Update on Linden Lab's Blocksworld

Last month, New World Notes reported that Blocksworld, the building game bought by Linden Lab earlier this year, had become number three of the most popular  iPad apps, "For the first time … Second Life is not Linden Lab's sole hit product." A few days ago however, the reports were less rosy. It wasn't in the top 100 in either the "Overall" or "Games" categories, where the big bucks were made. Where it was showing up was in the "Family" selection of apps. A small source of revenue through parents making purchases, though not nearly the amount top apps like "Candy Crush" make.

Ener Hax's "Iliveisl" blog did a post with a graph showing one reason why many feel it's important to Second Life that Linden Lab gets another product bringing in money: declining tier revenues. From it's peak in 2011 when nearly 25,000 private sims were raking in over five million US dollars, the number has shrunk to less than 20,000 private sims with an income of less then four million US dollars. While the rate of decline seems to be slowing down, it's still a shrinking source of cash for Linden Lab.

Fortunately, there's still Linden Lab's indie game distribution site, Desura. And there are hopes that Oculus Rift could give Second Life a second wind. But it appears the earlier hopes about Blocksworld have been cut down to size.

Sources: New World Notes, Iliveisl 

Bixyl Shuftan