Second Life sees record usage but bleeds paid accounts
Second Life hit an all-time high in total hours spent by avatars in-world but shed more premium accounts in June, according to new statistics from Linden Lab.
Pirated content deleted from Second Life
Linden Lab has deleted objects from the virtual world in response to DMCA complaints, according to resident reports.
SL banks scramble for survival ahead of deadline
With less than a week to go before Linden Lab’s ban on unlicensed banking goes into effect, the Second Life financial sector is scrambling to cope.
Second Life usage down over five percent in November
Month-to-month usage of Second Life declined sharply in November.
Linden Lab sees land supply, prices flat through Q1
Linden Lab expects to keep land ownership fees constant through the first quarter of 2008, and plans to keep the land supply constant by only replacing abandoned parcels.
Second Life user hours drop in August
The total number of hours spent within Second Life declined by nearly 1 percent in August, the first drop in a year and a half.
Merchants pin hopes on back-to-school rush
As Kenny Hudson toured the prison, he took in the peeling paint in the common area, the graffiti that covered the bathroom stalls, and the hidden nooks where inmates hide contraband. Another school year in Second Life was set to begin.
Deficits, money supply and the Second Life business cycle
A fascinating essay raises questions about how Linden Lab manages the Second Life economy. The bottom line: “It appears very likely that Second Life will experience at least some form of economic recession.”
Increased supply spurs fear of Second Life land glut
Newly created land in Second Life has outpaced population growth in recent months, resulting in a bigger and emptier virtual world. And with no signs of a slowdown in Linden Lab’s virtual land factory, Second Life property magnates expect land prices to fall further due to the ballooning supply.
Growth slump threatens gloom for SL businesses
A three-month slowdown in the growth of Second Life’s population and economy is putting the squeeze on some virtual entrepreneurs, even as others report that business has never been better.
Second Life population slumps in June
The number of active Second Life users declined 2.5 percent to 495,000 in June, and the growth in total user hours slowed to its lowest rate in six months, according to data released on Tuesday by Linden Lab.
It was unclear if the decrease in active users reflected a seasonal slump or a broader downturn.
Second Life growth cools, women outnumbered 3-to-1
Women made up only 26 percent of the almost 1.2 million logins to Second Life in May, according to data released by Linden Lab, but the average female resident spends twice as much time in-world per month.
Profitable resident growth hits record pace
The number of Second Life residents with a positive monthly cashflow rose 25.9 percent to 31,929 in March, the highest percentage increase since Linden Lab began tracking the figure in October.
High-end business profit growth rebounds in Feb.
Growth in the number of Second Life residents making more than US$5,000 a month rebounded in February after slowing to a crawl in January, according to newly released Linden Lab data.
Rival Second Life stock exchanges merge
The Metaverse Stock Exchange is merging with the rival World Stock Exchange, which was launched by LukeConnell Vandeverre’s Hope Capital last month but has been beset by technical problems that have frustrated traders and investors.
Europe takes lead in Second Life users
Europeans make up the largest block of Second Life residents with more than 54 percent of active users in January ahead of North America’s 34.5 percent, according to new Linden Lab data.
Linden sees further drop in real estate prices
Second Life real estate prices have climbed to undesirably high levels and land speculators could suffer when more land is created, Linden Lab Chief Financial Officer John Zdanowski said on Friday.
Hi-end Second Life profit growth stalls
Growth in the number of Second Life residents making more than US$5,000 a month slowed to a crawl in January after the record pace set in the previous month.
December business profits climb
December was a strong month for Second Life business owners as the number of residents with a positive cash flow climbed 26 percent, with the biggest percentage rise coming among business owners earning more than US$5,000 a month.
How far does the Linden dollar travel?
Linden Lab Chief Financial Officer John Zdanowski has released new financial metrics on the Second Life economy which show a steady ratio between the virtual world’s money supply and transactions between residents, known to economists as the velocity of money.
