Sunday, November 10, 2019

Second Life Chronicles: Charging for Updates?!

Ever since the introduction of mesh to Second Life creators have been working tirelessly to bring the very best of mesh bodies, heads and body parts to SL. However as a result of their work they are constantly improving upon their products and in most cases charging quite a hefty sum.

Now I don't mind shelling out hard earned $L's for great product. In fact in the early days of mesh I paid over $3,000L for a mesh head and at the time it was the best in Second Life. However, a few years later that exact same head....... same EVERYTHING, even down to the name was upgraded to smoother mesh and more refined lines. Now you'd think that this 2.0 version of the product would be a free update to those who already paid the 3k+ fee for the original but no...... they called it a "new" product and charged full price for it.  I of course did not buy the upgraded/updated version and never wore the original again. As a person who posts literally hundreds of photos online of my various avatar looks you won't see a single photo or mention of that product or its designer. Their loss.

I have seen the same in a few bodies as well. Same old story..... you pay several thousand L's for a body and shortly after they release an update and charge for it. This is not good customer support. And as before I eventually stop supporting that designer.

Now there are some designers that 100% support their product no matter how many times they upgrade them. Maitreya, Slink, Catwa and more. They charge allot for superior product but they also update for life. Because of this integrity these designers have loyal customers who come back for anything new they release and are quick to tell all their friends about how much they love their products. These creators understand the value of their customers.

Now I know this may come off as complaining and if you think that.... you're correct. I am indeed complaining. I work hard for my money both in SL and RL. If I buy an expensive product like a mesh body or head I expect the designer to stand behind their product 100%. If they design a product, charge allot for it, get other designers to create mesh clothing for it which we buy only to shortly after change the product slightly along with all the clothing and addons that come with it then we as the customers are stuck with a product that no longer gets any support. That's the point.

So before laying down a large sum for that next mesh body, head or addon... pause a moment. Do some due diligence and see if they offer life time support of that product. If they have a history of upgrading then charging for it..... reconsider your purchase. In the end it is our money that does the the loudest talking to these types of content creators.