Linden Lab's Social Casino (And Controversy About)

 

 For those looking for a little casino action, Linden Lab now has a "Social Casino" where one can play slots and blackjack. However, the move is not going well with some residents.

The news was announced in both the "Shop and Hop" group by Strawberry Linden, and on the Second Life Twitter by the Lab.

We opened up a new Social Casino in Second Life where you can get free chips to play if you login daily. Check it out, it's called Helios Casino & Lounge, landmark is attached:  https://secondlife.com/destination/helios-casino-lounge

Please feel free to share any feedback with me directly and let me know how you like it!

 

Heading to Helios Casino (78/121/23), I was greeted with a HUD coming up, giving some basic directions, and announcing I was being given 500 free chips, plus would be given an additional 120 chips for every day I came back. Examining the place, it was made by various moles, with a "Social Casino Linden" listed as the owner.

Taking a look around, there were just two types of games. There are the slot machines, which pretty much rely on "dumb luck." And then there are the blackjack tables, in which a skilled player can win more often. There are variations in the slot games. And the blackjack tables are a bit different, with some offering different stakes and faster/slower paced games, than others. 

 

If you tun out of tokens and don't want to wait until the next day to get more, you can buy some from an "ATM" by the Lab. These tokens cannot be exchanged back into Linden dollars, and cannot be given/traded to other players.

 

While worth visiting, the place lacked the variety of games of (legal) casinos I've see in the past, such as 777 Studios. But it did seem cleaner and lacking the seedy air of a few such places. 

This might have been the end of the story, but as some might imagine, especially considering the history of gambling in Second Life, the news of a Linden Lab casino has not gone well with everyone. One person started a thread on the forums, asking why the Lab had banned gachas a few years ago if they were too close to gambling and was now opening an actual gambling casino, "Are you drunk, LL?". There would also be a second forum thread "Is Gambling Back?" The Twitter post was full of comments, and a picture from Sheree Honeyflower of a few people holding signs with a gambling problem helpline phone number, "If you're going to provide gambling, you may as well permit gacha." 

 

The comments have been mostly negative, filled with charges of hypocrisy, and calls for the Lab to install some safety measures, or do away with the casino entirely. One commented, "... the decision to actively promote this one is rather, Unclever.  And highly unethical... it's only to prey on the ones having problems with addiction because no sane person drops 5k plus on something that is set to lose anyways."

 

What lies ahead can only be speculated on. Linden Lab may put a cap on the number of tokens that can be bought, do away with the option of buying them, or perhaps do nothing and hope that the issue is forgotten. What is clear is that if they expected little to no criticism, they were mistaken. For now, the Social Casino remains at the Helios Casino sim.

Bixyl Shuftan

SL Video: "Down the Rabbit Hole: CSINY enters Second Life (2007)

 

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From Draxtor Despres, a 2007 video of the CSI Promotion of Second Life, "The new mainstream media tie-in, a 'who dunnit' virtual game coming to Second Life is an interesting marriage of old and new. The Electric Sheep Company releases a special SL browser for the occasion and merges the Metaverse with a successful TV show: is this a new era of growth for SL or the death of all (sub) culture? Are corporate brands taking over? CSI NY detectives say that if you die in the METAVERSE you die in REAL LIFE as well .... oh boy, and I thought Second Life was just a game?"
 

Second Life Spotlight

 

Linden Lab is putting the "spotlight" on residents that have stood out for making a well-designed builds, constructing a fantastic-looking sim, being a driving force behind a dynamic community, a tireless fundraiser whom has raised plenty of money over time for a good cause, an educator whom has given many classes and/or lectures, or some other noteworthy accomplishment.

In honor of the boundless creativity exhibited by Residents over the years, we would like to announce Second Life Spotlight. This weekly post will feature a different Resident to showcase the spectrum of experiences and personalities found in our virtual world.

Whether you have built a cyberpunk metropolis or a serene English garden, we’d love to know your story. Our Flickr is bursting with the work of virtual photography pros, and the live music scene hasn’t missed a beat over the years. Machinima, salsa dancing, the possibilities are truly endless.

If you have created something inworld that you’re proud of and want to share, this is your moment. This isn’t limited to creators. Second Life is home to educators, activists, and community leaders for the underrepresented. If you have had a deeply meaningful experience that could brighten someone else’s day, please sign up!


To sign up for the spotlight, go to the Google doc page (here), and type your name and email adress, and describe a little about yourself and what you do in Second Life, as well as providing a link to a website or social media page where more can be learned about you.

The Lab has already started their Spotlight, several days ago putting it on Second Life artist Bryn Oh.

Today we are shining a spotlight on Bryn Oh. Many Residents are familiar with her work, as she is one of the most talented virtual artists of our time and has spent more than a decade creating art in the virtual world of Second Life.

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One small problem, the page to nominate someone for the Spotlight is made to nominate yourself and no one else. And there are plenty of people whom deserve the spotlight such as Kiana Banana (originally Kiana Writer) of Madpea for her games over the years, content creator Sugar Paw aka Casio Microline (Casio2000), Homes For Our Troops Fundraiser Frets Nirvana, Newser reporter Gemma Cleanslate who's been reporting the news across Second Life for well over a decade, and numerous Relayers such as Stingray Raymaker, Trader Whiplash,  and Matt Carlton.

Perhaps there will be a change as time goes on. For now, Linden Lab says there will be a new person in the spotlight every week.

Bixyl Shuftan
 

PXL Photo Contest : Examples of PXL Creations

Remember our PXL contest about whomever can make the best build using Becky Shamen's PXLs? A few readers have rewuested a few pictures of examples of what can be built from the structures. So Becky made a few examples, such as the sphere above.

Here's a small floating pyramid-shaped structure.

Builds can also include mixed elements, such as this "houseboat."

For more examples, check out these on Becky's own blog.

Now let's see what you the readers can create. The contest ends on June 1, 2015, with 5000 Lindens as the prize.

PXL Photo Contest

Recently, the Newser wrote about Becky "Sha" Shamen's real-life invention, the Pneumatic Crystal Lattice, or PXL, an idea of hers for building lightweight but strong structures capable of floating on water. Recently, she decided to offer an inworld photo contest to help spread the word about the product. Whomever can take the best picture of the most detailed example of architecture made up of PXLs gets 5000 Linden dollars.

You can get a free PXL kit at the SL Newser office in HV Community (140, 85, 25), or you can IM Becky or Editor Bixyl Shuftan for one.

The contest is scheduled to go on until June 1, 2016

SL Video: "What Second Life Means to Me - Skyspinner Soulstar"

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From Skyspinner Soulstar, on June 28, "For the Second Life 12th Birthday video share project, "What Second Life Means to Me" by Skyspinner Soulstar." http://www.skyspinnersoulstar.com/

SL Video: "What Second Life Means to Me: Loki Eliot"

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From Loki Eliot on June 28, "Created as part of a challenge to the Second Life community to capture in video form what Second Life meant to us."

SL Video: "What Second Life Means to Me - Willow Dion "

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Posted n June 27, 2015

SL Video: "What Second Life Means to Me - Stephanie Meyer

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Uploaded on January 20, "I wanted to make a contribution to the celebration of Second Life's twelfth birthday. This is my first machinima, and it is pretty choppy, but I wanted to show some of the things I enjoy in Second Life. In spite of the claims that 'Second Life is a wasteland' one of the reasons the machinima is so jagged is because people kept dropping in - Because of privacy concerns, I had to crop out everything that identified residents by name. If I had had more time I would have tried to get people's permission to include them.

"I used a trial version of Camtasia for Mac to make the machinima. The software was relatively easy to use and I recommend it for anyone who wants to try making a machinima. The upside-down house is a freebie from the Linden Library. The sailboat was a past gift for premium members, as was the dinosaur avatar; however, if you join Second Life soon I think you can get a free dinosaur avatar of your own even if you are not a premium member. Come see!

" Filmed in the River Run Annex in Cecropia, Linden Botanical Gardens, Falmouth Hotel, Chalet Linden* and surrounds, Premium Jungle, a Sandbox, Linden Seas, Tiny Isle of Mists, and River Run in Mocha.
*I called it 'Chateau Linden' in the machinima, sorry."

SL Video: "What SL Means to Me - Patch Linden "

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Published by Linden Lab on June 23, "Patch Linden discusses what Second Life means to him in this insightful video. Second Life is an online 3D virtual world imagined and designed by you. From the moment you enter Second Life, you'll discover a universe brimming with people and possibilities.

"Create and customize your own digital 3D persona, also known as your avatar. Be a fashion diva, a business-savvy entrepreneur, or a robot or all three. Changing identities is quick and easy, so if you tire of your avatars outfit or body, shop for a new one in Second Life or from your web browser. Then switch it in seconds.

"Every minute, Residents assemble buildings, design new fashion lines and launch clubs and businesses. There's always more to see and do."

SL Video: "What SL Means to Me -- Torley Linden"

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Torley Linden's answer to "What Second Life Means to Me," posted on June 16 2015, "Torley Linden discusses what Second Life means to him in this insightful video. Second Life is an online 3D virtual world imagined and designed by you. From the moment you enter Second Life, you'll discover a universe brimming with people and possibilities.

"Create and customize your own digital 3D persona, also known as your avatar. Be a fashion diva, a business-savvy entrepreneur, or a robot or all three. Changing identities is quick and easy, so if you tire of your avatars outfit or body, shop for a new one in Second Life or from your web browser. Then switch it in seconds.

"Every minute, Residents assemble buildings, design new fashion lines and launch clubs and businesses. There's always more to see and do."

Jackson Arthur’s Book Biz

Grease Coakes recently attended one of the events at Book Island, "Jackson Arthur’s Book Biz." There, he and other writers discussed ideas and joked a little. He also got a surprise gift from one author.

Read more in People.

Book Island Discussion

Grease Coakes recently took a trip to Book Island. Book Island is a sim about writing and writers. Over there, there were two discussions that day about fiction and writing. So what does on at these discussions? Grease had a few observations.

Read Grease's story in Events.

Eye on the Blog: Second Life on Amazon with Weekend Promotions

This weekend, it was announced on the Linden Blog that Second Life was doing promotions on Amazon.com.

It’s a new year, and we have news: Second Life is now available on Amazon! 

In addition to the standard Mac and PC versions, we’re offering several bundled packages for sale, which include vehicles to enjoy and L$ to spend inworld or on the Marketplace.

As a special promotion, this weekend only the Starter Vehicle Pack (usually $9.95), which includes a hoverboard and L$1000 will be available for FREE [limit one per customer].

If a friend of yours has been waiting to join Second Life, now is a great chance for them to head over to Amazon and get started with the free Starter Vehicle Pack. Spread the word!

Besides links to the Mac and PC official viewers, there were three offers listed. One was a Premium Vehicle Pack that consisted of a overboard, a sailboat, the dune buggy once available only to Premium members, and 4000 Lindens, for $25 US dollars. Then there was the Deluxe Vehicle Pack with the overboard and sailboat with 2000 Lindens for $15. Last was the Starter Vehicle Pack with the overboard and 1000 Lindens. The latter was not listed as free, but marked "Currently unavailable." Word was people were logging in with alts and when the Lab realized this they took it down. Later on, it was listed at ten dollars.

There have been a number of reactions from residents. There was a thread about it in the official forums, where most residents expressed skepticism. One called it "a fiasco that does further damage to SL's reputation."

Daniel Voyager thought it was a good idea overall, but noted in his comments after his post that those outside the United States couldn't benefit from the promotions. Someone commenting on his article thought it was a good idea, but not thought out very well.

Tateru Nino called the promotions "just plain embarrassing." She noted that Second Life was listed as a "game," a sticking point with her and other residents. The second part was because of the content bundles, which were of various vehicles, calling vehicles in general "the single, weakest, most unreliable aspect of Second Life," and likely to give newcomers a bad impression.

Inara Pey noted the items had been up on Amazon since December 10th, but only now being announced by Linden Lab to the residents. In a second post she felt Linden Lab should be let off about the "game" issue, considering public attitudes and Amazon's limited categories, but not about what she felt was the promotion being far short of it's potential, "the packages are indicative of thinking at the Lab, which is at worst simply lazy, or at best demonstrating an inability to think an idea through."

Probably the most enthusiastic about the promotion was Hamlet Au, who called it "a clever sales system" that could help make up for its declining land sales, "a pretty good idea for driving new revenue." He suggested that anyone who had an Amazon affiliate code add it in to a link to the promotions so they could get a small cut if someone makes a purchase. But many of those commenting on his article weren't so sure.

Eye on the Blog: Linden Lab Offers New Gift Biplane for Premium Accounts

Last week, Linden Lab offered a new freebie for Second Life's Premium account residents. One that the aireal-minded might be interested in: a biplane. In addition, the Lab was opening an airfield sim exclusive for Premium residents.

A new Premium gift is now available! Go Premium today and take flight in your Premium-only airplane for some high flying fun. Zoom around and perform high-speed aerial stunts and acrobatics such as loops, barrel rolls, hard dives and climbs.
Take off in Orville, a Premium-only airfield where you can fuel up your airplane, spend some hangar time with your other flying friends, socialize in the airfield building lobby or watch over the skies from the control tower!

While this plane may be a single-seat aircraft that doesn't mean you can't bring some friends along -- you just might want to tell them to hold on!

The airplane is available to Premium Residents only. To access the exclusive Orville Airport, you must be a Premium member, so don’t delay! Additional Premium benefits include a private home, Linden dollars, as well as expanded support. Take flight and take advantage this limited-time half-off promotion today.* Already Premium? Get it here.

Linden Lab also urged residents to "For a limited time, take advantage of 50% off Premium Membership."

There was no mention of the plane or airfield on the official forums, but it was mentioned in the Second Life Universe forum. One resident posting there remarked, "on a scale of 1 to 5, I give it a 3.5." On the plus side, "Looks great," "Simple usage," Beginner mode takes a minimal amount of effort/practice to get used to," "The propellor actually spins, as opposed to a spinning texture," "I like the subtle trailing smoke." Among the cons, "When crossing a sim border, it repeats the last control input," "It doesn't tell you that you can now click the body of the plane for options," "Whether you're idle or full-throttle, it sounds the same."

SL Youtube: Bay City Promotional

Remember the Bay City Third Anniversary Event? There happened to be a promotional film for Bay City by Marianne McCain, showing off the sights and activities of the SL urban experience.