This Sunday July 3rd, the Alien Isle sim had a farewell party thrown for it before the place closed down. It wasn't the beloved classic the Lost Gardens were, but it was interesting and unique in it's own right.A look at the place after the party ended showed a 7 Seas social area, as well as images of specialty alien fish one could catch. Looking around, one could explore the greenery, which was teeming with strange and unusual critters. Transparent pods on the big plant showed some embryonic life of some unseen creature.
The underwater wasn't neglected either. An accidental slip to down below revealed an uneven rocky ocean floor, with cracks valleys and tunnels, with life such as aquatic "fans." Steamy green goo bubbled from one cave.
How much traffic it had is unknown, though it did attract the attention of the popular MadPea area, which announced the farewell party. There was a small gift package left at the scene, which hours later the contents among some residents might have been all that remained of the Isle.
And so, another sim fades away into the nether. What's sadder is they seem to be happening at an increasing rate, as an article by Prim Perfect suggests.
More pictures in Places.
Bixyl Shuftan
What Rod has to understand is that the recent change of TOS which takes away ownership (though legally, ownership can't be taken away) of our virtual land utterly KILLS new land sales. What person in their right mind is going to plunk down 2K$ knowing that the lab doesn't have to give them an island in return unless the lab feels like it? That if they do, then the lab can take it away anytime they like and for any reason that they like? Oh, and no refunds, either.
ReplyDeleteRod needs to add a Landowners TOS, like the following:
1- you own personal property in SL, and that in SL is the only place said property can exist. You can resell, subdivide, rent, etc your property as you see fit so long as it doesn’t violate the TOS.
2- should SL cease to exist, so too will the property. LL is only responsible for the property’s existence as long as SL remains in business.
3- the lab taking the property for any reason shall be required to issue a refund of the full purchase price. No tier shall be refunded however.
4- in the event the owner of property is banned, that owner may sell the property, keep paying for it without benefit of accessing it, transfer it to someone else, or abandon it.
5- other than banning, LL shall not deny the owner of land access to his land.
6- TOS changes for acceptable use shall not be sufficient reason for banning or confiscation. Should the lab change rules for acceptable land use, it shall trade parcels with the owner for a parcel the owner deems acceptable for his desired use which is no longer permitted in the original area.
This covers LL's fanny if SL should close. It gives us confidence that when we buy something, we'll get it. And it addresses the sticky issue of banning as affects property, saying that people can keep it, transfer it, or abandon it. Simple, easy to setup, and will make the people who have enough money to afford sims more willing to actually buy them.
Do this and have a "Welcome Home" program where for the remainder of the year, those who abandoned sims can get them back for free just by picking up the tier again, would get the numbers back up. But the Lab has gone out of its way to drive out customers. If the Lab does not put in a Landowner TOS and address our deepseated mistrust of their bait and switch practices, the deep pocketed customers will stay gone.