I’ve been thinking about SL22B, Second Life’s big birthday celebration, which is coming up next week. Around this time every year, I also find myself reflecting on whether I would buy SecondLifetime Premium Plus again in 2025.
Back at SL20B, Second Life introduced SecondLifetime Premium and SecondLifetime Premium Plus. It was a limited offer, and I was able to buy just one SecondLifetime Premium for $749 dollars. Then during SL21B, they gave us the option to upgrade from regular lifetime to Plus. I went for it and spent another $1,150 dollars to upgrade my main account. I also bought a brand new SecondLifetime Premium Plus for my alt at the full price of $1,899 dollars. So altogether, I’ve spent $3,789 dollars for two lifetime accounts.
Did I need two lifetime accounts? Last year, I would have said yes without hesitation. I wanted to lock in my Linden Homes permanently. I do not consider myself a creator, so the free uploads were not a huge deal for me. I also do not care about being in a hundred groups. The biggest appeal for me was living rent free in my Linden Homes. That was enough to justify it at the time.
Back then, I had a lot more confidence in Second Life as a company. These days, that confidence has faded. Would I buy another lifetime subscription this year? No, I would not. If they offer it again in very limited numbers, I guess my choice to pass gives someone else a shot at it. If you want one of these, you should pay attention during the Meet the Lindens event at SL22B next week and be ready to submit your ticket fast.
Lately, I keep asking myself how long a Second Lifetime really is. I hope the answer is forever, or at least long enough to break even. We are living in unpredictable times, and Second Life could disappear at any moment. None of us want that, but at the end of the day it is a company, and companies can go under. Everyone who bought Lifetime like I did is hoping Second Life stays around long enough for us to enjoy the full value of our long lifetime subscriptions.
What I’m Wearing:
Exile – Siryn @ Hair Fair
Red Blossom – Possessive Doll @ Anthology
Red Blossom – Possessive Doll Sleep Mask @ Anthology
Glam Affair – Ninel (L005)
LeLutka – Billie Mesh Head
![[ a.e.meth ] - Pepperoni Pizza Server](https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/394/19386724275_4a2ff1e650_z.jpg)
![[ a.e.meth ] - Beer Serving Tray](https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/361/19363665125_0f73a090bf_z.jpg)
![[ a.e.meth ] - Wearable Campfire](https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/495/19340286265_a1c4b111c9_z.jpg)
Thank you for this thoughtful post, Gogo.
Why did you have Linden Lab confidence in 2023 and 2024 and not now in 2025?
I’m definitely less in the loop than you, however things feel like they’re on the same even-ish keel that they’ve been on this side of The Lab’s acquisition. I remember when The Lab was acquired, some were screaming “Death Spiral,” while others were screaming “New Golden Age.” To me, it’s been neither extreme and more or less constant. While not a product from The Lab, the introduction of Primfeed a year ago has been a huge boost to the SL experience for me.
My take is that The Lab has sort of made peace with the idea that SL will never actually gain a truly new user, but that there’s a sufficiently large core of true believers who can keep it profitable for the foreseeable future. I don’t think onboarding has gotten any easier. I feel like The Lab focuses less on new users and instead on more products to sell the true believers. To a new user a US$40 last name would be insane, but to a long-running user, it’s an expense that can be worth it. A while back The Lab massively increased the “tax” (fees) for buying Linden Dollars. In so many ways I read The Lab’s actions as abandoning new users in favor of new things to sell long-time users.
I may sound cynical, and perhaps I am a bit, but my point is that while SL may not be sustainable into the 22nd century, it feels to me like it’s on a solid foundation to keep trekking along for plenty more of the 21st.
Have things in the last year made you change your mind on this, Gogo?
2025 has been a tough year economically, and I think that affects Second Life on some level. The user base is not really growing. Instead of expanding, it feels like Second Life is trying to get more money from the same group of users. But there is only so much we can spend. That is why my confidence is lower this year. I just do not know how sustainable this is without real user growth.
PS: adorable photo!! 😀
When you say you wouldn’t buy a 2025 Lifetime… Is that AGAIN? Or you wouldn’t recommend it to someone else for a first time either?
I probably wouldn’t buy it in 2025, but someone else can. I already have too many.