153.

For me, the real question will be in how that land will be sold by Linden lab. I don't personally care because even though my store and products might possibly be called "mature" by some people and I am on "PG" land, I ensure that I follow the Second Life Terms of Service and Community Standards in my implementation.

The new continent of "Ursula" containing 153 sims and still appears incomplete. For some reason the name "Ursula" is fitting. Perhaps a false 'Deja-Vu' but I seem to remember a naughty character in some story whose name is "Ursula" - so it conjures very adult-rated images in my head. Some building can be seen in the central north region of the Continent.

You have to actively choose to go into my store by action, and then once there, actively use the demonstration items on the showroom floor. So I'm in the clear right where I am and I am quite happy with it.

The Linden Info-Hub as it currently stands at Arapaima - the apparent access point into the Ursula Content.

So I popped over to Arapaima, which Tateru reports is the Linden Info Hub access point to Ursula continent. In typical Linden fashion, it's a smart, handsome build with a lot of room for the crowds who will no doubt gather there, most trying to get into the Ursula continent, I'm sure.

I tried. No-go. The entire continent is completely blocked, which makes sense as the Lindens are still hammering nails and running wire. It's likely the drywall isn't even up, yet.

Trying to pop-into Ursula from Arapaima is a no-go as all access is currently blocked. In fact, it will likely never have 'public' access as they test the code that will restrict unverified residents.

So, as I have mentioned, the real question is - since "Adult" content will be 'required' to be on this continent and not allowed (more or less) on any of the other mainland (Linden-owned) continent - how will they sell it?

If they go with status quo by auctioning off the entire sims, there will be a huge public backlash. The established and wanna-be land barons will jack the auction prices to ridiculous levels, then slice and dice and charge exorbitant prices for the parcels. Since this is basically a "compelled to be on" continent, a lot of arms will feel like they are being twisted.

Ouch.

If I were "M" - I would approach it this way: slice and dice the sims into parcels, sell the parcels directly, just like first land was sold back in the day (but for L$2 per square meter instead of L$1.)

Here is the reason why, and all you people who bitch and whine: please try not to take anything personal, it's purely a business decision...

These icons likely appear at all Linden Info-hubs, but may start appearing all over the grid? (Just kidding.)

None of this applies to private estates. So sweep all of them completely off this table. You must be a premium account holder to purchase land on any Linden-own sim (unless you purchase for a group) - and you get 512 square meters tier-free. So technically, 4608 square meters still falls in the "4096" tier level (your first 512 is free) - but for the sake of simplicity, let's sweep that free first 512 off the table also.

The way the tier system works - the 'rent' you pay to Linden Lab for land - is like so: it's a flat fee when you own a certain amount of land, with 'bumps' and you are billed for the maximum amount of land you owned for the billing period.

Example: I have a 1024 parcel. I want to move to another 1024 parcel. If I buy the second parcel and then sell the first only one-second later, I owned 2048 square meters for one second (both parcels) - so I will be billed at the 2048 tier level for that billing period. The wise thing to do is to sell (or abandon) the first parcel, then after it sells, buy the second one. That way I never own more than 1024 at any single time and my tier will continue unchanged.

In typical Linden style, the Info-hub is well done. Beautiful, even. These are pictures, not windows. A nice touch with detail.

This means everyone who will feel compelled (or simply want) to move to Ursula will go and snap-up that land at L$2 per square meter. At that price, they'll snatch a lot of it.

Most will not be thinking about what I explained above: selling their current holding first before the land-grab. Thus, their tiers will be bumped dramatically for at least one billing cycle. And, with the mass exodus from the current mainlands to Ursula, there is the possibility that bumped tier could last over a couple billing cycles as land in the old locations might sell slowly with such a glut appearing all of a sudden.

Of course, some also will make that decision consciously, feeling the temporary bump in tier is worth it to make the move easier, rather than tearing down and business being 'offline' during the moving process.

As a business decision, Linden Lab gets a nice infusion of cash and yes, I know many will simply cash-out Linden Dollars for credit - but you get the point.

There is not only the feeling of being compelled to buy land in Ursula, but it is a new digital wilderness as well. That always sells fast, not to mention the novelty of it. I admit it's kicking around in my head to maybe pick-up a small parcel there. Just so I can say I have one.