It was about time.
Linden Lab did redesign the region where every new Second Life resident starts their journey:
Orientation Island
Just like everybody else, Robin landed on Orientation Island. Things changed there a lot. The silly mandatory exercise circuits are gone, to begin with.
It has been replaced by the “Second Life Academy.” The academy offers much information about how things work in Second Life in the format of notecards (text) and videos. It’s well done this time and easy to consume.
That will make getting started a lot easier than before.
I found the “Land & Linden Homes” area particularly interesting. Right after the landing area, you can walk over to that section.
It shows a selection of typical Linden Homes on Bellisaria.
From a marketing perspective, that is an excellent move. I always wondered why the Lindens never used the welcome areas to promote their main product: Virtual Land.
In this section, they not just dumped some houses. Instead, they decorated one nicely and asked new residents: So you want a home like this in Second Life?
Excellent sales pitch right from day one.
This will increase the conversion from noob to premium and, therefore, help affiliate marketers make some commissions in the first 60 days of the life of a new Resident.
(Once Linden Lab gets its act together and launches the new affiliate program)
Another attractive section is a shopping district right next to Orientation Island. There are a few different merchants who have shops there. Nothing big, only several small stores selling mainly gimmicks.
The good thing about it is it preconditions the new residents that shopping is a typical activity in Second Life.
That will lead to more Linden-Dollar being sold. Once again, more commission for affiliate marketers and more money is being pumped into the Second Life economy.
(Once Linden Lab gets its act together and launches the new affiliate program)
The Lindens also created a part called “Motown”, next to Orientation Island.
It’s supposed to be an entertainment region featuring some uninhabitable houses, some streets that remind of some of the Urban roleplay regions in Second Life, and a music/dance club.
This would have been a case of “he is trying hard” at school. Every time I was on Orientation Island, Motown was dead. My educated guess is it will remain that way.
What a waste of prims.
Conclusion
The new orientation island is an improvement. It makes the experience for a new user much more manageable and helps affiliate marketers make some money.
(Once Linden Lab gets its act together and launches the new affiliate program)
As a marketer, I am very excited about all the new changes and look forward to promoting Second Life. It has the potential to generate even more revenue than my current top affiliate product 3DXChat.
(Once Linden Lab gets its act together and launches the new affiliate program)
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