If you’re interested in There.com, you should take this survey.
Thanks.
P.S. If you’re a regular reader of this blog (for which I thank you) you would remember that some of these ideas were discussed in this post about a month after There closed. This is not to say that There2 would be what was discussed in this post (particularly the bits about exposing real names to the public), but to illustrate that we’ve been thinking about this a long time.
P.S.S. As of 11:18 MDT on Friday, April 8th, we’ve had 533 people complete the survey.
P.S.S.S. As of 19:33 MDT on Friday, April 8th, we’ve had 790 people complete the survey.
P.S.S.S.S. Some silly persons are saying Virtual Congress is closed because they can’t get to it. Nothing could be further from the truth. Truth be told, Virtual Congress and Makena got tired of tracking down and booting imposters, so we’ve just made it harder for them and easier for the real users to get to it.
P.S.S.S.S.S. Here are the results as of 13:02 MDT on Sunday, April 10, 2011:
P.S.S.S.S.S.S. I wanted to add one thing here. When we decide what to do, I intend to post the actual financial #s we used to make the decision, including things like aggregate salaries, benefits, cloud costs, fees, etc, etc, so you can see what it takes to run this service in California. You won’t get to argue about salaries and benefits: I’m not getting paid, and people we do pay are being paid correctly for their positions. But you’ll see what we use to make this decision.
IF we re-open, I promise I’ll do this every month, too. I don’t want people to think for a second that we’re rakin’ in the dough here.
P.S.S.S.S.S.S.S. Numbers as of 04/12/2011 at 11:00 MDT
P.S.S.S.S.S.S.S. Numbers as of 04/15/2011 at 07:30 MDT
We’ve decided to do a mass mailing and have extracted the millions of addresses we’re going to have to email to (some with some truly exciting explorations of profanity in domain names). We can’t (or won’t) be using a commercial service to do the mailing due to cost, but will write a quick script this weekend and use Amazon SES or something.
P.S.S.S.S.S.S.S.S. There’s a very foolish person out there claiming I’m not the CEO of Makena / There. Of course, they’re ignoring the fact this blog has existed before There ever closed, and includes screen shots and images which couldn’t have come from anywhere else.
I assure you all I’m the real thing here, and I feel kind of silly even responding to these rantings, but there you are.
P.S.S.S.S.S.S.S.S.S. There were 42 hits to this page and the survey referred from There.com yesterday. That’s actually less than the hits we got from Thumdar and YowNow (yes, we still get hits from there, both directly and from their “clandestine” methods), and Onverse. I hope we get more today, but unfortunately the home page doesn’t get much traffic these days. Maybe if I somehow put links to Trump’s presidential bid on there…hmmm…
I am so There 
#1 by JS on 2011.05.19 - 11:30 pm
I guess you saw that OurThere.com video above and then likely contacted them and threatened a lawsuit because I went to OurThere.com and it wasn’t there anymore. I am sure you wouldn’t want another environment with that name. That is for sure.
#2 by JS on 2011.05.19 - 3:24 pm
Hey maybe in this inside info area we can also get some interesting little tid-bits and morsels whatever that means on the engineering stuff. Today our guys worked on the login page. It is looking good. Things are going well. But then again that might be more than you want to tell. Hey what about doing a reality show with your company? Called Virtual World Crazy where we see the trials and tribulations of keeping a virtual world alive. Then scenes will cut to some inworld drama. Maybe a few good arguments. A buggy race or two. Get the cameras rolling and start editing now. Send in your demo to a couple cable network people.
#3 by JS on 2011.05.19 - 12:08 pm
All these clowns talking about free. They still want it free. Of course they want it free because they are children without a dime, nicotine addicted so they can only afford their dirty cigarettes. Drug addicted. Who knows. Get real about free. Have you been under a rock? Don’t you know that business model failed and they have brainstormed a way to hopefully get this going at a profit? What else do you want free in life? Everyone wants everything free. I am sure if Michael Wilson was a billionaire he would make it free because that is the kind of guy he is. I would do it too. I would pay engineers to keep developing it. Spend thousands to publicize it all at a loss. Why not I have nothing better to do with my billions of dollars. It would just be a fun virtual environment project. An experiment. I would lose millions. So what I enjoy it. But guess what cry babies this place isn’t free so get used to it. They tried it free but you tight wads didn’t buy enough tbucks and only put your portazones out for 30 minutes at a time because you were trying to save your dirty money for your local indian casino to throw down the tubes.
So put your money where your mouth is and pay the lousy 10 bucks a month. Sure I was a beggar and hoping for 6.95 but when I thought about it 10 dollars is what? 33 cents a day? Think about it. Make yourself a fake coin slot next to your pc when There comes back. Put 33 cents in and BOOM you are into There.com for 24 hours. That is a good deal if you go have some fun. Drive around some buggies. Talk to people. Enjoy your virtual life. So quit crying and get your priorities straight.
#4 by Infamous on 2011.07.13 - 1:26 am
“What else do you want free in life?”
A Alienware M17x Would be nice.
#5 by Warren on 2011.05.15 - 3:41 am
Hi,
If I can have There back, I would pay 20 bucks a month on the 6 month plan. 10.00 is better. Thanks.
#6 by Helper_Suzanne on 2011.05.13 - 6:43 pm
Mr Wilson
Would love to see THERE back, would love to be back. Contact me if there is anything I can do to help.
#7 by Jason Leng on 2011.05.12 - 2:20 pm
Never got to do the survey but – I’m sure I would pay $10 every now and then to catch up with friends on there and enjoy the boarding, monster trucks n harleys etc used to love hangin our at the bar in zephyr with mates n listenin to tunes whlie having a drink at home. Also enjoyed the card games and events. Well lots of things let all admit it There was the best 3d chat program out THERE 😉
knight79au
(2003 member of There)
#8 by rift private server on 2011.05.12 - 10:36 am
OMG i can’t wait for Rift to get out of beta tomorrow :0
#9 by Kerry Omar on 2011.05.12 - 8:41 am
MW I think you ought to go over the survey again and find who the 18 year olds are who are saying no to paying just to be mean. Take into consideration that there are a group of under 18 people that if they can’t be in the game they will ruin it for the rest of us. They can’t think in the future self that may want to play the game they are basically in the now zone of thinking and being revengeful. The If-I-can’t-play-then-no-one-can frame of mind. They can’t afford to play so they vote no. We who have jobs and can pay and maybe some who are too busy to read their emails are still willing to pay but have not yet taken the survey. The kids that don’t have jobs and now school is out have too much time on their hands so of course they know about the survey. Once there opens the word will spread like wild fire. Everyone who wants there to open tell your there friends who have money to take the survey and say yes to paying so there will open again. And please those who are 17 or close to 18 vote yes because some day you will have a job.
#10 by bebe bodycon on 2011.05.10 - 6:21 am
Solved it, I was missing a ‘/’ in my http://. Thanks!
#11 by VVVVVV on 2011.05.09 - 1:45 am
Is this idea dead??? No post in days.
#12 by Ant1977 on 2011.05.10 - 2:36 am
There are more discussions and updates in other parts of this blog.
https://theremichaelwilson.wordpress.com
#13 by VVVVVV on 2011.05.07 - 3:01 pm
Can we play already geez,lol.
#14 by bebe bodycon on 2011.05.07 - 11:16 am
Hey, tried adding your site to google reader and it shows an error message, any idea?
#15 by Okalnix on 2011.05.07 - 3:57 am
I Be Back.
Alway’s wanted to say that just befor the upplug of there.com.
Its great to hear that There is comming back.
If needed to pay a mouth pay its fine with that.
Most online games have that, so go re opening there.
For me I have learn english and a littlke typing to .
So voice talke is for me a good thing if there is also have that still.
If there indeed comming back online I be there to.
And hopping to do a lott events on Dune vally,I like to race buggy and events.
Just wanted to let you know also people of my country Netherlands wanted to have there.com back.
Thanks for reading this
Greeting form Netherlands.
#16 by Free There on 2011.05.06 - 3:26 am
Make it free for all and you’ll certainly get rich.
#17 by www.adm201.info on 2011.05.06 - 3:25 am
I’d go for $10 / month.
but prefer it to be free. I think there.com will be a potential replacement of facebook if only you are willing to invest time and effort to expose it to the public.
#18 by rachel on 2011.05.07 - 5:40 am
I agree on both counts; There should be free and it can (and should) be the next facebook. I don’t understand how all these other inferior and limited virtual worlds are up and running and either making money or have investment funds but There couldn’t/doesn’t. Michael, count me in as helping to make this happen. I have many ideas that I would be happy to send to you by email should you be interested.
#19 by Wolfdemon on 2011.05.05 - 7:27 pm
Ah, um I mean to reopen the new There2. I sure do miss hoverboarding at Top of the World! ^^
#20 by Wolfdemon on 2011.05.05 - 7:20 pm
Wow, I must say I was extremely surprised to recieve and email about the possibility of There.com reopening. I am very excited to hear that’s even being considered and I would without a doubt be happy to pay a monthly fee to keep There.com open again. I’ve missed it very much and there really is no other Virtual World that remotely compares to what There.com was. So, anyone and everyone that has been a fan of There.com and wants it to reopen I urge you all to vote to pay to play so that we can re-enter what we considered our virtual home once again.
#21 by dragonpimp on 2011.05.03 - 3:02 pm
Hey MW, Just wanted to wish you luck on reopening There! I miss it alot, See you all soon!
#22 by Kumar Sidoo on 2011.05.01 - 9:57 am
Hey Michael, I would like to get a Beta Account I was Demmetri on There (Yes I had a name without characters or numbers) I do have the time to do the testing etc. If you were looking for them just email me (sidoo3@aol.com) Thanks I hope you take up that offer. 🙂
#23 by Truck on 2011.05.01 - 7:27 am
Thank you M.W. i recived the notice of the survey on 4 of my emails 2 day. i will not redo the survey to me it would be stuffing the balet box sence i did it last month. but it was great to recive it. i just hope people do the same and not give a nasty responce over and over! I tryed the rest now i want to play the best! THERE.com!
#24 by Playstation3 on 2011.05.01 - 4:56 am
Good luck MW, i hope you can get There.com open and not just make it profitable but make it alot of money from it. You really deserve it, its a wonderful system.
#25 by Baby_Me on 2011.04.30 - 3:45 pm
When there closed it was so boring around. Now today it gets boring once in a while and there.com is still a missing part of my daily living. lol. Cant wait to be able to log in and ride my buggies.
#26 by ALBIS on 2011.04.30 - 8:08 am
how many the life time accounts have to pay
#27 by Grimm on 2011.04.29 - 10:10 am
Wow…. a dark part of my life just got a little bit brighter!
I’d like to take this opportunity to offer my services to you, Mr Wilson, for free, in any way I am able. There was a real income generator for myself, as well as many of the other superbly talented designers I had the honor of knowing during my time in world. That opportunity in itself is enough to offset the personal costs to me of whatever you might need done. You have my portfolio in your backup, and hopefully my artistic skill level is on par with what you might need to get things going again. Please consider my offer 🙂 I’m willing to sign whatever paperwork or contracts you need signed to make sure I keep my word 🙂
On another note –
For the people who are having issues understanding the costs of running a business like this, consider the following:
You are going to need an art team, and a programming team, and a web team in the talent pool. The smallest acceptable amount of people for each of those teams, is let’s say, two.
You’re also going to need to have an accountant – at least one – to handle payroll, bills, accounts receivable etc. One person would be overworked, but could JUST do it.
Here’s how much JUST those people would cost you, as an owner:
Accountant II – 42,450
Graphic Artist – 35,693 x2 = 71,386
Web Designer II – 37,080 x2 = 74,160
Applications Programmer – 55,635 x2 = 111,270
Bringing the total yearly cost for this TINY and UNDERPAID team (the salaries quoted are from salary.com, and represent the lowest 10% of the curve) to $299,266, or $21,938.83 per month.
And that’s just the cost of paying your employees. There are also costs for providing office space, electric bills and other utilities, hardware costs for the workstations these employees will use, software licensing fees from companies like Adobe and Discrete, the list goes on. My best guess for something like this to succeed – and just barely at that, would be in the 50K to 75K per month range, if EVERY possible corner was cut. And if you didn’t pay yourself.
I’m thinking that to be profitable with a skeleton crew like that, There would need in the neighborhood of 10,000 paying monthly users at $10 each. I know MW can’t say one way or the other that I’m right, but I’m pretty sure I’m at least in the ballpark.
If it makes any difference, I’d be willing to pay at least $30 a month. Maybe more. It would definitely be worth it to me as a developer to get this place re-opened 🙂
#28 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.29 - 10:36 am
There is good news and bad news about your numbers.
The good news is that you overestimated the size of the skeleton .
The bad news is that you’ve underestimated the salaries. I might be able to get those number offshore, but here? In California? No way :-(. And that’s not counting the fact the I hear some new Virtual Worlds are paying for Scholarships, Medical care for all families (both immediate and extended), clone bodies for organ donation, physiatrics care, personal trainers, personal cleanse counselors, dog whisperers, martial arts training, and tickets to the royal wedding.
Also, we still have all our old licenses, so we don’t pay for those (even if we did, that’s cap-ex and not ongoing expense, and hardly worth quoting).
But we’re both right. It doesn’t cost $2000/month to run There ;-).
#29 by Islander on 2011.04.29 - 11:03 am
So what costs more? Grimms overestimated skeleton and underestimated salary prediction or the real thing????
#30 by Grimm on 2011.04.29 - 11:09 am
I know I underestimated the salaries 😉 As I said, I took what the bottom 10% of the payscale was, on the average, in the US, and used those numbers for as conservative an estimate as I could get. Hopefully more people will be able to see now how very expensive a virtual world is to run.
And my offer still stands 😉
#31 by DavyRocket on 2011.04.30 - 12:56 pm
I am with Grimm on this one. I am willing to donate my service’s aswell. Though 35k a year would work for me aswell 😉 And this site is really becoming slow
loading for me. I also recieved the email ”’yay.
#32 by Orielle on 2011.04.30 - 7:00 pm
The Style of There by Don Carson – Sr. Art Director
Those interested in making things in the style of There should really check out Don Carson’s work. 😛
#33 by Mercuria on 2011.05.01 - 5:01 am
Oh gosh, I’d be willing to work for peanuts just to see There open again.
I don’t need a dog whisperer either!
#34 by Aveena There on 2011.04.25 - 12:32 pm
Happy Easter MW. Hope you had a great one. I hoping There will rise again like, well not Jesus, that would be sacrilegious, but like the phoenix. I do appreciate all the patience you have shown in answering these questions. Keeping fingers crossed. Av 🙂
#35 by ericman1967 on 2011.04.24 - 4:27 pm
Michael
I have a family with 3 accounts to pay for,,have you thought of family packs,multiple account packs,or packs that come with there bux,I realy want there back ,i was on for 2 years before shutdown ,and was a guide(oh will there be guides?) but i cant see myself buying monthly fees for three accounts and buying there bux also.(i would if i had the money)But if you havent thought of pack deals ,spin it around you budget and see if it makes sense to you!
#36 by Secrets of Vonira on 2011.04.24 - 11:11 am
1337 comments as of now. Let us keep it that way.
#37 by lionsheart on 2011.04.24 - 7:48 am
Dear Mr W ( Mr White mouse) , as you said you made a back up for there as in there 2, does this mean you are going to
procede with the experiment?………
You also said the answer is 42 which is the answer to everything (as like the plant pot already knew), this means we have
been here before probably 42 times…lol…
So my question to the mice is, will the experiment be the same or will you want to leave something out this time round?
How many brains does it take to feed the machine?….
Lionsheart
#38 by Mademoiselle Fifi on 2011.04.22 - 4:16 pm
Very cool video Jordan….i wish there was one on the There.com site, along with a members testimonials, to show new potential members, how great There is.
#39 by Jael on 2011.04.22 - 1:25 pm
This is pretty exciting and I took the survey. I want to point out that I did not see any ThereMail in my email. There just happened to pop in my head this afternoon and I decided to visit the site. With as much spam as people get nowadays as well as a lot of email addresses likely having gone inactive, I’m sure there are still a lot of people who don’t know about this survey, making the data somewhat unreliable. Hopefully those who are still in touch with old There friends have passed the word along and encouraged them to take the survey.
Despite being a beta lifetime member I would also most definitely sign up for a 6-month/1-yr paid subscription to support the project.
Thank you for making this much of an effort!
#40 by drfire on 2011.04.22 - 12:48 pm
holy crap.this is awesome! we will have our stuff back?
#41 by Mercuria on 2011.04.22 - 6:24 am
I just want to say that I hope and pray that enough people will be willing to pay a monthly fee for There to re-open. I hope that we have thousands of people who love There enough to commit to this.
I would love to develop for There again. The program was great, I enjoyed making things for There way better than any other place.
When There closed it was like losing a home. I want to go home again. 🙂
Thank you MW for even considering this!!!
#42 by kevinf on 2011.04.22 - 4:42 am
I honestly cannot believe the amount out outcry over a stipulation that will note: DD/MM/YY… Allowing you to anonymously input whatever you want…. The game is 18+ only for legal reasons, in case something does happen. I can assure you with certainty, there.com will not ask for identification as part of the registration process. . . . . (DISCLAIMER: Evenstupider corp does not endorse falsifying information)
#43 by Chris on 2011.04.22 - 2:53 am
Michael!
Oh sorry, I have another question? When you decide you can financially afford it, will it come out straight away and open, then updates will be included as time goes on? Or will we have to wait a lengthly period of time before There.com2 comes out? I’m not asking for a release date or if it will be coming out. I just wonder how long you believe it will take for it to release AFTER or IF you have decided it will be financially equal or profitable?
#44 by Chris on 2011.04.22 - 2:44 am
If you bring out There.com again, I’ll love you forever! ^-^ If you need any help just give a yell!
#45 by Jordan on 2011.04.22 - 2:35 am
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mitOdJEbFfQ I kinda got bored and made this, I doubt it will help much, but anything is helpful. :3
#46 by SugarL on 2011.04.20 - 3:31 pm
I just want to say tyvm Mr. Wilson for even considering opening back up There.com. I can not tell you enough how much just the shear freedom and the many toys we had to enjoy has been greatly missed. I have tried maybe all of the virtual worlds that have been around and have popped up but I must say that There along with vmtv ARE BY FAR the best worlds at people being able to be free and actually have fun. I do hope maybe you’ll consider bringing back the sparkles but just knowing There may be open soon and the mountains will be there is great.
#47 by OdileS AKA MmeOdile on 2011.04.20 - 4:36 pm
What do you mean when you talk about the sparkles? TY 🙂
#48 by Mike on 2011.04.20 - 10:35 am
I got really excited when I went on There’s website to check and see if by some miracle it had re-opened. I went here directly afterwards. As soon as I read that you would be making 18+ I died a little bit on the inside. Could you make the age limit lower, like 15+? I honestly don’t think griefing would be a problem. Could you maybe make the minors go through a maturity test or try to develop an anti-griefing system. I’m not sure how someone would be able to grief you if you put them on ignore and put up your forcefield. If you were constantly being grieifing because you left your forcefield off when you went AFK or you just didnt want to put it on, wouldnt that be that person’s fault and they could fix it? I read in the comments about protecting the minors from pedophiles too. Could you put a panic button in the client for minors and they could submit a report. Secondlife had their own Teen Grid and they were perfectly fine. SecondLife moved the Teen Grid over to the Main Grid! SecondLife has come up with ways to protect minors and There was very well developed, so I think this wouldnt be a problem to implement security features. I have my own debit card for my Google Merchant account because I develop Android Applications, so I do show a level of maturity.
Come on at least try to let us on There?
-Mike
#49 by Mike on 2011.04.20 - 10:37 am
I would be willing to pay a monthly subscription and and pay in advance. I’m sure other minors would too.
#50 by José on 2011.04.20 - 12:19 pm
he already said that would be too expensive sorry but no itl be 18+ check the FAQ list
#51 by Kev on 2011.04.20 - 8:21 am
Hey MW, I’m just wondering IF There does reopen, will there finally be a Mac OSX version?
#52 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.20 - 8:25 am
Yes, there will.
#53 by NurseJay on 2011.04.19 - 5:38 pm
The possibility of there opening is quite thrilling! I have found absolutely nothing that I like nearly as much! The unique ability to use voice/chat/play cards/drive/quest etc… are not found in any one world. If there.com is using cloud technology, would it be possible to have a low level app to enter certain aspects of the world from iphone? I play pocket legends and it is pretty amazing the level of play possible on ipod/ipad/iphone. I can just imagine a there.com spades app. Or the word game “Cracked” app. Also, in regards to a prior post about inventory… pocket legends has a storage unit where you can transfer to storage many of your items (expansion storage purchasable) and pick up the items you want with your various other avatars. This works great for transferring weapons and even gold among various avatars. Perhaps something similar could be used in there.com for those with multiple avatars.
#54 by Joeydantonio on 2011.04.19 - 5:21 pm
Hey when can we get a new numbers update? How are things looking so far? 🙂
#55 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.19 - 5:49 pm
No comment.
#56 by Kev on 2011.04.20 - 8:18 am
Does that mean its not looking good?
#57 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.20 - 8:20 am
No it doesn’t mean that at all. I’m just being realistic here, as all of you should too.
#58 by Rick on 2011.04.19 - 4:16 pm
Mr wilson, Banned users did spend as much and some even more money than some thereians that never got commitd any infractions so are you thinking of unbanning some? i mean its a new start they should be given a chance besides the SCAMMERS , HACKERS ETC. the people that were banned cause of griefing or bad language should be given a chance, and itl be 18+ so what do you think? its more $ for there.com and an opporunity for people that loved the world to go back in and act correctly this time (im not a banned user but some of my best friends got banned and i do wish they could come)
#59 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.19 - 5:48 pm
See below.
#60 by martin71 on 2011.04.19 - 1:20 pm
what i think you should do MW is for the newbies to have the pay by the hour to see if they like it or not and the other option is to have a monthly fee for the ppls who will stay on there.com
#61 by Mademoiselle Fifi on 2011.04.19 - 1:04 pm
It might be a good idea for you to put a video of There.com on your web site, so that new people that we want to interest in taking the survey would have an idea of what it’s about.
Might pull them in if they see the interesting activities.
#62 by Rick on 2011.04.19 - 2:08 pm
no about noobs i say give them 1 hour of free trial then offer them a membership for “xx” $ when the time runs out
#63 by RockmanD on 2011.04.19 - 12:46 pm
Hi Michael,
Great news with the survey – I hope the numbers keep rolling in and make it possible for There to reopen at some time in the future. I’ve seen an awful lot of posts here and on Facebook where people think There IS opening, I’m sure even if the survey results are favourable there will be many ‘what ifs’ that need to be answered before a decision is made.
If There did reopen have you considered charging for fuel for the vehicles? We used to have to pay for paintball, clothing, PAZ’s etc. so why not a small charge for fuel?
I know people will argue against this but I would rather have to pay to use my buggies, boats etc. and still have There open.
#64 by SaltySilver on 2011.04.19 - 11:44 am
Jimony, that is a good point about extra avie 4.49 and pay only when you log in. Surly it would be nice for designers or people that like to hold things on a seperate avie.Then again it could be a nice griefing tool too….. hmmmm. pay 5 bucks to talk some smack. …. but then if it was linked to your home avie …. hey it might just work out !
#65 by There lover on 2011.04.19 - 1:07 pm
I like that idea to Jimony! I think if there was a possible way they could link the avatars things together in one account but it was still somewhat separate. But you would have to pay $5 per avie.. but you were not able to “log in” to the avie and be in the avatars account unless you paid either the monthly fee or paid an extra whatever it would be to equal the full amount of the monthly fee.
#66 by Rick on 2011.04.19 - 11:31 am
well you can allways implement it but the monthly fee will be the most used because people dont really plan on being online this “x” hours they just login until they feel like logging off, like not having a certain hour to log off
#67 by NoBioN on 2011.04.19 - 10:07 am
Pay by hour most likely is not as “stable” a income as subscription is. It sure has good and bad sides to it. Personaly i’ll prefer subscription.
But isent subscription only really a minor income. Its about charging the right places. A attractive ingame activity might make people spend maybe much more than 10$ a month.
#68 by jimony on 2011.04.19 - 9:34 am
Pay by the hour may work in combination with a very minimum monthly fee.
If we pay 4.49 a month to keep our accounts open and then pay for the time we actually are logged on, with maybe a monthly maximum like 34.99 for instance, letting all entertainment in-game be covered for that fee (excepting purchasing property and items), then maybe not only would the game pay for itself, but maybe it would thrive.
#69 by Chrisrc2006 on 2011.04.19 - 7:47 am
Hey Michael! I thank you for getting this poll out there for all who are interested. I do believe that a lot of people will pay for There if it were to be reopened. As you know, many people have gotten “sucked in” to the There world and that seems to be all they knew. I am very close friends with Zakimus, if you remember, he made the compass for there. I was recently talking to him about the survey and he brought up a good point. There sucked a lot of us in and took up a lot of our time. I kind of think that There needed to close for many of us to move on with our lives. Since there closed, I’ve almost finished my degree in Networking and I am engaged to be married in November. I believe this is the result of There closing because the bonds that I had to the game interfered with my real life. Don’t get me wrong, I am excited to hear about the interest of the people that want it open again. I would love to have it open again. I would pay for it to be open again. I just feel as if you have done me and a lot of other members a great favor by closing it for a little while. Thank you for all you have done and all that you plan to do! Keep up the good work!
Chris
#70 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.19 - 7:52 am
You are absolutely right, and it’s something we think about every day. That’s one of the reasons we’re thinking about the Pay-By-The-Hour option: If you had to pay (no matter how little) for each hour you spent Not-In-The-Real-World, you might handle it differently.
#71 by Chrisrc2006 on 2011.04.19 - 8:00 am
That makes since now that you said that. But aren’t you afraid that if you did do the pay-by-the-hour that there wouldn’t be enough people to make up for the costs to have the world running?
#72 by SaltySilver on 2011.04.19 - 11:34 am
Pay-by-the-hour reminds me of the 80’s when long distance calls cost money by the minute. I for one don’t want to watch my time or think about racking up hours. flat rate, one, six or twelve month fee. All the the fun you want. Extras cost enclude; items bought in auctions, paz, funzones, neighborhoods. all that good stuff. 😀
#73 by Rick on 2011.04.19 - 7:44 am
So Mr wilson if there did good the first year after the relaunch , and lets say in 2013 itd lose like 30% of its players & not make enough $ would u still keep it open and try something different or close again?
#74 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.19 - 7:50 am
The rules are simple: If There can break even or make a profit, then it can stay open.
#75 by 20000Dollers on 2011.04.19 - 7:31 am
and MW do u know how much longer it will be till u can say that u can re open – re lunch
#76 by 20000Dollers on 2011.04.19 - 7:25 am
hi MW i was just woundering if there will be support when u do open the world up cuz i need to change my e-mail adress and will there be staff and i got 1 more question would u ever offer eny of us to be in world staff ???
#77 by EvenStupider on 2011.04.19 - 7:18 am
Mr Wilson, yesterday you said: “The problem is that there are a certain class of banned users we don’t want back under any circumstances (those banned for inappropriate behavior with members under 18, those guilty of hate speech, those who failed to respect Makena’s IP, those guilty of hacking or launching cracking attacks, etc, etc).
Before we can start re-admitting banned users, we need to be sure we can prevent those former users from returning.”
Is that to say you ARE considering letting a selective portion of banned members back to the re-launched version of there.com (contingent that it does happen)?
#78 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.19 - 7:20 am
The question here is “Will enough people pay a subscription fee, on a monthly basis, to re-open and keep There open.”
I’m sorry, but we’re really not thinking too hard at this time about re-admitting banned users, recombinant Avatar technology (we want to be able to reanimate them first), paint ball prices, or changing avatars into paint balls. We’re just focusing on getting going again, then we’ll think about the rest. Ok?
#79 by jimony on 2011.04.19 - 8:16 am
Ok.
There are discussions going at Thumdar.com for anyone who has ideas or suggestions they just have to get off their chests regarding bans, paintballs or avies that look like paintballs. These discussions will most likely be revisited by There staff if There comes back.
#80 by Skyefire on 2011.04.19 - 9:17 am
“or changing avatars into paint balls”
Oh, I like that idea. Make them reusable. I can think of a few avatars I would like to pelt a few trees or tall buildings with…
#81 by EvenStupider on 2011.04.19 - 6:10 am
Mr Wilson, can you clarify exactly what “Maybe if I somehow put links to Trump’s presidential bid on there…hmmm…” means?.
#82 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.19 - 6:40 am
Yes. It was a joke. Sorry 🙂
#83 by Winston on 2011.04.19 - 7:30 am
“Maybe if I somehow put links to Trump’s presidential bid on there…hmmm…”
I think you should see if Charlie Sheen would be willing to post a link or say something to Entertainment Tonight about it. “I got Tiger’s Blood! Take the There survey ’cause your life will be so much more @#%& then yours.” 🙂
#84 by xSnoopy on 2011.04.19 - 7:56 am
Trump is a joke!
#85 by Marianne (JoyofLife) on 2011.04.19 - 5:25 am
Would you consider leasing the rights to THERE to another entity who would operate it?
#86 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.19 - 7:12 am
I can’t imagine why that would make any sense financially to anyone, especially at this point in time.
#87 by Kenny Ken25 on 2011.04.29 - 7:12 am
I think that’s happend http://www.yownow.com, from the same people that made there.com Seems fishy to me, Yownow IS there.com with just better gfx. So why would 2 V-worlds be up and running that are the same in looks and feel. Could this survey we are taking realy be a fluff job to see how many would play yownow? Since Yownow is already backed up with money and is getting closer to open, buy late summer….which would be how long it takes to open there.com, once everything goes right.
I just think the survey is secretly more for yownow then there.com realy opening back up.
#88 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.29 - 7:21 am
There are so many things wrong with this comment I can’t even begin to..well, here goes:
1. YowNow is not There.com.
2. I find it hard to believe that given the millions of dollars of investment in There.com, and person-years, no, person-centuries of work involved in given the technology and art, that YowNow could, in less than a year, replicate it.
3. I haven’t heard a thing about YowNow raising any money. On the other hand, Glitch, brought to you by the fine folks who made Flickr, has raised many millions of dolllars, has taken longer to develop, and is now just entering beta (and, BTW, it’s a great little place, I’ve been a tester for some time now).
I’m sure other folks here who are more regular visitors to YowNow (who, by the way, is a great source of links to this site – Thanks!) can shed some light on your, uh, claims.
#89 by there_forever on 2011.04.29 - 10:29 am
Unfortunately Kenny is a classic case of disinformation (not misinformation) which is has affected not only him but also hundreds of ex-Thereians and not only.
It isn’t Kenny’s fault. He is just a another victim of Voniras black propaganda.
It saddens me that so many people have been taken advantage of and have been given false hopes by someone who literally lives in his own world.
I was there in the beginning and I know very well what is going on.
One thing I can be certain about is that IF ‘There’ opens again, a lot of people will come back ‘home’ and will be saved from another major Vonira/YowNow disappointment when perhaps in August they will read another announcement which will be saying that their opening date will be delayed once again – I wonder what excuse they will find then. Last August they didn’t even have a platform to work on.
IF they manage to open – which I would consider a miracle – I am SURE that it will be NOTHING compared to what they promise it to be. Like MW has repeated so many times, it takes years of research, programming and a lot of money to create and open a virtual world.
It’s very important for all of us to do as best as we can to support ‘There’, to help it open and to do what we can so it can stay open. That way we will be ‘home’ and nobody will be able to take advantage of what we virtually love most and promise us something he can’t provide.
A message to Kenny and everybody else in his position… If there is one thing to hope for, that is for ‘There’ to open again. Anything else you hear anywhere about any world claiming to be like ‘There’ in any manner is a lie. There is no other VW open or under construction that will ever have the ‘look’ and ‘feel’ of ‘There’.
#90 by There lover on 2011.04.19 - 4:52 am
With the teens under 18. Will you be holding there account until the account becomes of age?
#91 by bikerbich on 2011.04.19 - 4:33 am
This is awsome news. I have been pining for there.com since it all cosed down. Miss my friends so very much, spades, my vehicles, my dogs and questing. I will have to start making new quests for my group, Quest Solvers for TBucks again. Woohooo!
#92 by Liam Moir on 2011.04.19 - 2:30 am
I noticed that http://www.there.com now has an announcement on it now for the survey, Nice one!
#93 by NoBioN on 2011.04.19 - 12:40 am
Maybe much to ask. And maybe even a stupid question as well. But MW, whats your own inner feelings about the chances of there re-opening. You have a good feeling or bad feeling about it so far?
Next question is. How come. According to your own reasearch. That its possible for much less and much worse virrual worlds to keep surviving year after year? Whats the main cost differences and causes that makes that possible?
I know that you dont wanna put too much hope into people’s hearts yet. But for now can you indicate if or if not we should :-).
Personaly i think you can answer that more precisly after the mass mailing. But if you can give one now. We all wouldent mind 🙂
#94 by PurpleMia on 2011.04.18 - 11:22 pm
Just a thought – I have no idea if this is workable –
For designers and anyone with multiple avatars –
Is it possible that – we have just one world avatar – but – the other accounts could be used as storage and items be movable between those accounts?
If not … maybe just to start with … so people can re arrange their inventories to one avatar.
#95 by reniar68 on 2011.04.18 - 9:01 pm
Michael, I suppose the only reason for not receiving an answer to my questions is that there just are too many up here and one tends to miss one or the other post.
You wouldn’t just ignore it.
So let me return to this once more:
Majandi here.
I wonder, would it make sense to kind of feel our way back in with reopening ThereIM for a reasonable fee?”
It’s just an idea. I’d really love to get ThereIM back, while waiting for a possible revival of There.
I do have an other question: I’ve been using multiple avies and some of them had developer items out. Do you think there is a chance of merging these on one avatar?
I could imagine that this might apply to quite a few of the major developers that had some suffering from stuck inventories or simply invented new avatar names as kind of new brand names to serve a different set of clients with a different line and feel of products.
I’d be ready to pay 20$ per month for an account with one avatar. But probably not for each of maybe 5 avatars, As 4 of them more or less are inactive and only hold their developer items in auctions anyway.
Or maybe the developer program could include some kind of special “ancient developer” deal for developer accounts from the previous age of There?
Thanks.
#96 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.19 - 4:31 am
1. No, it’s not possible to get ThereIM back first. We’d have to do the same amount of work with regards to avatar migration, etc.
2. We’ve addressed the issue of not addressing the issue of multiple avatars multiple times here.
3. We’re not at the point where we can offer “deals” any more. “Deals” are best oriented towards “This will attract a material number of people or revenue more than if we didn’t have the deal”, or “We are making so much money we’d like to show appreciation through doing a deal”, or “This will be a loss leader but will materially attract more people who will stay” situations. Our situation here is…different, as we all know. Sorry.
#97 by reniar68 on 2011.04.19 - 8:20 pm
1. I understand.
2. Ah, OK. Sorry, Kind of hard to read all the posts. But who am I telling that?
3. I was just thinking that getting former developers back on board asap would probably boost the economy quite a bit.
#98 by Ant1977 on 2011.04.18 - 7:27 pm
The survey is up for 30 days, meaning that on May 7th the survey will close. An announcement on May 8th saying that there.com will be resurrected would be the best birthday gift I could get this year or Mother’s Day gift to any moms out there!!
#99 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.18 - 8:58 pm
Well actually, we first have to review the data to root out the duplicates by people who have hacked around the Survey’s methods for detecting people who take the survey more than once. That will give us a true count.
So, it won’t be on May 7th.
#100 by Pilot_51 on 2011.04.21 - 3:46 pm
That sounds to me like you’ll eliminate duplicate responses from the same IP, at least it’s the most obvious/effective solution. My brother also took the survey and he’s on the same network as me. Does that mean one of our responses will be excluded? I’m sure many other people have the same situation.
#101 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.21 - 3:51 pm
No, we have other ways. Don’t worry, we know who the (cough) sneaks are.
#102 by MT on 2011.04.18 - 1:29 pm
Has the mass e-mail been sent yet, or is that still under construction?
I have a vibe when you send that out, the results will really flow in. I’m hoping for a reopening, but who knows.. the urge to buggy lap and race is gettin’ to me!
#103 by Innie on 2011.04.18 - 2:57 pm
MT, me too. I have been sitting here staring at my computer screen for 30 minutes…….wishing I could log into There.
#104 by Rick on 2011.04.18 - 12:43 pm
i think at least 50+% of thereians doesent know about this survey yet
#105 by Joeydantonio on 2011.04.18 - 12:21 pm
Now that the link to the survey is up on the official There.com website, I will laugh even more/louder at those under 18 years old trying to say this isn’t the real Michael Wilson’s blog. LOL fail!
#106 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.18 - 12:22 pm
To the credit of those under 18, the individual making those claims was several times 18 years old. I’d say 3 or 4 times from the looks of it.
#107 by OdileS AKA MmeOdile on 2011.04.18 - 1:14 pm
Well, now that the survey is on There.com, we can all hush…. and stop saying or thinking, that you were not the real Wilson..I did kind of say in my brain..”wow..this survey is too good to be true…” Now, I can eat my thoughts LOL
Great job on the survey Michael Wilson!!!!!
#108 by RRTT on 2011.04.18 - 10:57 am
Over the last couple minutes, every time I reload There.com, the link changes font size or location. LOL. They must be putting it up literally right now.
#109 by Joeydantonio on 2011.04.18 - 12:19 pm
It has to be perfect Garrett! Hope all is well with you buddy!
#110 by RRTT on 2011.04.18 - 6:10 pm
Joey its been way too long. Maybe we’ll be back in There soon 😀 Good to know you’re still hangin around
#111 by RRTT on 2011.04.18 - 10:53 am
The link is up on the There.com homepage. Hoping for the best!
#112 by reniar68 on 2011.04.18 - 10:29 am
May I circle back to:
“Majandi here.
I wonder, would it make sense to kind of feel our way back in with reopening ThereIM for a reasonable fee?”
It’s just an idea. I’d really love to get ThereIM back, while waiting for a possible revival of There.
I do have an other question: I’ve been using multiple avies and some of them had developer items out. Do you think there is a chance of merging these on one avatar?
I could imagine that this might apply to quite a few of the major developers that had some suffering from stuck inventories or simply invented new avatar names as kind of new brand names to serve a different set of clients with a different line and feel of products.
I’d be ready to pay 20$ per month for an account with one avatar. But probably not for each of a set of maybe 5 avatars, As 4 of them more or less are inactive and only hold their developer items in auctions.
#113 by JamesR on 2011.04.18 - 11:04 am
This seems like an idea that if you could login to a “root” account which would then list all of your accounts or “aliases”
Not allowing multiple logins might be an issue, but it stops lets say banned members accessing the game on a peers spare account.
#114 by there_forever on 2011.04.18 - 8:25 am
How’s the survey going? Have we gone over the 2000 vote level?
#115 by Chris Alderman on 2011.04.18 - 8:17 am
if there.com was to re-open what will the charge Be
#116 by pHluid13 on 2011.04.18 - 11:25 am
If you have taken the survey, you will know that Mr. Wilson is currently surveying people to find out how much people would pay. It looks like the range is $10-$20 per month. The more people who say $10 per month, the more people we will need for There.com to open again. So sit tight, and spread the word.
#117 by Chris Alderman on 2011.04.18 - 7:59 am
Micheal I have a another Question? will there be a Payment plan for those who,s on a Tight Budget.
thank you
#118 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.18 - 8:02 am
I’m sorry but the plan will be “Pay once a month”.
It’s pretty clear we’re going to have to set up a solid gifting program here.
#119 by Soede on 2011.04.18 - 10:45 am
Well hopefully the plan will technically be Pay once a month, plus top up anytime to buy More stuff and own More land =P
I filled out the how-much-would-you-pay based on how much Extra I’d pay over and above my previous spending.
#120 by EvenStupider on 2011.04.18 - 7:30 am
Mr Wilson, you have commented about designers, funzones, and real estate – I was wondering what your current thoughts are on Paint ball. (arguably there.com’s most active sport). IF there.com reopens – Will it be free? charged on a monthly basis? or as it was?.Personally, I think for some time now the company has over-looked the large, active, and loyal group of paint ball players. My recommendation (keeping there.com’s financial stability in mind) would be to charge for it on a monthly basis. One better, I think there should be a 3, 6, and 12 month discount. This promises a significant source of revenue given the loyalty amongst paint ball players. You can then take that idle cash and invest it elsewhere, as opposed to having members play here and there, waiting for them to run out of tbux before collecting your future income.
Just a suggestion.
Fixing the glitch issues would be nice too!
#121 by Rick on 2011.04.18 - 8:10 am
i started with paintball in 08 and spent all money i made during summer 09 on it i think that would be a good idea, also heard bout you but never seen you i remember your name from the top50 tho
#122 by DJ Hall on 2011.04.18 - 11:44 am
haha is this rick like xnocomment? btw EvenStupider was the leader of HF as I remember… never really met him though.
#123 by Rick caldas on 2011.04.18 - 4:30 pm
yep thats me , and same and whats your name? besides dj hall
#124 by Cat on 2011.04.19 - 6:40 am
Evenstupider,
( I’ve elided the content of this comment since it doesn’t pertain to the matters at hand. My apologies to the submitter).
#125 by Kaden on 2011.04.18 - 7:13 am
when there.com reopen next week since the survey would be up already for 30 day?
#126 by Kaden on 2011.04.18 - 7:17 am
would*
#127 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.18 - 7:22 am
No, it will not have been up for 30 days next week.
No, it won’t be re-opening next week.
#128 by Rick caldas on 2011.04.18 - 7:27 am
i think itl be 30 days on may 7th or 8th but still if mr wilson decides to re-open it will not take just a week im sure just be patient and happy were gettin this chance 🙂
#129 by Rick caldas on 2011.04.18 - 6:58 am
Mr wilson could we know if youre thinking of making some changes to paintball? reloads price or something thank you
#130 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.18 - 7:22 am
No, we are not thinking of that at this time.
#131 by Chris Alderman on 2011.04.18 - 6:42 am
I am real excited about there.com re-opening? but why is it not going to be a one-time fee of 10 dollars.
#132 by Rick caldas on 2011.04.18 - 7:19 am
read above god, there wouldnt survive like that
#133 by pHluid13 on 2011.04.18 - 11:36 am
Let’s say I bought an iPad to loan out as a service to another individual. Let’s say YOU were that individual. And let’s say I said to you, in order to use this iPad, you would have to pay me $20 one time fee for the life of the iPad. I wouldn’t make out very good at all, would I? I actually wouldn’t even make enough to pay off the iPad. Let’s say on the other hand, for the convenience of you NOT paying the full price of the iPad up front, I charge you $20 per month to use the device and I will furnish you with a brand new upgraded model every 3 years. So that would amount to $20 times 36 months = $720. This iPad cost me $499 for the base model. I just made a profit of $221 in 3 years (not taking tax into account). This ends up being a profit of about $73 per year. Now, if you were doing the same thing as me. Which option would YOU choose? Charge lifetime fee of $20? Or a monthly fee of $20?
#134 by Brido on 2011.04.18 - 5:08 am
Hello Mr Wilson, I have a question i’d like to ask.. IF there was to re-open and from what we know now that it’s going to be an 18 rated game that we will be paying towards, will their be adult content added to the game? Maybe.. gambling? I had quite an addiction to the gambling system on Secondlife but I would be curious to know if this would be a possibility in there? Maybe.. (Poker, blackjack etc).
#135 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.18 - 6:23 am
No.
The FBI just closed down a number of online Poker sites in the U.S. This isn’t a business we want to be in.
#136 by Brido on 2011.04.18 - 6:29 am
I wasn’t aware of this, thank you for getting back to me.
#137 by erick758 on 2011.04.18 - 4:35 am
Hello 😀
#138 by xxBethanyxx on 2011.04.18 - 4:19 am
michael, thanks for not forgetting about everyone. i wish you so much luck in what you are working on. best wishes! 🙂
xxbethanyxx.
#139 by EvenStupider on 2011.04.18 - 4:10 am
President Wilson is about to pass a new legislation! Keep pressuring him! 🙂
#140 by Rick caldas on 2011.04.18 - 3:27 am
Mr wilson will every item given after the knowing of there.com closing be in world still? cause alot of people gave me those “there games super bunnies” and i believe i had over 30 pars of them will we still have those items?
#141 by 20000Dollers on 2011.04.18 - 3:17 am
oh and i was never banned i join there.com i think for the first time when i was 16 years old and now im 21 and yh to let people on there account’s to let people see if thay got there info right or wrong ?? so yh michael
#142 by 20000Dollers on 2011.04.18 - 3:14 am
Hi Mr michael wilson i was just woundering how would new members join there if thay not been on it b4 and 2nd cont u let people use there old accounts for like 3 days or something so thay know there account info is right like me i need my e-mail changeing cuz my e-mail adress got hacked and i cont get it back all i can do is contact ur company when u open to get my e-mail on my account / avie changed and i have no problem on paying as im 21 years old
#143 by Lady Gaga on 2011.04.18 - 2:03 am
If 1,000$ adds don’t get seen you obviously have to spend more “THATS THE WAY IT WORKS”
#144 by reniar68 on 2011.04.17 - 10:10 pm
Majandi here.
I wonder, would it make sense to kind of feel our way back in with reopening ThereIM for a reasonable fee?
#145 by There lover on 2011.04.17 - 6:29 pm
Will every single member be able to get there account back? Of course not banned members.Also what does this mean for Develpors will we finally be able to make bloody things ect.?
#146 by sn3aky on 2011.04.17 - 8:32 pm
What is everyones point and shoot mentality on banned members not getting back on There.com if it was to reopen? Is There.com an upscale country club?
I hate to “what if things” but, what if a account was banned that was not deserving, innocent accounts did get banned on There, I had one of them.
If you want to exclude the number of banned members from There.com as part of the revenue potential fine, but I would still allow them back on the sake that if there were 2000 banned accounts (probably way more) and half of those got their account back and actually played and then only a 1/3 of them stuck around thats still an extra 333.33 accounts active and playing the new There if it was to reopen.
Why take the potential away? On the other side, your worried some banned member who caused trouble is going to doing it all over again? Let him/her they will get banned again and atleast There.com could get some profit from them. I guess it goes both ways, but I am willing to do whatever it takes to get There.com up and going
and if allowing previously banned members into the new There is going to help the companies $$ then lets do it, but if they are going to cost more then the risk of allowing banned members to play then no..
Maybe a probation period for previously banned members?
MW, I am not sure where your stance is on this, I would be intrigued to know but if this is to inviting of a war of comments please don’t answer, not that we don’t have that already.
#147 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.17 - 8:53 pm
The problem is that there are a certain class of banned users we don’t want back under any circumstances (those banned for inappropriate behavior with members under 18, those guilty of hate speech, those who failed to respect Makena’s IP, those guilty of hacking or launching cracking attacks, etc, etc).
Before we can start re-admitting banned users, we need to be sure we can prevent those former users from returning.
#148 by JamesR on 2011.04.18 - 5:30 am
@ #1211
Michael,
This is in relation to your comment (#1211 https://theremichaelwilson.wordpress.com/2011/04/07/survey/#comment-2250)
There is no doubt you will find banned users attempting to get back in game – it is something you cannot stop.
If someone wants to play there.com, they will get around ANY checkpoint you put in place. There is no way you can control this 100%. Just like people who buy drugs, no one will be able to stop everyone.
You want to prevent banned members coming back. Spend more to prevent, you’ll stop a few but they’ll keep coming back.
I believe that every user that wishes for a place back in There should earn it.
And this is how it should go:
They should apply for a review on their ban. The review can only be submitted if they have been permanently banned for over 3 years (for example)
A fine would have to be paid depending on the offence + a review fee
An increased membership fee
Restrictions would be set for a set time. (1 month, 3 months, 6 months, life, etc) depending on the offence.
Restrictions could include chat/voice/game play
A deposit would have to be paid, which would be returned after the restricted set time.
The users accounts should not be re-activated. Instead a new account should be made.
The users new account would be flagged just like if you had voice, or you are staff. For the set restricted time.
The community can submit comments about the users behaviour with a rating.
The user would be closely monitored for the set restricted time and any inappropriate behaviour or volition of the TOS should be permanently banned.
At the end of the restricted time, the user will undergo a review. Deciding whether or not they should stay in game and whether or not they should get their original account(s) back.
I believe this method is far better and would benefit both There.com and the banned members who have screwed up but wish to come back to play.
And at the end of it, if they wish to still mess around they lose everything once again.
—–
I hope you can give a good response to this Michael
#149 by sn3aky on 2011.04.18 - 5:40 am
Absolutely, I couldn’t agree more, my main argument was for the abandoning of profit for that few % of valuable members that were banned. Thank you for your response Mr. Wilson. Appreciate all your doing to keep us informed along the way here.
#150 by DJ Hall on 2011.04.18 - 11:41 am
I love everyone who was on my side about this, you guys are right! Some people need to stay banned. I had a 12 year old kid scam my credit card by hacking my old account before you had to verify it was your credit card, he got over 100 + dollars. He needs to stay ban, but someone in my case.. willing to pay and help there.com Loves there.com.. spent tons of money and willing to spend more should come on.. so should alot of my non hacker friends who got banned. But there are limits to when someone should be able on and never be allowed on again and I really think you should allow them man.. just check out the people who have been banned that would love to play and pay again.. it’s a win win situation.
#151 by DJ Hall on 2011.04.18 - 11:47 am
I mean were talking about “There2” it will be different, it’s no longer just “There” I think everyone who was banned for something that wasn’t 100% illegal like (Stealing real money, Hacking) ETC. They should be allowed back on and reset of their record.. because the past is the past man.
#152 by OdileS AKA MmeOdile on 2011.04.17 - 6:20 pm
At one point the virtual world ‘Second Life’, had an area just for Teens….They did do away with this option recently. For what reason I do not know…
In ‘There’, I had two granddaughters that had permission to be play the game and interact with my husband and me. My grandkids were not 13, so I contacted ‘There’ ….I had to scan my ID and type out a written permission saying that I would keep the kids with me at all times, ‘and’ only when I was online…Having said this, I totally do understand that if there re-opens their doors, it will be for 18+. (I saw things that young people should not have seen…I did report a few incidences too…)…
Maybe a small seperate area for teens? I read a message by someone here, suggesting teens could have a type of place for themselves, a bit of an area where they ‘could not enter’ the adult regions…In my own opinion, I think that would be a nice idea, although I have absolutely zero knowledge about the ins and outs of running a virtual world….I just play the game…I do believe anytime you add under age children to the equation, you run the risk of kids being exposed to adults and their situations, and legally I think it could get sticky…In my opinion it can actually be dangerous giving teens ‘their space’. how do you really know that adults would not be lurking where the teens go, and who would supervise them? That opens doors to negative situations…It’s probably a lot easy sticking to only letting adults into a virtual world that is made for adults… I know that parents should watch their children, but so many do not….
#153 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.17 - 7:33 pm
Exactly. Now you begin to see the problem(s).
#154 by Shauna Meyers on 2011.04.18 - 10:50 am
I understand what shes saying, but what I don’t understand is why you don’t simply put it in terms and conditions?? If you state in terms and conditions that you are NOT held liable for any child getting in trouble, then if anybody tries to sue you, you can point out that they’re the ones who accepted the terms and conditions…. Of course I’m no expert in this situation, but if an adult (parent) gave a minor permission and proof that an adult is allowing them to use There.com and checks the box, the weight of the minor would be taken off your shoulders. Obviously I understand that its a lot more complicated then I’m putting it, but there HAS to be a way… There.com was my life, Michael. Seriously my entire life. For years this was my routine: Get home from school, get on There, play There.com until 1 in the morning, go to sleep, wake up, go to school, then it would start all over again. I NEED There.com… Please your letting so many thousands of teenagers down by not allowing them. :'(…
#155 by Shauna Meyers on 2011.04.17 - 2:33 pm
Dear Michael Wilson,
I have been a There.com user since I was 9 years old… I am now 13. I have spent literally hundreds of dollars on There.com. Well technically my mother has spent hundreds of dollars on There…. anyways, re-opening There.com and not allowing children under 18 would not only be taking the money of 50% (give or take) of There.com users, but it would be money lost for you as well… I do understand that you don’t want teenagers and children exposed to some adult behavior, but much of the population of There was kids…. Keep in mind that there’s the possibility of having a different server for users under 18??…. Not allowing people under 18 would be a GIGANTIC disappointment to hundreds of thousands of teens. 13+ only is understandable, but 18+ is just insanity…. I had friends that had an abusive, horrible home life, and There.com was their only get away…
Also, (I dont know if im 100% correct or not), but I believe much of There.com’s profit loss was because of all the big businesses such as Coco-cola, Scion, Acuvue, etc…. If There.com re-opens, please dont get them involved again.. they just made There.com really laggy and decreased some designer profits…
Thanks for hopefully listening… PLEASE allow under 18 users, Michael Wilson :(…
#156 by Rick caldas on 2011.04.17 - 4:01 pm
read his posts above unfortunately im sure this wont happen well hopefully there will do good enough that in 5 years when ure 18 youl be able to play it again
#157 by xSnoopy on 2011.04.17 - 2:18 pm
Roxie,
It was what it was .. Those were the rules in There.
Those who choose to break the rules have to live with the consequences.
I never saw a Helper just show up and ban someone immediately. They always issued at least one warning prior to banning an individual.
I walked that line a few times. I learned to shut my mouth when the Helper asked me to.
#158 by Rick caldas on 2011.04.17 - 1:54 pm
just get over the 18+ and ban thing you guys know you wont get unbanned nor will mr wilson allow minors in so i think were already done with that kind of Qs and requests
#159 by DJ Hall on 2011.04.17 - 5:50 pm
Nooo, It would be a great idea to start over like that. People have matured, it’s been like a year right? Why live in the past.. if we want this game to be more and more sucessful as it can be, I think giving everyone second chances might be a great idea and what that kid under said about under 18.. may be great too. Idk man. but the second chance thing is a great idea.. the population would be so much more. Otherwise it will just be the same small crowd of people paying monthly and no one wants that man. Everyone wants to see a fresh new start with there2.
#160 by Lady Tigrane on 2011.04.17 - 1:12 pm
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy reference as the Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything
#161 by xSnoopy on 2011.04.17 - 2:11 pm
Snoopy sitting here scratching his head and repeating:
HUH ?
HUH ?
HUH ?
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy ? HUH?
I’m SO CONFUSED 🙂
#162 by Cat Ballou on 2011.04.17 - 4:03 pm
She is referring to the number 42… which is The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy reference as the Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything
Everyone knows that, where you been, in a cave?
#163 by xSnoopy on 2011.04.18 - 5:38 am
Who wouda thunk it!
Here, all this time, I thought that kind of answer might have come from scientists like Einstein, Hawking, Carroll, Close, Foster etc etc. Or with a minor stretch of the imagination, Michael Wilson. 🙂
So, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy is a science fiction comedy series created by Douglas Adams. Originally a radio comedy broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 1978 … contains all the answers and apparently numbers I have been wondering about all my life?
It must be the number guiding Michael in his quest to re-open There.
Hmmm, stranger things have happened.
Pardon my ignorance guys, I MUST get that movie and watch it. Suddenly I feel like wondrous things have been happening all around me and I cant see the forest for the trees. 🙂
#164 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.18 - 6:24 am
Wait, what? You haven’t seen the movie????
#165 by Skyefire on 2011.04.18 - 6:53 am
Sacrilege! You have to read the book first. Or at least watch the old mini-series. The movie is cute but it’s not really the same.
#166 by xSnoopy on 2011.04.18 - 7:48 am
OMG, now I’m in deep doo-doo,
Nope, didn’t watch it. Guess that now becomes some kind of black mark huh?
I’m doomed to never see There2.
How about this Michael, I just finished downloading the movie and will watch it TODAY?
Will that and some form of penance get me off the hook?
Holy crap Batman, why oh why did I start this in the first place????
Once again Tig gets me in trouble but this time could have life altering consequences 🙂
#167 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.18 - 7:52 am
I certainly hope you paid for that download.
As for penalties, we’re not in charge of that. I hear you can be banned from the internet if you haven’t see it, but that may just be a rumor.
#168 by xSnoopy on 2011.04.18 - 8:44 am
Paid for it? What ever made you think I wouldn’t?
Banned from the Internet .. This will make a few peoples day 🙂
Well, at least my house is still standing and the Earth was not blown up or am I being overly optimistic? Probably, there are still 10 hours and 20 mins left for me to hitch a ride on the Vorgons ship.
There, you happy now? Please speak to the Internet powers that be and tell them I will do ALMOST anything to be saved from a life without the Internet.
I have had my dog for 1 year and 2 days and he barks at me every time I leave this room, much like he would to a stranger.
Something tells me I need a life 🙂
#169 by Corey__Lee on 2011.04.17 - 12:00 pm
Well i knew tht THERE would re-open 🙂 congratz you made great job michael! i have an excuse i want you to revome my ban :))
Corey__Lee
#170 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.17 - 1:02 pm
We don’t know it’s going to re-open yet.
#171 by Roxannie on 2011.04.17 - 1:19 pm
if you read all the posts you will see that no one will be unbanned, not even people who only violated pg13 rules, which i don’t agree with but whatever it takes to get it open, idc, i just think pg13 violations that had nothing to do with stalking and only bad language should get a second chance, but like i said, i’ve not been banned so whatever is decided it’s up to MW
#172 by Jordan(OMGJordan) on 2011.04.17 - 11:49 am
If there2 does open would there be any way of having maybe like “Pg 13 zones” Or something like that, and to go into the “Adult zones” You would have to show a id and pay like 5-10$ more. Imvu does that. because like 40% of my ex There.com friends are under 18. :c
#173 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.17 - 1:01 pm
We could have PG-13 Zones, but, by definition, they would be empty.
#174 by DJ Hall on 2011.04.17 - 1:12 pm
Michael what are you talking about? I knew tons of kids that use to pay so much money for there and were under 18. haha Bro, I’ve actually seen kids own 1.2 million dollar zones.. because they loved the game so much more because when you’re a kid you love games alot more most of the time. I mean.. like sure this game could be 18 + I’m old enough to play and all but like before when there.com was pg-13 I saw kids constantly not allowed in places because they wanted adults only? Even when the kids didn’t do anything. It just didn’t make alotta sense to me, if it was 18 + I’d understand that but alot of adults were already being bias on the game way before it was shut down and thought to be 18 +. Just saying man.
#175 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.17 - 1:32 pm
Your anecdotal data differ from ours. Yes, there were a lot of people under 18 in There. No, they didn’t spend near the money > 18s did.
#176 by EvenStupider on 2011.04.17 - 5:43 pm
Dj – First, keep in mind that there.com is a product – and like any other product must figure out the segment (or demographic) it can earn a viable income from. MOST people under the age of 18 tend NOT to have jobs with significant income, are unwilling to contribute significant cash flow (because they don’t spend virtually any money), and even more problematic, is the fact that there.com is responsible for them – thus requiring a costly moderation team. (worsening the already problematic financial situation). The best demographic for There.com’s CURRENT state, is the mature, money spending, responsible adult – who routinely dumps money into the game. Structuring the game for this demographic significantly increases the chances of reaching the break even point (which there.com has failed to do for quite some time now) – and eventually become a profitable business. On the other hand, structuring the game for the ‘cosmogirls’, and all the other teens pretty much promises deficit. Bearing this in mind however, perhaps some day down the line (when there.com becomes financially stable) – it might be possible to open up a “teen” zone, much like SecondLife did after sometime. As for right now though, the target segment is adults. I hope you can understand why now. . .
#177 by EvenStupider on 2011.04.17 - 11:28 am
What happened to the mass e-mail, and the survey on the site?
#178 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.17 - 1:01 pm
We’re working on the mass email. We need to do it correctly, otherwise a site suddenly sending out thousands of emails will be marked as a Spammer , and ISPs will start blocking it.
#179 by I AM SO READY on 2011.04.17 - 11:25 am
Facts:
1. THERE.com has the best new user interface fare beyond that of Second life or v-side
2. There.com has the best voice interface with distance control, volume control
3. There.com has the best open world platform and to be able to travel from one place to another without teleporting is unheard of in almost all the popular gaming sites
4. There.com has the best inventory supply list.
5. There had the best Avatar to product interface (buggies, paintball, furniture and hover boats).
In the Movie (Field of Dreams) it was quoted: Build it and they will come…
I would like to Point out Why I think this might be the best time to roll out THERE2…
A. You don’t know what you have until it is gone factor – When There closed so did some of our lives… I believe that WE AS THERIANS will do our part to secure whatever resource we need to prevent the closing from happening again.
B. Finding out that the other side of the fence is not greener factor- I like Meany others have went into every 3D world you can think of and can all conclude that they shallow in comparison to THERE.com.
C. Being forced to look for alternative environments has it’s positive repercussion also- we all have met new friends that never even knew THERE.com excited and with us communicating how there was it seem very plausible they will follow us back there .
D. FaceBook – Yes Facebook was around last year but really seems to be a driving force with getting the word heck I myself had little to do with face book before there.com closed down..Now 600 friends later I am a privet power house of letting everyone know about my day to day actions. (THERE.com Will encore no out of the pocket advertisement fees for this lol).
In ending this post I also wanted to make a very important statement to the fellow poster in this blog.
Having questions is the right to all humanity but to criticize makes us less human. I encourage everyone to put them self in Michael Wilsons Shoes for one moment……. If you have a business that struggled to gain ground BUT loved it enough to believe in it what would you do? Finding a cheaper way is only one course of action… Sustaining the business for the future is the path forward we all need. I have read a lot of good Ideas well thought out in theses posts and I am sure Michael has also. The couch is tossing us the ball CAN WE SINK THE THREE POINT SHOT?
With all due respect Michael………I AM SO THERE
#180 by I AM SO READY on 2011.04.17 - 11:20 am
Facts:
1. THERE.com has the best new user interface fare beyond that of Second life or v-side
2. There.com has the best voice interface with distance control, volume control
3. There.com has the best open world platform and to be able to travel from one place to another without teleporting is unheard of in almost all the popular gaming sites
4. There.com has the best inventory supply list.
5. There had the best Avatar to product interface (buggies, paintball, furniture and hover boats).
In the Movie (Field of Dreams) it was quoted: Build it and they will come…
I would like to Point out Why I think this might be the best time to roll out THERE2…
A. You don’t know what you have until it is gone factor – When There closed so did some of our lives… I believe that WE AS THERIANS will do our part to secure whatever resource we need to prevent the closing from happening again.
B. Finding out that the other side of the fence is not greener factor- I like Meany others have went into every 3D world you can think of and can all conclude that they shallow in comparison to THERE.com.
C. Being forced to look for alternative environments has it’s positive repercussion also- we all have met new friends that never even knew THERE.com excited and with us communicating how there was it seem very plausible they will follow us back there .
D. FaceBook – Yes Facebook was around last year but really seems to be a driving force with getting the word heck I myself had little to do with face book before there.com closed down..Now 600 friends later I am a privet power house of letting everyone know about my day to day actions. (THERE.com Will encore no out of the pocket advertisement fees for this lol).
In ending this post I also wanted to make a very important statement to the fellow posters in this blog………………….
Having questions is the right to all humanity but to criticize makes us less human. I encourage everyone to put them self in Michael Wilsons Shoes for one moment……. If you have a business that struggled to gain ground BUT loved it enough to believe in it what would you do? Finding a cheaper way is only one course of action… Sustaining the business for the future is the path forward we all need. I have read a lot of good Ideas well thought out in theses posts and I am sure Michael has also. We have a second chance here to do things better and we are being asked if given the ball can we make the 3 point shot….
With all due respect Michael………I AM SO THERE
#181 by MattDillon2005 on 2011.04.17 - 10:48 am
Frankly,I think the land,or paz’ and neighborhoods,if you will,were very under priced and overstocked for the population density.
The early griefers were mostly young adults that did things that the general population thought was funny,like boats and buggies on zona island or filling vash’s clubhouse with a hundred buggies,but the later griefers were mostly troubled teens with no frame of reference to the reality of the anguish they were causing by just being mean for the sake of meaness,to be in control,but that’s the chance you take allowing under 18 in,I’m glad you are taking that step towards adults only,it’s a fiscally reponsible descision and one you’ll be proud of… I have more but,I’m exhausted.
#182 by SassyBeMe on 2011.04.17 - 9:19 am
I must say I do hope you plan on having a sweet welcome back to THERE tbuck sale deal IF and When you do reopen. I just realized I’m broke. 🙂
#183 by Marianne (JoyofLife) on 2011.04.17 - 8:40 am
42 is
A perfect score on the USA Math Olympiad.
The atomic number of molybdenum.
The angle in degrees for which a rainbow appears or the critical angle.
The glyph, or character, corresponding to the number 42 in the ASCII character set, is *, the asterisk, commonly known as the wildcard character.
The GNU C Library, a set of standard routines available for use in computer programming, contains a function—memfrob()—which performs an XOR combination of a given variable and the binary pattern 00101010 (42) as an XOR cipher.
42 is the result given by the web search engines Wolfram Alpha, Google and Microsoft’s Bing when the query “the answer to life the universe and everything” is entered as a search…
Microsoft’s Windows 3.1 logo has 42 little squares forming it’s left side trail.
Messier object M42, a magnitude 5.0 diffuse nebula in the constellation Orion, also known as the Orion Nebula.
In Japanese culture, the number 42 is considered unlucky because the numerals when pronounced separately — “shi ni” (four two) — sound like the phrase, “unto death”.
There are 42 principles of Ma’at, the Ancient Egyptian personification of physical and moral law, order, and truth.
42 is the number with which God creates the Universe in Kabbalistic tradition.
There are 42 generations (names) in the Gospel of Matthew’s version of the Genealogy of Jesus; it is prophesied that for 42 months the Beast will hold dominion over the Earth (Revelation 13:5).
Which did you mean MW as an admission test for There2? Knowing u (as little as I do) I’m thinking the wildcard. Hoping it’s NOT the Beast holding dominion over There2 for 42 months. Although despite that, I’d still join for a monthly fee. ;0) Joy
#184 by Marianne (JoyofLife) on 2011.04.17 - 8:45 am
What I am really hoping is that “42” is MW’s admission that it’s the number with which he will re-create the Universe in THERE tradition!
#185 by xSnoopy on 2011.04.17 - 8:36 am
Ah Michael,
You know you want me in There2.
I’m one of your biggest supporters now. I have seen the light 🙂
As for the 42, my guess is that your at 42% of where you need to be, thus the mass mailing.
With the exception of you and your staff, I seriously doubt that anyone wants to see you succeed any more than I do.
Contrary to popular belief, I DO miss everyone who I knew in There. Hell, I even miss Phill41…. OMG, cant believe I said that. 🙂
BUT I have an excuse for the the insanity of what I just said .. my age!
#186 by Crazymattrocks on 2011.04.17 - 8:19 am
Just to let those confused know, 42 is the Answer to The Ultimate Question Of Life. 🙂
#187 by DJ Hall on 2011.04.17 - 8:00 am
Plus I think, just to make sure it’s not a ghost town and this doesn’t happen again.. Give everyone a second chance, so they can play and then their friends play and as long as their not doing anything really wrong that violates ANYTHING, it would be great.. because x2 players would play and that means you’d make so much more money and not worry about the money issue.
#188 by DJ Hall on 2011.04.17 - 7:53 am
Yeah that’d be the best idea. Make a certain amount day Trial. So people can get a feel for the game.
#189 by jimony on 2011.04.17 - 7:48 am
MW, feel free to edit my previous comment if you don’t want to give away “42”.
I tried not to give it away but I wanted to pass the entrance exam.
#190 by jimony on 2011.04.17 - 7:22 am
42 is the answer that MW receives when he asks his new super computer in the cloud to answer a question for him.
Especially if someone asks, “What is the meaning of life, the universe and everything.”
#191 by willgeek on 2011.04.17 - 6:13 am
If there gains profit, would you consider making it 13+ or 15+?
#192 by Rick caldas on 2011.04.17 - 5:48 am
mr wilson i been wondering you said that wel have other payment options but will hte monthly fee for premium be only payable with CC? or paypal? cause i dont own any of those im 19 id be able to pay it with a paysafecard or game card but not cc will that be possible?
#193 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.17 - 6:02 am
Probably Pay By Cash at least.
#194 by xSnoopy on 2011.04.17 - 3:28 am
Michael,
You must have run what I will call Pre Alpha of There2 by now, to get some idea of costs.
Can you give us some idea what the minimum hardware requirements will be in There2?
It seems to me that the minimum requirements for hardware will be a lot less than in the old There.
#195 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.17 - 5:02 am
42.
#196 by TgKhali on 2011.04.17 - 5:35 am
which means ‘yes’
#197 by xSnoopy on 2011.04.17 - 5:54 am
To quote you:
HUH
42 what? 🙂
Could you be a little more specific?
That is the second time you have posted the number 42. Is it your personal favorite number or is it the Jeopardy Daily Double question?
#198 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.17 - 6:04 am
No, I can’t be more specific, because no, we haven’t run a pre-Alpha version of There in this environment. We have run environments which tell us it will work, and we have made educated estimates.
As for “42” consider that an admission test for There2. You’re not passing yet 🙂
#199 by willgeek on 2011.04.17 - 6:12 am
42 Mr. Snoopy, is the meaning of life.
#200 by Cat Ballou on 2011.04.17 - 7:35 am
42 kbps?
#201 by MadHatterMemphis on 2011.04.17 - 7:59 am
42 is the answer to Life the Universe and Everything.I guess not enough Douglas Adams fans out there.
#202 by Soede on 2011.04.17 - 9:21 am
Was going to post a link to help others pass the ’42’ portion of the test, but dont want my own test thrown out =O
Luckily this is an open book test *cough* Google “42” *cough* It will increase your geek cred significantly!
#203 by Wendy Stoll on 2011.04.17 - 2:51 pm
Did people quit reading The Hitchhiker’s Guide?
#204 by Rick caldas on 2011.04.17 - 6:23 am
didnt you know 42 is the answer to all questions 🙂
#205 by Tempy on 2011.04.16 - 11:09 pm
MW,
Question 1:
Regarding funzones, and neighborhoods I have a suggestion. Obviously tbucks will be the currency used for purchasing clothing, objects, vehicles etc in world, but perhaps for land ownership of neighborhoods or funzones could it be directly dealt with in US Currency? Instead of paying 80k in rent a month, they pay the equivalent in US Dollars. I have a poor business brain and am unaware if this would make more money for There.com or not.
Question 2:
For paintgun refills have you considered lowering costs, or possibly offering a package for x-amount of dollars for six months or a year of free paintballs either attached to the gun or avatar chosen?
Thanks
#206 by Therians Fan on 2011.04.16 - 9:11 pm
Mr. Wilson,
A couple months ago, you said that you felt it was your fault that you didn’t figure out the best way to handle the resellers. In a way I see why you think the resellers were hurting There’s economy, but in a way it did help out to smooth the virtual world currency. If you think about it, back when you bought There and you enforced the policy that there were No Resellers allowed, you saw a major decrease in developers leaving game because of that. If you bring back that policy, you will see not many virtual developers would return. As a business the old saying goes, “The Customer Is Always Right” even though they maybe wrong, they are the ones who is keeping the servers running and sending in the money to the company. What IF you charge the resellers to allow them to become a reseller, that way you know it’s real and no fraud would be going on. Also, it is a good way to make money buy giving a fee to be a reseller. I do think you need to look closely at the resellers more. You can see in other virtual worlds that the reselling is helping out. A good example to look at are Second Life and IMVU.
#207 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.16 - 9:15 pm
I have what I feel is a much better way to make sure Developers get compensated, but I’m not going to talk about it just yet. Suffice to say developers will see no advantage in resellers if it works right.
(And I’m being all mysterious because I don’t want to clue in the good folks at our competitors about it).
(And, No, it’s no that There will be buying all of the designer’s work and reselling it).
#208 by Soede on 2011.04.16 - 9:28 pm
As long as there is a way for the excellent user developers of There to make a buck (or dream about making a buck) I am happy! I look forward to checking out this mysterious exchange system with pompoms waving.
And ”’Yay to no dirty rotten design theft!
#209 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.16 - 9:34 pm
Well, this won’t stop design theft. Not quite sure what to do about that yet.
#210 by Therians Fan on 2011.04.16 - 9:45 pm
I see what your saying, and in a way I agree with you on it. I just feel that the resellers did help to facilitate the currency.
Also, if you decide to do an hourly rate on Funzone/Frontier/Neighborhood zones, and we stop the time on it, would we still own the deed even though it’s not up and running? Also, I think that having an hourly rate would be a more of an issue on it, but I think it might be good to have as an optional choice to do. The best way to do it, is to find out how much it would cost to do, and than figure out how much it would be monthy. Or another great way to do it, is give an option to pay either weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly, or let’s say rent is 80,000 therebucks, and someone pays for it for 25,000 therebucks, they would have it running for a certain amount of time ie: 2 weeks and 5 days running. Something like that. (Example)
#211 by Soede on 2011.04.16 - 9:52 pm
I dont really think design theft can ever be completely eliminated but way the company feels about it and responds to it is key. While peer2peer review systems have been harshly criticised elsewhere, I think there is a lot of merit in looking into it. esp if…
1. A clear and concise tutorial on copyright guidelines is provided and a test must be past by prospective peer2peer reviewers
2. Multiple reviews are required per item
3. There is still staff involvement, leadership and reviews, esp on flagged items
4. Rejection griefing and favoritism are dealt with swiftly and harshly
5. Reviewers put their OWN designs on the line when vouching for a design. eg. having their own auctions locked
#212 by DavyRocket on 2011.04.17 - 5:31 am
In response to #1156 I think the best way to slow down to almost stop theft is to 1. Not have all our work out in the open like it was before. 1 way would be once you have the textures set in previewer, and before it uploads, it packs “zips” all our files .model and all textures into a encrypted zip file maybe even have it password protected, and only you or if there is a new submission team, the manager knows the password. The game engine would read from that zip file. I use to be a big winzip fan, but 7zip beats winzip hands down. Just a thought.
#213 by EvenStupider on 2011.04.16 - 5:16 pm
Mr Wilson, I’m not sure if this would be the best idea, but have you considered different pricing packages? Something like: 7 day free trial – $4.99 basic membership (no voice, no compass, no summons ability) – $9.99 (voice, summons ability, compass) – and then the higher packages coming with additional allowances, more features, and quantity purchase discounts.
#214 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.16 - 8:11 pm
This is a great idea, but it has a couple of problems: (1) We used to have something like this in 2005, and There didn’t make a profit then, (2) I’m always leery of “too many pricing plans” (does anyone remember when Sculley had Apple making like 20 different kinds of computers?).
But maybe times have changed, and it’s a better idea now :-).
#215 by David H on 2011.04.17 - 2:37 pm
I agree with you Michael, there is a few names for it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Paradox_of_Choice:_Why_More_Is_Less
Which is one of the reasons the iPhone is so popular and has overtaken at least in global $ market share every other phone manufacturer, because people don’t want choice, they are sick of choosing between one and the other and just want to be told, “this is what you will have and nothing else”. $9.95 is perfect as the one and only option.
Since the iphone was released, Nokia have released more than 30 models of phone, do you know how many models Apple have released? 4 with only two of them currently in production.
#216 by daisy_duke81 on 2011.04.16 - 2:55 pm
Oh My God yes get me back in my store. I miss THERE so very much and all my friends . Yes I will be glad to pay each month or when ever I paid before and would be glad to pay now.Please Michael Wilson let get on to THERE
#217 by jimony on 2011.04.16 - 2:23 pm
Michael, when/if There comes back, could you build a graveyard with open coffins where we all will be resurrected for our first logon? Thanks, much appreciated.
P.S. If you could make us look like zombies, that would be cool too.
#218 by DJ Hall on 2011.04.16 - 1:44 pm
Idk, I just think if people are willing to spend tons of money regardless what happen to them in the previous game they should be able to come back.. unless it was really bad what they did before.
#219 by DJ Hall on 2011.04.16 - 1:40 pm
Yeah, the whole age and price thing will help alot espically when they will try to get money any way possible, which is fine.. I think with alotta people coming back and starting over and stuff like a new game.. it will be good and they will make a bunch of money. I use to do tons of tournaments for therebucks and everything before, so I think if everything goes right.. it should be great again.. Just let everyone back again Michael, let’s do this right.
#220 by Koala07 on 2011.04.16 - 1:31 pm
Micheal Wilson, When there.com re-opens (I am thinking positive) are you going to be addressing some of the issues of the auctions so that it will be easier to find things and they will make more scene in there hierarchy, I know it is something that you have talked about in the past. This will I hope help in the inventory of the things we buy in auctions for our avatars.
#221 by Rick caldas on 2011.04.16 - 1:20 pm
Mr wilson i sent a ticker on vside and posted on facebook about the survey some friends already seen it 🙂 hopefully it helps
#222 by Marianne (JoyofLife) on 2011.04.16 - 12:46 pm
NY Times article: The Business Market Plays Cloud Computing Catch-Up
By STEVE LOHR
Published: April 14, 2011 http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/15/business/15cloud.html?emc=eta1
….But there are some recent signs of change. Last week, I.B.M. introduced a range of cloud services, including paying for computing resources like processing and storage on a metered pay-for-use formula, almost as if modeled on an electric utility. I.B.M. will offer customers an à la carte menu, in which they pay for different levels of guaranteed security, support and availability.
I.B.M., a bellwether in the corporate technology market, forecasts that it will have $7 billion in cloud revenue by 2015. Of the total, $4 billion will be customers shifting to cloud delivery from the company’s traditional software and services, and $3 billion is expected to be entirely new business.
“We’re moving to where the puck is going in this industry,” said Steven A. Mills, I.B.M.’s senior vice president for software and hardware. “And we’re more than willing to make this transition.”
In another industry move announced last week, Dell said that it would invest $1 billion over the next two years to build 10 new data centers and expand customer support, largely for cloud offerings…….
……. There are also insurgents, like Amazon, that could speed things up in corporate cloud computing. Five years ago, the online bookseller and retailer decided to start a side business, offering computing resources to businesses from its network of sophisticated data centers. It called the new unit Amazon Web Services. It is a pay-for-use utility model, with customers paying from pennies to millions of dollars a month, says Adam Selipsky, vice president for product management.
Today, the customer ranks include Netflix, NASA, drug companies and major banks, which use Amazon’s data centers to remotely run Web applications that do tasks like tracking customer movie requests or running credit-risk simulations.
The Amazon cloud strategy, Mr. Selipsky says, mirrors its tactics in online retailing: build scale and efficiency, then cut costs and prices to gain market share. Amazon Web Services, he said, has reduced prices a dozen times in the last three years. “Most of that has been in the absence of competition,” Mr. Selipsky said, “because competitors have been so slow to emerge.
Yet competition in the cloud market is intensifying. And that competition is taking shape across a number of fronts. It includes vendors offering basic computing resources like Amazon and Rackspace, joined by telecommunications giants like AT&T and Verizon that have entered the cloud business; companies offering ready-to-use applications tailored for businesses like Google’s online e-mail, document and collaboration services; Microsoft’s online version of its Office and collaboration tools; and Salesforce.com’s online customer management and collaboration tools.
Several companies also have built development environments on which programmers can build cloud software applications. Google has App Engine, Amazon has BeanStalk, Microsoft has Azure, Salesforce.com has Force.com, and VMware has Cloud Foundry, which was introduced on Tuesday. By 2014, IDC estimates that 30 percent of total spending on software applications in the corporate market will be for cloud applications.
Revenue from business cloud services — infrastructure resources, software applications and developer tools — was $22.2 billion last year, less than 2 percent of total technology spending, IDC estimates. But cloud revenue is growing at more than 25 percent a year, and will reach $55.5 billion by 2014, the research firm estimates.
Salesforce.com, founded in 1999, began selling customer-relationship software to businesses as an Internet service long before the industry began talking of cloud computing. Things built slowly at first, but Marc Benioff, founder and chief executive of Salesforce.com, says the turning point has come.
“What’s being called the cloud now is the future of enterprise software, but when I started in 1999 no one believed that,” said Mr. Benioff, who recently raised the company’s revenue forecast by 25 percent. “Sometimes you do have to wait them out.”
#223 by NoBioN on 2011.04.16 - 12:05 pm
Not sure my previous comment is worth publishing, I was so excited that i dident read the comments, and in the first couple of comments, you say that you will restore people’s avatars and possesions.
All i have to say, Like 1000 others might already expressed, Truly there is a deep hearted dedication from you MW.
Many doubt Makena and Micheal wilson, When there.com had to close, Heck! i myself was doubting it, Out of frustrations and being sad, because of the future ahead, With no there.com to escape to. makena and micheal wilson was accused of many things.
Your blog since that day, And also this post. Proves them all wrong, And the respect for Micheal wilson has reach the top for me, That game truly is as much in your heart as in ours. Nothing can talk me away from the fact, That there.com was special. And it brought together many wonderfull evenings / days / years, and wonderfull people. Besides you a man who seems to know exactly what is needed to make there.com run for years, if it was to reopen, its hard not to have trust in you. If there.com ever reopens, I hope people will begin to contribute to there.com’s survival, more than they did so far, No more buying from 3rd party resellers and etc.
Besides, Maybe it is possible to implement a withdrawel system, Take a % of the withdrawel amount, In handling fee. that also allows for profit. Thats one way to find a solution. Anyhow many like me, Most likely will never withdrawel. 🙂
I really hope you reach your goal Micheal. And i really hope i reach mine, To see all my creations and my avatar (born in 2004) again. Even though i got a good real life, With a wonderfull engeaged, and lots to do in my life, So much that i almost have no time to play, There.com still haunts my dreams, And the hope it will re open has stayed. And i think the day will come, When a letter inside my email says, “There.com is back!”.!!! It will be insane! 🙂
#224 by NoBioN on 2011.04.16 - 11:44 am
Because of over thousands replies, I can’t look them through to get more info on what im going to ask.
Anyhow we spoke earlier regarding if we can recover our accounts and possesions, if the game will re open, Speaking on my own behalf, I’d be much more willing to pay more, if i can get back my items. and that meens also most of what there.com looked like when it shut down, A revival so to speak.
I had several dreams at night (and this is no joke). That there.com is re opening, In many ways and forms, But if the day comes, (and most likely only if i get back my avatar and possesions). i will jump and say “YES!”. I hope my dream will eventually come true, I used to spend alot of money every month in there.com. Which im also prepared to do, If i get my account back, Anyhow my motivation to do so will fall drastic, if my possesions are not recovered, since alot of money was lost in March 9th, for many many people, also including myself. besides the loss of your avatar, In many cases. Almost a decade old avatar.
Also, Money was compensated (1 or 2 months of deposits previous to the closure). Make it a requirement, that if to get your old account back, you must repay the amount of $ that was compensated, That would only be fair, For makena,
Crossing fingers 😉
#225 by Tollermike on 2011.04.16 - 11:22 am
MW, It looks like you are exploring options using Cloud Services. You might take a look at these guys: http://www.6fusion.com. In particular take a look at 6Fusion’s iNode Network. This platform offers computing on demand in a pay per use model. Good luck and I’ll be There if it opens. TM
#226 by Austin B on 2011.04.16 - 10:59 am
If your worried about the number of people willing to pay, you can always try to do a “prepay” thing. Ask people to buy 6 months of membership x months before There opens. If There doesn’t reopen in x months, just refund it. Of course, this would only represent a portion of the community for several reasons. Among them, some cannot afford to pay six months ahead of time, and others are going to have trust issues (Im not entering the dabate of whether these are warranted). However, it would still provide you with some insight. (You also may have to offer some incentive.)
And if all else fails, you can sell those AWESOME leather THERE CD cases (from beta). 🙂
#227 by DJ Hall on 2011.04.16 - 10:40 am
btw when I said.. “That will be pretty common when that happens” I was referring to, people cussing on an 18 + year old game.. not the fact anyone would do it to make anyone mad, My bad for not going into detail about that.
#228 by DJ Hall on 2011.04.16 - 10:38 am
I’m not threatening anyone, I’m just saying.. Would I be? I’m not trying to come off as anything, it’s just kinda hard trying to explain how I’m saying this because it’s over the internet, Michael Wilson.
#229 by xSnoopy on 2011.04.16 - 3:39 pm
DJ,
Perhaps your “I’m not trying to come off as anything” is true, but there are quite a few people commenting in this blog that think it would be a disaster if they were not let back into There2 even though they were banned, in many different avatars.
I personally have seen cases of a couple of people who are commenting here, warned several times by Helpers who finally got tired of listening to the abuse and swearing and they just banned the person only to have that person come back in a few minutes, in a different avie, and start the abuse all over again.
In every case, the people knew that they were walking a thin line and it became a game to see what they could get away with.
Now these same people seem to have gotten religion and would be “willing” to contribute if their bans were lifted.
DJ, its not the fact that There2 will be 18+. The fact is that There was PG13 and all of those banned for whatever reason, knew better and just crossed the line once to often.
#230 by Maloree on 2011.04.16 - 8:01 am
Everyone keeps messaging me on youtube and facebook saying there’s re-opening for sure… is it?? Also, if you were banned on the other game will you still be banned on this one?.. haha
#231 by Rick caldas on 2011.04.16 - 11:49 am
yep michael already said it if u took the survey you will be banned if you were before there closed
#232 by SaltySilver on 2011.04.16 - 5:20 am
Michael Wilson,
Have Chrile Sheen to log into there.com and talk about it. That would be some “I’m bi-winning.” advertising. 😀
#233 by MT on 2011.04.16 - 8:11 am
WINNING.
Charlie would have to launch fastballs, torpedoes.. Duh. Winning!!
Serious note: The prospect of There reopening is definitely an interesting one for sure. I’m checking this blog once a day for any updates.. While the optimism is there to be able to do see some old buds and do some racing again, also weigh the fact that there may not be enough support to reopen the world. Hopefully it occurs, but.. you never know!
#234 by Brandyn_1 on 2011.04.16 - 9:40 am
ROFL Well all he would say is “Duh winning!!” or “There.com has Tiger Blood” haha 😀
#235 by Summer on 2011.04.16 - 12:11 pm
You are not thinking straight Salty. Today is Saterday, right teacher?
Any idea how much that nutbar Charlie Sheen would charge for something like that?
Try “bi-losing.”
#236 by mimi06 on 2011.04.16 - 3:26 am
😦 new computer, new e-mail…how can I be part of mass email? can you take the emails from this blog as well? (computer dummy here)
#237 by Cosmic on 2011.04.16 - 8:08 am
You all ready know about the possible reopening so no worries 🙂 Also having a new computer doesn’t mean you cant access your old email, does it???
#238 by Dolphin on 2011.04.16 - 10:54 am
New computer and new email addy here also. And no I don’t have access to my old email as it was infected with a virus :O.
#239 by mimi06 on 2011.04.16 - 1:22 pm
in my case, yes. lost it all..new e-mail acct. no way to go back
#240 by Linwood on 2011.04.15 - 8:18 pm
I certainly appreciate the quick reply.
I’m certainly one that doesn’t like the idea of layering the world, however it might be an avenue to survey about considering how transparent it would be when used for a funzone.
Truth be told I’d like to see There.com reopen as it was certainly a nice escape from the “day to day” and I’d like the opportunity to run the funzone again. I hope it all works out for all involved, I run a business and couldn’t imagine running it at a loss as long as you did There, its obvious it means a lot to you. Hopefully it makes everyone at Makena a ton of money the second time around ( not sarcasm, I have no problem seeing people do well. )
Good luck.
#241 by Linwood on 2011.04.15 - 7:58 pm
Michael Wilson,
It would seem based on the above comments by yourself and others that you have a strong desire to see There.com reopen to its previous membership as well as those that have yet to experience the world. If the survey does not yield the expected results (by your own comment we are at approx half the required number), it seems unlikely that you are one to give up on the task of seeing There make a comeback. What if anything would make you attempt to open it again if this course of action fails?( obviously appealing to community a 2nd time would likely yield less favorable results) Does the idea of There.com coming back just fade away or is there something else that would give you hope enough to take the plunge of opening its doors?
Also, you’ve indicated earlier in this thread that user run zones would be charged on a server usage basis. Can you give some Idea as to the rental of a funzone? I was the last renter on “upper tiki valley” and certainly a factor for a lot of people in their return is whether it will be affordable to maintain both a funzone and a membership. I believe the rate I was paying was around $80 for the funzone when There.com closed last year. If that figure was to remain the same, would there be profit enough to put attention on making them more accessible?
Will we see any type of layering system for the funzones? Ex. entering the zone from the main world would teleport you to the layer that you select from a list, thus allowing for one zone in the game world to have multiple instances based on the virtual servers you described before. I know I waited quite a long time before renting a funzone due to the availability of racezones and even after I made the purchase I recieved at least 6 offers to buy it from me. It seems having more availability would certainly increase profits; if there were profits enough to be had from that of course.
my two cents
#242 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.15 - 8:07 pm
I don’t know how to answer your first question. Clearly we have an interest in re-opening There otherwise I wouldn’t be here answering questions. The bottom line is that it has to be a viable business to re-open. We believe we’ve made great strides in reducing costs, but we can’t run the service without some people. As I’ve said, my intention is to be as transparent as possible about our costs (without, of course, giving up personal information), so people will know where we stand.
For example, I know, from reading the comments here, that many people innocently don’t know what advertising costs, or how ineffective advertising can be. I remember (this is a true story) how excited we were at eBay the first time we did a radio ad (“Radio Works”) because we got a huge uptick in visits, but then were subsequently disappointed when those visitors didn’t end up .. spending, which was the end result. I think that if we do re-open, there’s going to a lot of collective learning about “Well, why dom’t you spend $1000 on ads”, and we do, and no one sees a single ad because that’s just the way it works.
I don’t know if that helps you any.
On the costs, I don’t have that answer yet because we’re still pricing options. At one member’s prompting, we looked into other hosting providers, and found that at least one doesn’t advertise all the pricing plans they offer, and may be worth considering. Makes it real easy, huh?
Universally, we found that layers were hated across the board. I’m not sure we’d offer them for Fun Zones. :-).
#243 by KevinF on 2011.04.15 - 6:18 pm
Also, is the lifting of particular suspensions (namely those involving PG13 violations) something you are considering? Or is that idea completely out of the question?
#244 by Puddlefish on 2011.04.15 - 6:02 pm
I fear that great expectations will meet reality, and the almighty dollar will dictate that an entire existence measures unworthy of the potential to continue….
#245 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.15 - 6:13 pm
I’m not sure how to respond to this. I’ll just say “42”.
#246 by Puddlefish on 2011.04.16 - 12:29 pm
…insert Public Service Announcement about the perils of drunk commenting
#247 by Skyefire on 2011.04.16 - 9:25 pm
That comment made my kid laugh. Any reference to the number 42 is freakin hysterical to her.
#248 by there_forever on 2011.04.16 - 4:18 am
You wish…
#249 by KevinF on 2011.04.15 - 5:50 pm
Mr Wilson, in all fairness – the implementation of video proof as a means of reporting someone had a pretty devastating effect. The common result being people stalking their foes purposely trying to get them removed.
Aside from that, what are your thoughts on the current amount of survey responses?
#250 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.15 - 5:56 pm
My views are this: if this is 2X the number of people who will pay, then we have a problem. If this is 1/2 the number of people who will pay (and let’s hope the mass mailing shows that), then we’re ok.
That’s using conservative, subscription-only numbers, and not picking a monthly rate yet.
That is all I know at this time.
#251 by Jordan on 2011.04.15 - 5:32 pm
Hey Micheal, I don’t want to be a party pooper, in fact I really want there back but lets face it, out of the 1,300+ people who take the survey (if there re-opens) and in a few months what if people don’t keep their promise and pay? There will be in the same predicament facing closure again.
#252 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.15 - 5:41 pm
Well, what do you think will happen?
#253 by Jordan on 2011.04.15 - 7:24 pm
If this would to happen, there would close again and break everyones hearts yet again, I really wish the best because there.com is a unique game that many enjoyed as well as I did. I guess all we can do is hope for the best.
#254 by michael on 2011.04.15 - 5:19 pm
BRING THERE.COM I MISS IT
#255 by Taelos on 2011.04.15 - 5:07 pm
Would not be right not to comment here. Particularly after reading all the previous comments (/cough cough Tollermike… READ man lol).
Michael, you might want to consider the model Cyan is using with the Uru re-opening. (Ironically it was opened for the Nth time about a month before There.com shut down.)
Seriously, Uru has been running for over a year with just member donations made via PayPal. Many like me donate in the 3 digits, some in the 4 digits, each month! Why settle for $120 a year when you could get more?
Or perhaps a hybrid model, where all members are charged a monthly fee. Special projects could then be funded by PayPal donations?
Taelos
#256 by Tollermike on 2011.04.15 - 3:37 pm
I haven’t read all 1078 comments ( but I will 🙂 ). Assuming There opens, is the developer program going to be the same process as before for the foreseeable future, or do you have something else in mind? I hope that after you analyize the data, that you can make the call to open. It would be truely refreshing and a big eye opener for alot of people here to see just what it takes to run a business like this. hmmm Opensource business model. Thanks for even thinking about it.
Tollermike
#257 by jaybee on 2011.04.15 - 3:18 pm
how come there isn’t a link on there.com or anything telling people to take the survey? just wondering 🙂
#258 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.15 - 3:20 pm
We didn’t do that because the There.com site gets hardly any traffic.
I’m going to put one in next week. Got caught up with other things this week…
#259 by Lady Gaga on 2011.04.15 - 1:22 pm
im just a holy fool oh baby its so cruel, but im still in love with JUDAS baby
#260 by DJ Hall on 2011.04.15 - 1:18 pm
Michael Wilson, I was wondering.. if I was banned say like 4 years ago or something for cursing.. would you unban me if “there2” is gonna be 18 + because I’m pretty sure that will be pretty common when that happens.
#261 by pHluid13 on 2011.04.15 - 2:14 pm
Dj Hall, forgive me for using your post for a response but I am seeing a lot of people asking to be unbanned. My perception is this: I’m not quite sure if the bigger issue here is with the cussing as much as following instructions/warnings. If there was an issue with cussing in the past, then you must have been warned about it first before you were banned and still continued to do what you were told not to do, whats to stop you from following warnings in the future? I know people learn their lessons and maturity begins to set in so I am ALL FOR giving people second chances. However, I am also a devil’s advocate who likes to see both sides. Just a thought so I don’t know what Mr. Wilson’s take on this is but I think the focus is getting the vast unbanned user base on-board first and then deal with these banning issues later. First step is getting the kind of response in the survey that Mr. Wilson is expecting. Let’s focus all our efforts on getting people to take the survey first and then revisit Mr. Wilson with these ideas later. I feel like we’re inundating him with issues that need no thought at this stage in the game.
Again, not putting you on the spot and I feel bad for using your comment as the example but wanted to put that out there. =)
#262 by Roxannie on 2011.04.15 - 4:38 pm
in earlier posts it said there will be no one allowed back that was banned, even if it was because of an pg13 violation, which i don’t agree with, but i won’t fight it since i wasn’t banned
#263 by jimony on 2011.04.16 - 7:07 am
That isn’t exactly what was said. It was stated that members who were banned for PG-13 and TOS violations would stay banned.
#264 by Summer on 2011.04.15 - 5:25 pm
Dont bring back banned members, lose a decent amount of money. Your choice.
#265 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.15 - 5:41 pm
Threats are SO becoming. Very helpful! Thanks!
#266 by Summer on 2011.04.15 - 7:55 pm
I guess the truth hurts. D:
I dont see threats in what was said.
You’re welcome. 🙂
#267 by DJ Hall on 2011.04.16 - 10:49 am
Summer, Here’s the thing though.. Some banned members deserved it.. they scammed real money from real people which is not only illegal in the game.. it’s actually illegal in real life (Obviously) ha.. Anyways Alot of people I knew.. Got banned for alot of stuff they should of had to be banned for. For example I got banned for cursing, which at the time was wrong but hey I’ve matured from that.. I guess it taught me a lesson. The thing was, alot of the time I was getting banned cursing it was because of people constantly griefing me, which is FINE because it’s something you gotta expect dealing in paintball zones with kids that would spend 100s of dollars just to be able to shoot everyone up and down.. which is sweet and all. The only thing I didn’t get was.. Why did you make a button to unfilter cussing but then when people got mad and started cussing they got suspesions and bans and etc. But at the same time that was happening you’d see a bunch of 18 year old kids, griefing some little kid on microphone (no i’m not talking about me) but i’ve seen it happen to many people. That’s how most people end up cussing as well.. Because they will get cussed out on mic and as soon as they say something on text.. Boom you’re gone. I’m just trying to prove valid reasoning here.
#268 by DJ Hall on 2011.04.16 - 10:52 am
Btw I mean “Stuff they shouldn’t of had to be banned for” not should of. My bad.
#269 by there_forever on 2011.04.15 - 12:59 pm
I need to ask a tech question. just because I am curious when it comes to tech info. If possible would u be able to tell us roughly how many servers will be needed “in the cloud” and what kind or cloud servers are required. High memory or high cpu servers and how ‘high’ they will be?
#270 by Rick caldas on 2011.04.15 - 11:36 am
we there does reopen wonder if wel ever see cosmo with 50+ people again hopefully we will i also miss the there games alot
#271 by Therians Fan on 2011.04.15 - 10:56 am
I was wondering, after CosmoGirl went out of business, back in 2009, how come the free accounts for CosmoGirl was still going on? I had a feeling that hurt market industry a bit, with the free voice. Was CosmoGirl still paying for all of the avatars that were being created after their shut down with their magazine company? Whatever happened with Yahoo!? I remember I saw Yahoo! was sponsoring, but we didn’t hear too much about it.
#272 by kevinf on 2011.04.15 - 8:20 am
With all do respect Marianne I think you’ve completely missed the ball. I think the best form of advertising, given there.com’s vast database, would be the issuing of catalogues I think the company could accrue exponential growth by showcasing their virtual goods.
(I have edited this comment slightly – M Wilson)
#273 by Marianne (JoyofLife) on 2011.04.15 - 3:55 pm
Thank you, now I can reflect on my 30 years in marketing as completely missing the ball! hehe Sadly though, and seriously, you are right about showcasing the goods! Yet THERE did have a wonderful, sortable Ebay-ish (thx MW) catalogue called auctions that contained every single designer product and it was marketed to every single user of THERE regularly.
Apparently not only was THERE unable to achieve exponential growth with this catalogue – but despite the fabulous electronic catalogue was forced to close its doors for lack of revenue.
The proof in reality was that marketing to existing users narrowed the potential to a limited audience — as compared to the millions of potential subscriber found through Facebook, Myspace, YouTube – as Craven discussed.
Anywho I think we can all agree that we want THERE to re-open, and I’m certain MW has the right resources to advise him.
#274 by Roxannie on 2011.04.15 - 4:42 pm
you forgot to mention Dr. Phil, rofl, that was some good advertising for sure
#275 by Marianne (JoyofLife) on 2011.04.15 - 6:39 am
PSPS After thinking about the easiest way to segment the world into the focus groups, I believe it would be by restricting geographic access. This should be the simplest manner. Downside? Users don’t mingle. Facts? They segregated themselves anyway when offered full access: SpaceStations, HippyBeach, Buggy Races, Hoods. When they did convene in non-focused areas like Duda, frankly they came looking for a fight. People like to fight and bicker. That’s ok too, but with no <18, let em fight or tell em to leave/ignore. No need to moderate.
#276 by Innie on 2011.04.15 - 11:04 am
Marianne, you mean “That’s ok too, but with no (less than) >18, let em fight or tell em to leave/ignore. No need to moderate.” ??
#277 by jimony on 2011.04.15 - 1:22 pm
Innie, 1313 (13 is less than18 and18 is greater then 13).
Therefore, “with no <18" means "with no (less than) 18".
This is the second time I have seen this get confused. The wide edge represents the bigger number.
Surely math hasn't changed so much since I was in school for this to have been reversed?
To me Marianne sounds like a valuable asset to have on There's side.
#278 by MissMostOfYou on 2011.04.15 - 1:51 pm
Less Than and Greater Than
As well as the familiar equals sign (=) it is also very useful to show if something is not equal to (≠) greater than (>) or less than (<)
These are the important signs to know:
= If two values are equal, we use the "equals" sign
example: 2+2 = 4
≠ If two values are definitely not equal, we use the "not equal to" sign
example: 2+2 ≠ 9
< But if one value is smaller than another, we can use a "less than" sign.
example: 3 And if one value is bigger than another, we can use a “greater than” sign
example: 9 > 6
The “less than” sign and the “greater than” sign look like a “V” on its side, don’t they?
To remember which way around the “” signs go, just remember:
•BIG > small
•small < BIG
#279 by 1969Craven on 2011.04.15 - 3:01 pm
JoyofLife, I agree with some aspects of your comments.. however, as to restricting geographic access .. um.. no … thats what made there.com great.. as for the marketing aspect. if you want my opinion.(and your gonna get it..lol) there.com needs to go away from the 3d world “game” tieing them in with SL and other VW (with all the there.com remaining the same as it was when we left) to market more as a LIVE FACEBOOK or LIVE MYSPACE.. visit your family or friends in there own virtual world home.. post family/friends/life pics right in your house.(maybe link them up with their FB or MS) . meet up with old schoolmates and family and play games with them in real time, talk to them LIVE Voice with no phone bill.. got that old bully from highschool.. paint ball his/her butt! facebook and myspace are years behind the possibilities of there.com. However, it needs to be marketed correctly.. IE radio ad: “Wow john your not gonna believe this .. I found our long lost cousin jane on there.com.I haven’t spoke to her in 10 years! we are playing cards right now.. and talking live. OMG you should see the pics of her kids.. they are all grown up now..dang josh got FAT! (oh no grandma just ran over uncle tim!) here want to talk to them.. radio voice.. ONLY POSSIBLE ON THERE.COM.” (you think facebook had all your friends and relatives on when it started..NO but thats how they marketed it and it worked.. in addition the celebs from VMTV .. visiting once and a while.. ( I made the official buggy for waiting for Wyatt when they came) would not hurt.. and there are so many media whores right now.. I’m sure you can get many to do it for free! So in conclusion you can leave there.com EXACTLY the way it was when we left.. just use a little different marketing strategy. – they didn’t go for the big sponsors like coke and pepsi. .they went for the people and then the sponsors came knocking.. Think of it this way . we are offering the same capabilities as facebook, myspace and twitter combined. only better. you can hang out LIVE … thats just my thoughts on the subject.. agree or disagree fine with me.. 🙂 ..by the way .. thats the direction always the way I saw there.com going on its own.. without the push.. as far as to market it to individuals that surf or skate board race or any of the things we love.. marketing wise.. all I got to say is umm Xbox .. playstation and WII …… yeah they took that .. there is no online game that can compete. Do you know why there is always a McDonald’s across from Burger King? its not by mistake trust me.. to explode THERE.COM .. LETS BE RIGHT ACCROSS THE STREET FROM MS, FB and Twitter. OMG I realize I am rambling and giving out all this for free.. MW I want my avi back free… JK 🙂 .. P.S. I use the words us and we because I have been part of the VMTV and THERE family for years Crew member in one and a IG in the other.. and feel that it is my home that I want back!
#280 by Marianne (JoyofLife) on 2011.04.15 - 3:39 pm
Hi Craven. Yes! Exactly… what you describe is what I termed “Viral Marketing” the use of the available social network programs to harness not only the power of the THERE product message BUT also individual subscriber’s marketing their use of THERE to their “network” of friends and family. Yes!
I also agree that THERE’s full featured-ness (made up word hehe) IS IT’S ADVANTAGE, but my point is only that often people can relate directly and more specifically to a single element. I cannot otherwise understand why simple silly games, and arcades do so well. Segmenting is a pretty common marketing strategy … like Toyota doesn’t make one car that is a utility, luxury, sedan sports car (Porsche does that)… instead they segment their cars up and down the range to target specific audience’s hot button thereby selling more product.
Your ideas about free phone too are great… better than skype as a little avie is there too. I saw that the SAIC OLIVE has robust video and file sharing (up to 5 screens at once) so there’s another great business oriented tool.
Thanks for the feedback! Happy Happy Joy Joy
I would buy all features, but we were thinking how it might be possible to “start” folks in a low cost narrow option, and let them build or migrate to the full subscription after tasting THERE.
#281 by Marianne (JoyofLife) on 2011.04.15 - 6:26 am
PS If your marketing people were telling you that the way to improve revenue was to make the users happier and to add more features….. you were surrounded by the wrong people. The plain fact is that products with far less in user coddling and far less in actual features have done well (ie shoot ‘m games). Marketing should expose a product to the widest and most focused groups of potential buyers. With the enviable range of targetable activities THERE contains…. it is a marketeer’s dream project. With the free marketing tools available today, execution of such a focus-group marketing program could garner huge pre-launch populations. I’d like to talk specifics of such a program and no inception cost to you ~ and executed prior to full launch at little cost to you or Makena.
#282 by Marianne (JoyofLife) on 2011.04.15 - 5:21 am
I will lick stamps. From today’s posted survey : Approx 1,800 ppl responding = $19k/mo; $230k/yr. Easily, just THERE veterans who have not yet responded will double that amount and the mailer plus low-cost Facebook/viral marketing could add another 100% for total of: approx $80k/mo for $960k/yr. These should be encouraging numbers MW? May I contact you privately regarding capital investment? Google me for resume/background in software marketing in So Cal. Thank you, Marianne Mohr.
#283 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.15 - 5:31 am
Yes, that’s one way of looking at it.
The other way is this: XMarks, which was a very popular site and plug-in for synchronizing bookmarks between computers, ran for years on a free + sort-of-premium model. After years of operation, they decided to cease operations. As a last ditch effort, they put up a PledgeMe to see how many people would pay for the service. Many responded, and they got bought.
After 6 months, do you know how many people actually kept their promise and paid ? (not “signed up and paid after 6 months”, but signed up at all)?
18%
See, those are the scenarios which frighten me the most.
#284 by Marianne (JoyofLife) on 2011.04.15 - 6:08 am
I understand about the drop-off. That is the greatest concern to build a model on certain expectations. BUT I think the world’s changed a little… a lot. Viral marketing was not a “force” and if harnessed virtually (yukyuk) enables a no-cost marketing paradigm and huge exposure. I mean how can something as flat in real depth of offering like Facebook, do what they have done? With virtually no “product” at all (from user standpoint)? Viral, personal, exposure. That’s about what they offer. I mean it’s ridiculous, I put my data up on a few social networking products and now I appear everywhere. My marketing was 100% free and millions of people are exposed. Opposed to most “user” thinking, I feel from a Marketing perspective that THERE offered too much at once. If I was designing the marketing program I’d segment the offering into succinct focus groups: ThereIM, TherePAINTBALL GALLERY, TherePETS, ThereHOMES, BUGGYThere, SKATEBOARDThere, ThereFASHIONS, VideoTHERE, FRIENDSinThere. Each of these target whole differing audiences and commercial sponsorship oppty. Like you said earlier, sponsors don’t care about 1000s of subscribers …they want millions of “hits”. How many skateboarders/surfers are there in USA? Target them only. Pet Lovers? Them only. Girls who love clothing? Them only. Build gardens? Them only. See where I am going? Imagine building the audience for these targeted markets – then go to advertisers to sell the HITS, not the subscribers. Geesh just look at all the other simple componental products doing very well: profiles only, videos only, little farms only. All these products have huge followings. Why? Folks are simple. They resonant and understand ONE thing at a time. If I was the Marketing Director at Makena, I would segment the offering providing specialized entry points and viral market the hell out of each. Each with at least as much free advertising as I’ve garnered myself. No need for maintained websites for each, just Facebook etal, Youtubes, and front end “pages” on THERE.COM collecting email addresses for newsletters which may include free day passes. Build the HITS, sell the focus group to advertisers, automate everything (same newsletter format for each segment). These entry points of succinct interest/audience could then lead to the full offering at a high premium with full, no incremental costs ie unlimited paintball at a high monthly or annual rate like $199/yr. I’ve often wondered with such a full offering THERE provided why ppl were constantly wanting more improvements and had so many complaints. Back to the need to focus ppl on ONE activity. They only get more demanding with more. Farmville makes me crazy, if a flat silly thing like this garners fame and success, why on earth didn’t THERE? Of course there woould be programatic issues – but as a marketeer in the software industry since 1979, I KNOW THAT TURNING OFF ACCESS is easier than “adding more features”. Perhaps some of these ideas are valid? I would appreciate the oppty to discuss privately capital investment and marketing programs along these lines if you are interested.
#285 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.15 - 7:19 am
The interesting thing is that we actually tried that, with targeted ad buys and landing pages for at least 3 of the categories you suggested. We also had experience with indirectly targetting some of these area through VMTV and Cosmo Girl.
The net for the former was almost no uptake and conversion (I was shocked). The net for the latter was much higher in membership, but not necessarily in spenders (I can’t say too much here).
So, great minds think alike. :-
#286 by there_forever on 2011.04.15 - 6:41 am
Thats probably because there are dozens of bookmark synchronizers around on the internet and most of them free.
The difference is that ‘There’ is unique in its category and there isn’t any other VW similar to it.
If it was built on Unitiy3D or on the SL grid things would be different.
#287 by Winston on 2011.04.15 - 7:41 am
I think your fears are well founded actually. You lose 12% of your “willing to pay” numbers just based on the 6 to 12 month pre-pay scenario. But are you relying solely on memberships to keep the place going? There’s biggest money makers must have been PAZs and neighborhoods right? Essentially allowing a person to buy or rent “space” on a server. With lower hosting costs you could make more on those. How about an annual “Pledge Drive” like PBS or NPR? Have membership levels like Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum and at each level you receive a unique item that is worth vastly less than the pledge amount. “Therians who sign up at the Platinum level will receive an old tennis shoe signed by the entire staff of Makena Tech.” I imagine you’ve already been brainstorming “what next” options but I’m just throwing stuff at the wall, so to speak.
#288 by Jonathan on 2011.04.15 - 9:39 am
“If it was built on Unitiy3D or on the SL grid things would be different.”
Yes, it would be different… it would be s**t!
#289 by Innie on 2011.04.15 - 10:59 am
MW, there is one glaring difference between then and now. I have always loved There, since closed Beta. However, when it became teen land it was very off putting. I even left because i got sick of being cussed out, abused, etc. in There by kids. I have my own kids to deal with, I dont want to deal with baby-sitting other people’s kids.
Now that this will change, and if it gets pushed as an 18+ (non-porn) world, you might be surprised at the response.
#290 by 73Bobby on 2011.04.15 - 3:16 am
we all appericate what you are doing to give us back there, we all have many memories , and wish to see our friends again, see at lot of useful comments so what ever I put in you aleardy have seen. hope your project is a success many thanks
Bob
#291 by JadenSmith on 2011.04.15 - 2:28 am
Theirs going be a noob land? O_o..
#292 by KevinF on 2011.04.15 - 1:20 am
I think you guys should implement a direct mail advertising. Probably the best way to reach the depths of there’s community.
#293 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.15 - 4:10 am
We would, but there’s no one to lick the stamps.
#294 by Ant1977 on 2011.04.15 - 5:01 am
I will be more than happy to take two weeks off and moisten stamps if there was a chance that we’ll see a re-opening.
#295 by Roxannie on 2011.04.15 - 4:54 pm
2 words ~ wet sponge
#296 by Flygirl_Dani on 2011.04.15 - 9:26 pm
LOLZ dont u know they have sticker stamps now.. WOOOT just rip n stick!
#297 by Machinegunner on 2011.04.14 - 11:16 pm
How many votes are you expecting for the 10$/month so that there has chances of re opening MW?
#298 by pSychocent on 2011.04.14 - 8:30 pm
It would be great to see There return but caution people, I would hate for you to get your hopes up and then get crushed again. I hope this survey gets out to as many members as it can. I wouldn’t feel insulted or spammed if Makena did a mass e-mail. Good luck Therians and Makena.
#299 by Aradriel on 2011.04.14 - 6:14 pm
Hi Michael Wilson!
Quick question (and huge apologies if this has been asked and answered – I’ve been reading these comments daily but I easily could’ve missed it), if we owned a deed on a funzone when There closed, would we get it back? Since it was in my inventory, but not sure if this would be different.
I’m SO thrilled at the prospect of There returning. I played it with my mom, and made dozens of amazing friends during my years in There. Both her and I would gladly spend $20/month on a subscription. Like many of you, I’ve tried the other virtual worlds out there, and nothing even comes CLOSE to There. THANK YOU to MW and Makena for trying to make this happen!
Much love to my There friends! ❤
–Aradriel
#300 by Joeydantonio on 2011.04.14 - 5:53 pm
If there re-opens, no more neighborhoods or real-estate?
#301 by Joeydantonio on 2011.04.14 - 8:26 pm
I have been noticing most recent comments/answers hinting that neighborhoods might no longer exist. I hope neighborhoods will still exist, I miss decorating mine! 😛
#302 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.14 - 8:41 pm
Those are rumors. No one from Makena has spoken those words.
#303 by Joeydantonio on 2011.04.15 - 8:37 am
Awesome, I was hoping they were! Makena never dissapoints! Thanks! 🙂
#304 by jaybee on 2011.04.14 - 5:30 pm
Michael, just out of curiosity, how many people were premium members before THERE closed?
#305 by ltbigdog on 2011.04.14 - 4:51 pm
If at the end of the survey there was enough positive results to re-open have you figured out a time frame when you would try be be back up and running. A week,month, sometime in the fall?
Not sure if this was asked
#306 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.14 - 6:25 pm
No, we have not. Depends how if we need to do additional work to support multiple accounts, trial members, how we will be supporting zones and hoods in a world where the servers come and go, and, of course, “Carbonite Valley”.
#307 by A sad person on 2011.04.14 - 4:15 pm
I cannot wait for my world to reopen
#308 by Wendy Stoll on 2011.04.14 - 3:01 pm
What I don’t get it is why so many people say they “lost” money when There closed. Did you lose money when you paid for a movie and you had to leave when it was over? Did you lose money when you bought a six-pack of beer, and after you drank it, it was gone? Did you lose money because you went on a vacation, and then it was over? There was not an investment portfolio! All the designers that “lost” money when There closed aren’t mentioning all the money they made when There was open. I don’t believe anyone guaranteed “forever.”
Just the view from my window.
Wendy50s
#309 by Skyefire on 2011.04.15 - 8:55 am
Wendy, I’ve seen a few designers talk about the money they made, and most the people I’ve heard complaining about losing money weren’t designers, or weren’t big enough to have been making much. I think a few loud people have made the rest of us Therians look a lot whinier than we actually are.
What I have definitely seen a number of times now is successful designers talking about how if it weren’t for There, they wouldn’t have gotten into this, or at least that they learned the trade in There.
#310 by Wendy Stoll on 2011.04.15 - 12:24 pm
Good to know, Skye 🙂 Thanks!
Wen
#311 by Amanda on 2011.04.14 - 2:46 pm
Hey Mw a big wave, one question- do you have an idea of when you have the results ? when will yo be showing them up? thanks :]
#312 by xSnoopy on 2011.04.14 - 2:43 pm
Hey Michael,
I was number 1000 here .. I expect at least something for being 1000th and defending There in the process LOLOL
Didn’t think I would notice huh 🙂
How about a years free membership ..
NAH, never mind, I will just be happy as hell to be in world again and be able to contribute to your/our success this time.
#313 by Machinegunner on 2011.04.14 - 11:14 pm
Your now #1023 and probably will be go higher.
#314 by MT on 2011.04.14 - 2:33 pm
Can we have updated poll results if possible?
#315 by Mr_donenzone on 2011.04.14 - 11:38 am
Hey Mr. Wilson,
If you do decide to reopen there.com, will our lots and houses still be up
#316 by OdileS AKA MmeOdile on 2011.04.14 - 1:02 pm
Not!!!! Let’s not head over there, but lets head over to ‘THERE’…
knock knock.
Whose there?
There!
There who?
They’re THERE, You know….The best game in the world!!! 😉
#317 by Brandyn_1 on 2011.04.14 - 2:01 pm
I would like o know this also.. I know neighborhood lots will not be up mainly because there is no hoods.. but will Paz’s still be out? ect?
#318 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.14 - 2:06 pm
We’re not sure if Lots will be out at opening due to the fact that Lots will be hosted on virtual servers which will only be up when the owner wants them up. Not clear yet.
In any case, if you were over 18 and owned a lot, we’ll figure it out when you return to the world, if we re-open.
#319 by Brandyn_1 on 2011.04.14 - 2:10 pm
What about Paz’s days on them? Will the amount of days still be the same as they were when There.com closed? I know many people had lots of days on there Paz’s some even had years.
#320 by Marianne (JoyofLife) on 2011.04.14 - 3:16 pm
Darn. We’re still only at: “IF we re-open”? Aren’t we getting closer to what Makena would need to re-open? Just think of the splash it would make in the virtual communities, like a Phoenix from the ashes!! (not asses). Is there anything the fervent among us could do to positively influence your decision? Would a couple $100k capital infusion help?
#321 by The Truth on 2011.04.14 - 11:36 am
I think it’s hilarious that charging people to use There is even considered for a split-second! I mean sure, the people who are obsessed with waxing nostalgic may pay a pretty penny, but what prospective new user in their right mind would pay to use There when they can just go to SL or Kaneva for free?
#322 by The Truth on 2011.04.14 - 11:37 am
Let’s also not forget Real Life Plus which will be free when it opens.
#323 by there_forever on 2011.04.14 - 12:30 pm
Perhaps we should also go to NowYow Truth!!!!!!!!!!!!!
#324 by xSnoopy on 2011.04.14 - 12:56 pm
Truth,
My question to you is, who in there right mind, after enjoying There and all that it had to offer would even consider any one of your choices?
Have you ever paintballed, buggy raced or floated on a hover boat over any of There? Bought a Paz, a house and decorated it?
I have been in all the places you have mentioned and NONE of them even compare to what There was and will be in a few months.
Don’t let me down here Michael 🙂
#325 by Wendy Stoll on 2011.04.14 - 12:59 pm
None of those places has anything on There. SL costs if you want to do anything; Kaneva is DULL; there’s not much of anything to do. RLP is an unknown quantity. I’ve seen a lot of what they’re doing and it looks very good…but so far the only things going on is fashion. There are SO many things to do in There, and it is also a continuous world, which none of the others is. It’s like saying, why would anyone pay for World of Warcraft when Perfect Worlds is free. It’s free because it’s just not nearly as good, and I don’t see WoW losing anything because it exists.
Wendy50s
#326 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.14 - 11:39 am
My goodness you’re right. Let’s all head over there!
#327 by Rick caldas on 2011.04.14 - 12:11 pm
dont compare those 2 to there.com there are hundreds of SL’s style of games & kaneva doesent get more than 50 people online a day if you gonna post negative comments stay out & youre probably under 18 or either banned to not be happy that there.com will reopen if we do this
#328 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.14 - 12:55 pm
Now, now, none of that here. 🙂
#329 by Joeydantonio on 2011.04.14 - 1:31 pm
I think I had more people in one of my neighborhoods on there.com at a time in one hour than kaneva has in the whole world in a weeks time.
#330 by Marianne (JoyofLife) on 2011.04.14 - 12:56 pm
People will pay for the reasons AS ALMOST EVERYONE HEAR ATTESTS: SL and the other games are not complete, easy, full of fun sports/vehicles, games, fully-operational physics, and a seamless world. In other words THEY SUCK. I am not waxing nostalgic and neither are the other thousand people here. Folks who want to pay a mere $20 bucks a month (more or less the cost of one meal a month) want to do so because they FIND VALUE in the complete offering THERE provides. That’s why 86% of the people responding to the survey said THEY WOULD PAY. Do you really think SL and Kaneva wish and hope their free members never buy anything? Never contribute to the operations costs? Nope they simply find other ways to charge users sooner or later. What I think is hysterical is that batshit ppl like you want everyone ELSE to pay for their good time and be cynical to boot. If you don’t value THERE why be here, why even bother complaining? Go play on SL.
#331 by SpeedRacer2 on 2011.04.14 - 2:18 pm
Hang about you mong! look at SL as in premium look at how many bluddy dollars if not pounds are you an idiot or just an idiot lmao why dont you marry SL…. MW has give us the better option of having our real homes back!!!!!!!!! I love the name The Truth how about no! go and live in SL because almost everyone in SL is there.com ready unlike you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! PLUS THERE.COM Pay them for the staffing and keeping the world lag free!!!!!!! oh and nob free! so Go and marry it hypercrit
#332 by kudosRetalian on 2011.04.14 - 11:12 pm
Hey, the man just had his own opinion chill out!
#333 by Rebecca McArthur on 2011.04.15 - 6:16 am
I suppose its for the same reasons millions of people are willing to pay to play WoW, when they could just play Warhammer Online (or whatever, feel free to substitute any name of a “free” game here). Cost – benefit analysis FTW!
#334 by lionsheart on 2011.04.14 - 11:11 am
i have added a small vid to youtube for ppl to use to post on forums its not a brill vid but its better than nothing
here is the link
thanks
#335 by kudosRetalian on 2011.04.14 - 11:06 pm
aren’t you that paintballer?
#336 by Machinegunner on 2011.04.15 - 12:08 am
Aren’t you that paintballler?
#337 by David H on 2011.04.15 - 3:21 am
Yeah, that is crap, but a good idea.
#338 by watchlight on 2011.04.14 - 11:07 am
I’m updating myself to this blog everyday, to see if there are any news about re-opening there.com 🙂
#339 by Lunarstar on 2011.04.14 - 10:56 am
Hi Mr MW and a big hello to all fellow thereians ‘wave . I have finally sorted my pc out so I could do the survey ”yay ( couldn’t do it on hubbi’s laptop as he had already done it )
Can’t wait to see you all again 🙂
#340 by Roxannie on 2011.04.14 - 10:30 am
o i just saw the update from the 12th, doh
#341 by xSnoopy on 2011.04.14 - 10:28 am
Micahel,
There are a few additional thoughts about the “trial or noob island”
You CAN’T get off of noob island until you become premium.
To get away from chaining or ban-avoidance, after the trial period is up, either ban permanently that avie name or moderate it for a month or 2.
Both possibilities are already in code and should be easy to implement.
Use the IP Addr of the former trial avie to keep that person from signing up immediately after his trial period. Don’t know if that would be difficult or not.
Let the noobs paintball with the 5 shot trial guns. Maybe make a 10 or 25 shot trial gun .. you cant do much with 5 shots 🙂
Same thing with the buggies and the rest of the moving stock. A short time trial period.
Maybe give them 3 to 5 trial periods with each piece of equipment.
Make a zone for paintball where the FF is optional. The rest of the island should have FF in effect all the time.
Make tutor kiosks where people can read the basics of movement around the island. Possibly a Helper near that area to help those who don’t understand.
Put out a couple of decorated Paz’s to show the noobs what they can do by becoming premium.
Make sure all of them understand that unlike most other virtual worlds, on the Internet, Premium accounts have VOICE rather than having to type.
Unless something brilliant comes to mind, this is my last comment on Noob Island 🙂
#342 by Roxannie on 2011.04.14 - 10:25 am
i hope you get the numbers you need, i myself have been passing the survey link to everyone i can think of, and i am ready for a new update too on the survey, last one was on sunday as far as i can tell, i am on pins and needles waiting for more results and to hear more 🙂 and i am so happy about the 18+ but i am wondering if it is gonna be like the 13+ where parents can fax in permission for their kid to be in? hoping not
i have tried all the virtual worlds i think and there is nothing that compares to there.com and wondering if you will be using national tv to do any advertising since the dr. phil show pulled in so many people maybe a commercial would do the same, just thinking out loud (i joined the day after i saw it on dr. phil and never left till it shut down for good, standing on top on a freshly dug grave dancing)
was just wondering if you have thought about taking away the trade box and only allowing things to be listed in auctions so the company gets a cut, or maybe adding something to the trade box so a percentage goes directly to the company, i’m all for ya makin money cause it means it will stay open longer, i always felt like the yard sales and trades must be taking money away from the company somehow, one last thing, also hoping you have a choice of gifting or buying your own tbucks, like a button that you can click and fill in the name of who you would like to give them too, cause i am pretty sure it will be set up so you can give them any more to help cut down on outside sales of them, which i totally agree with, i felt like that was one of the big down falls of there.com
#343 by there_forever on 2011.04.14 - 11:22 am
Totally agree with ya Roxannie! What you say aint so good for us users but if we want to keep There open we need to make a few sacrifices ourselves. We cant have everything and the old There gave too much and didn’t ask for much back!
#344 by kevinf on 2011.04.14 - 9:22 am
This marks the end of onverse lolol
#345 by Jack on 2011.04.14 - 10:07 am
Onverse is a close community. It has great services for help, fair prices, two currencies, tons of customization, and everything else. I don’t see it going anywhere but improving, for a long time.
#346 by Roxannie on 2011.04.14 - 11:24 am
yes it’s good for all the kids that can’t come back to there, last time i was in onverse was the last time i am going i think, since i watched kids grief me and another adult callin us old people and standing on our heads, then when the guide or whatever they are in there comes along and warns me and the adult because we are tryin to get the kids to stop, childs play i say, besides that i can’t stand the way the chat is set up and the games i feel are more child oriented than there.coms games are, it may go on but it is more of a hobby for the developers than it is a full time job like there.com was
#347 by mimi06 on 2011.04.14 - 1:47 pm
If anything (IF) THERE reopens, ONVERSE will thrive, as it is a PG13 world and therefore being under 18, you might just like it. As well as many that post here, under 18. 🙂
#348 by Summer on 2011.04.15 - 8:08 pm
Onverse is not a fun game…
#349 by Brandyn_1 on 2011.04.14 - 7:37 am
Will There IM return with There.com If you reopen? Is there any ideas for putting it on the iPad, iPhone, or iPod Touch? To be honest I think that would be a good addition. You could make it an additional price on your monthly fee for having There IM maybe like an extra $5? I know it would be a BIG project and might cost more money.. but is something your considering? 🙂
#350 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.14 - 9:42 am
Yes, ThereIM will return, and it, too, will be for member 18 and up.
#351 by SpeedRacer2 on 2011.04.14 - 9:48 am
So Michael when do you appose the opening of there.com or there IM??
#352 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.14 - 11:02 am
appose?
#353 by SpeedRacer2 on 2011.04.14 - 11:19 am
In other words when do you think you will be opening There IM or there.com
#354 by Mr_donenzone on 2011.04.14 - 11:56 am
Hey michael, if you don’t mind answering, if the game re opens, will our lots still be there?
#355 by Brandyn_1 on 2011.04.14 - 2:04 pm
Great to know MW. 🙂
#356 by Rebecca McArthur on 2011.04.14 - 6:01 am
Is there any chance that you or someone representing you, would be at PAX Prime in August? I think you’d be an excellent panel contributor and it is a great way to reach a very large segment of the gaming community.
#357 by n3rd_status on 2011.04.14 - 5:07 am
I have become so excited about all of this that at work the last few days all ive done is read through these comments, watched there youtube videos and gone through thumdars forums!!!!!
I really like the free trial idea for newer members, I think if you were to make the trial period shorter than what everyone is recommending, say 2-4 hours they would be more appt to buying a membership, if i sign up for a game to try it out, i’ll most likely want to play it all day and once my trial runs out I would certainly pay 10$ to keep going, and the youtube suggestion is a great idea, using the right keywords would get there.com videos popping up everywhere, even if makena it self wouldn’t do it I’m sure a few members could pull together to make something really great happen!
#358 by Mr_Donenzone on 2011.04.14 - 5:00 am
Hey MW, I have a quick question. If the game opens, will we still have our lots? Also I have a suggestion. The game smallworlds charges monthly for a vip membership. It usually costs 7.95 or 8 dollars a month. However, in order to make MORE money, they offer items and special promotions when you spend an extra 20 dollars or so on a membership. So you could consider offering: A (re)founding member package which includes 6 months of membership, and charge an extra 20 dollars which includes a special shirt or special items. Also, you could offer packages when buying therebucks. If you buy 12,000 therebucks, for example, then for an extra 10 dollars, you get a there buggy or something like that. Please tell me your feedback. Im a veteran therian with hundreds or more invested in your game.
-Mr_donenzone
Ps. Also, if we don’t remember our passwords, will there be a recovery service for old accounts?
#359 by cindy83 on 2011.04.14 - 1:57 am
^_^ i always wanted to say hi mw 🙂 i always have hope and faith (there.com FTW) there.com returns i will hug everyone hehe (hugs)
#360 by Rick caldas on 2011.04.14 - 7:20 am
hey cindy still remember me? rick?
#361 by cindy83 on 2011.04.14 - 9:12 pm
rick98 or something like that lol
#362 by John__M on 2011.04.13 - 10:57 pm
Hi Michael,
You have no idea how happy the thought of There.com re-opening makes me. Since there closed, i have spent time in other virtual worlds, nothing .. but nothing compares to There.
I have no problem paying whatever per month to have our lovely world back.
#363 by Ciara on 2011.04.13 - 5:33 pm
ill pay you 200$ to unban my account 😦
#364 by SaltySilver on 2011.04.13 - 4:41 pm
Noob Island “welcome walkway” would be something to think about. But having a YouTube Ch for There.com with a veriety of clips or ads of life in there.com would work as well. It could be linked from the home page. If you think about it $10 is less then a movie and popcorn. I believe that ppl would pay to try it out after seeing all the fun that can be had in there.com.
#365 by Joeydantonio on 2011.04.13 - 5:08 pm
I agree, using youtube for advertisements is a great idea. People sell stuff through youtube videos a lot more than you would think.
#366 by Marianne (JoyofLife) on 2011.04.14 - 4:43 am
Noob Walkway sounds good esp if we can paintball them … in a welcoming fashion of course!
#367 by Syntech on 2011.04.13 - 3:46 pm
Also another question since suppose ably you are still a running company what kinda things have you been doing besides Virtual congress after there.com closed
#368 by Brandyn_1 on 2011.04.14 - 4:43 am
Just saying we’ve all been asking that for a year ‘rofl .. He will not comment on them mainly because its private.. between Makena Tech. and others.. but Who knows? 😀
#369 by Richard on 2011.04.13 - 3:35 pm
Hello MW I sent you a email to the opportunities@thereinc.com and was wondering if you got it or not. It was about the the There IM like what the costs of buying it would be.
#370 by xSnoopy on 2011.04.13 - 3:25 pm
Michael,
Someone on Thumdar’s forums brought up an idea that everyone seemed to like.
How about setting up a “noob” or “Trial” island where people could not leave but could try out There for a brief period of time (maybe a couple of days or a week) before paying up and becoming Premium. It probably should be a one time deal based on their IP addr.
No Premium members allowed, to keep down the griefing. 🙂
No voice.
Perhaps trial:
PB Guns
Buggies
Boards
etc, etc.
Not sure if it has been suggested, if it has, sorry to repeat something.
#371 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.13 - 3:28 pm
You know, if we made “Carbonite Valley” into “Carbonite Island” and used it for Noob Island, then think of all the new people you’d meet. Well “meet” is a strong word, how about “see”.
We’ll keep all the “Free Account”/”Trial Account” ideas in mind, but only if we make it for a limited time, and have ways to prevent chaining and Ban-avoidance. Those are pretty tall orders right there.
#372 by Syntech on 2011.04.13 - 3:42 pm
Yes that would be a smart idea. But here is a way to keep the customer support costs “Free” Ask for volunteers within the community like the IG program did. Onverse does that and I think its quite interesting on how many ppl you would get. Also if someone were to wanna buy an island they could pay $1000 upfront then $350 a month (just a few ideas)
#373 by Marianne (JoyofLife) on 2011.04.14 - 4:09 am
Swear to God… I’m thinking about doing a “walk-a-thon” from NM to San Mateo or Laguna Beach (Makena HQ) to get attention to THERE reopening. MW you want dedicated members? I may to it clad in a bikini.
#374 by Brandyn_1 on 2011.04.14 - 7:51 am
I think having a trail account would be a good idea.. At least to get new members than you already do.. The thing I would suggest is letting Premium Members go on the island and maybe let them hear voide but they cant speak it.and I suggest having a funzone for separate things like Paintball and Racing for buggys hoverbikes ect. and maybe have IG’s on the islands to help swing them in to the world. And maybe explain almost EVERYTHING about the game, like its one of a kinda, its a whole world, friendly, exploring jungles, meeting friends, owning a home, a neighborhood, events ect. and TONS of videos of the game. maybe have the videos even in world. and out. Again you know what is financially smart for the company so do what you think will make the Company make more money in the long run.
#375 by Cerenela on 2011.04.14 - 4:47 pm
Actually, There.com used to have a place for new members the Welcome Walkway. There you had Try-it machines, dogs to play, card tables, a place to dance, customization machines, etc. And you had Greeters and IG available to help and answer questions. And it was open only for new members.
#376 by Winston on 2011.04.21 - 11:53 am
“I may to it clad in a bikini.”
JoyofLife I will pay your first six months of membership if you do that 🙂
#377 by Syntech on 2011.04.13 - 3:32 pm
Im not MW but maybe I can help. The way i have seen questions about the hoods, Funzones and everything was about a cloud server which somebody would have to pay for.
#378 by Antaios on 2011.04.13 - 2:16 pm
checks the date, for when survey went up… April 1st hmmmmmm
#379 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.13 - 2:18 pm
I assure you I haven’t spent the last what, 5 days?, approving almost 1000 comments as a joke.
#380 by Austin B on 2011.04.13 - 2:24 pm
Speaking of which, is it possible for you to create a whole new blog post and a new comments section. Loading these comments take a little while…
#381 by JamTuner on 2011.04.13 - 3:21 pm
In a slight reference back to my earlier post : If it were me, and I had to read ( or more accurately : “endure” ) many of the more pointed personal attacks that have been posted here and historically in many forms all over the internet, I would have been more likely to react with a statement more along the lines of ” Okay, If , negativity and attacks bordering ( and many times entering into ) slander, are your overall response to the possibilities we have set forth, then maybe its time to have shut of the whole idea. We will turn over the archives of There.com to the historians, and go on with our lives and ventures “. Which statement could easily be exhorted in only two words, by the more vulgar among us.
Again have to say, I have learned to respect the level of tolerance you are proving to have , Michael.
If there is nothing more apparent , it is the commitment you have shown to the enterprise we know as There.com.
After the closing, from your earliest commentary and what I saw as a sort of “inner dialogue” when speaking of the continued interest and limited ongoing development of the concept of There.com , I could see that if there came to be a way to bring the World to old and new members, you would make every effort to do so.
I wince when I read many of the venomous remarks and can only sigh when reading the quickly typed comments, that can be just as quickly seen as imbued with little forethought or insight.
#382 by Hugh5 on 2011.04.13 - 7:00 pm
I’m impressed. Really. I had a less than high opinion of how you and Makena closed There.com. I understood why it was done (economics), but I disapproved of the short notice and the total lack of options for the members. It was handled in a way I expected of Makena–virutally no notice and with a “thats all folks” commentary.
Suggesting the ‘pay by the month’ strategy is fine. I voted YES. The thing is though, I suggested that same thing all during the seven years of There’s existance. I have a valid question: instead of heading right into the full-blown 2010 shut-down, did you not try to implement a ‘pay by the month plan’ earlier? Say, perhaps in 2008 or 2009, possibly avoiding the 2010 shutdown?
However, this blog has changed my opinion of you and Makena. As I said earlier, if you do this type of communications when you re-open There.com, the ‘new’ There will be even bigger and better than before. However, if the Makena staff goes into hiding like it did before, then the ‘second life’ (bad pun) of There2 will be short-lived.
One last point–if you really want to know if a couple million former members of There.com want to re-join, you have to put this survey out in such a manner that actually reaches those former members–yes? no? A blog like this isn’t going to give you very accurate feedback is it? Why not tap into your database and do a Constant Contact survey that reaches all former members? I’m puzzled by this low-key, or shall I say, low-rent, approach. I own a communications company, and I know how to reach target demographics—this isn’t it, unless you know something I don’t? This feels more like a ‘toe in the water’ approach than a serious research tool.
#383 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.13 - 7:16 pm
Well, to be quite honest, here’s why:
1. As I said, the There.com home page gets hardly any traffic, so we haven’t rushed to put it There.
2. This blog has had a nice network affect, because the most dedicated members tended to visit it.
3. As I said before, I’m very gun shy of spamming former members, both because I detest spam, but also due to the huge number of bad addresses in the database. That all being said, I’m thinking of changing our view on that.
4. Finally, I wanted to self select the folks who were most likely to pay and stick with it. There’s little sense in doing great the first month, and then having all the lookie-loos leave, and be running off false expectations.
Also, I would like to remind everyone that There used to be a pay service and it still lost money. So we’re hoping that even though we’ll have less members (because it’s pay) the cost savings will offset that. Cost savings we hadn’t been able to realize in 2008 or 2009.
#384 by Syntech on 2011.04.13 - 2:14 pm
There is a few ppl here in comments i noticed show some hatred. Well MW i just wanted to stay don’t feel bad I mean your taking time outta your day to just about answer all of our questions. So I completely believe you and technically you said that there.com will not close down at this time. People think you said ” There.com will never close down” which you didn’t. I just had to say something. Because you’ve been soooo awesome to answer our comments and questions and everything. lol
#385 by Wendy Stoll on 2011.04.13 - 2:58 pm
‘tu syntech!
#386 by Cory on 2011.04.13 - 1:39 pm
Hey MW alot of people are confused about this , and I now you already said who wouldn’t be welcome. But are you saying some banned members will be unbanned , or are all the people who were banned, staying banned?
#387 by Jordan Charters on 2011.04.14 - 12:13 am
People banned with stay banned. Simple sentence to understand surely?
MW felt strongly about those that were banned and they will continue to be. If you need to find answers to questions in these comments just Ctrl + F to find and type in keywords, try not to repeat already asked questions.
#388 by DaRock on 2011.04.13 - 1:32 pm
Hey everyone,
Just giving out a shout to all my There buddies!
I’m not familiar with “beta accounts” When was the beta period (like was it 2001? 02???) I got my account in July 7, 2006. Would I still be able to get all my stuff back. And what is the oldest account you guys will reset (IF IT OPENS, not saying it will) do you go by last activity on account or how old the account is? or some other way?
Thanks for your response,
DaRock
#389 by Rick caldas on 2011.04.13 - 1:47 pm
no i believe they still have every account made since 2003
#390 by DaRock on 2011.04.13 - 1:26 pm
Hey everyone,
This is very exciting! I hope There2 opens. Just wanted to give out a shout to all my There buddies!
#391 by watchlight on 2011.04.13 - 11:55 am
I want Dune Valley back! 😀
#392 by Carlos mmm on 2011.04.13 - 11:47 am
yes! to mass mailing 😀 i will get more ppl to know about this survey and maybe now ill figure out wich email i had on my there.com acc 😀
#393 by Syntech on 2011.04.13 - 10:53 am
Hey MW,
This may be my last few questions. If you do decide to reopen will we be able to retrieve our old accounts? You say server costs and some other costs aren’t a problem any more. Did you make changes and if so could you explain the changes made?
Thank you,
#394 by Rick caldas on 2011.04.13 - 12:04 pm
yes we will he already said so but youl only be able to use the one you pay for if you own more than one
#395 by Winston on 2011.04.13 - 12:23 pm
He’s already addressed these questions. I know the comments are getting long so it’s easy to miss. Your old account will be used but they still need to look into combining multiple avies for one person. The server costs have been otherwise negated by moving to cloud computing rather than traditional, physical server hosting.
#396 by Jonathan on 2011.04.13 - 12:26 pm
He’s answered this on many occasions up above. But yes, he has made server changes, he says he will use Rack-Space, or Amazon ‘cloud’ servers for There2. Thus, they are ‘scalable’ and therefore only use what they need to. And yes, old accounts do appear to be retrievable as he made back-ups.
#397 by jimony on 2011.04.13 - 1:01 pm
Syntech, I know, it’s almost a 1000 posts, but the answers are in there.
#398 by 1969Craven on 2011.04.13 - 10:22 am
I think posting the survey on the actual web site will bring a lot more people in .. this would just solidify that this is not a prank or false survey. many people have been fooled into thinking that it was reopening so many times that they just don’t believe you when you tell them.. I was one of those, because I found the survey on Wikipedia and not this site. I was then yelled at and given this link.. lol.. thanks lisablisa 😛 I have posted the link in many games and social networks. just trying to do my part to get my home back ‘tu
#399 by Codrod on 2011.04.13 - 9:23 am
Would you ever unban those who where banned?
As for me, I wasn’t told the reason for my ban, not judging the company or anything, I think it was a mistake.
Perhaps a fee?
#400 by Rick caldas on 2011.04.13 - 9:27 am
he already stated who wont be welcome’d im sorry for the banned people i also was banned once for something i didnt do but got unbanned lil after after clarifiying the situtation
#401 by Bradley Cornwest on 2011.04.13 - 9:47 am
Can you beat this dead horse anymore,
5. All former There members would be welcome, EXCEPT those suspended for conduct inappropriate for a PG-13 site and those who have violated Makena Technologies policies, agreements or intellectual property rights.
If you are not sure whether or not why your account was suspended or “banned” what’s to stop you from trying to sign in to your account when there re-opens. If your account is unaccessible at that point then go through the appeals process by filling out an appeals, good luck!
#402 by SassyBeMe on 2011.04.13 - 9:06 am
I find that odd. I still kept it as home page of my browsers. Well not chrome. I haven’t figured out if I can with that one. 🙂
#403 by Bradley Cornwest on 2011.04.13 - 9:41 am
In your Chrome browser, left click on the wrench in the top right corner, select “Options”, center of page select “Open this page” and type in the home page that you’d like to use.
#404 by Joeydantonio on 2011.04.13 - 9:42 am
* This is completely un-related to this blog at all. Lol * But anyway, to set a homepage in Chrome – You just click the wrench logo in the top right corner, go to Options. Then in the middle of the new page, you will see where you can set your home page. 😛
#405 by Joeydantonio on 2011.04.13 - 8:47 am
Hey, when are you guys going to add the survey to the There.com homepage? I think that would really help out a lot for getting the word around.
Speaking for myself, just yesterday I passed around the link and at least 5 there.com regular’s never heard about the survey. I am sure there are tons more out there just waiting to be aware of the news to be able to vote.
#406 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.13 - 8:56 am
We are working on it, but it hasn’t been a big priority because frankly, the home page doesn’t get a lot of traffic (I still run Google analytics on it).
That being said, I’m still thinking about how to get to the non-US customers. I may have to break down and do a mass mailing.
#407 by Rick caldas on 2011.04.13 - 9:15 am
do it sir that way itl also help me find the email for one of my accounts that ive forgotten
#408 by debbilyn on 2011.04.13 - 9:19 am
I think a mass emilaing is a good idea.
#409 by there_forever on 2011.04.13 - 9:20 am
I think thats a great idea! I wouldn’t call it spam anyway. Its more like a newsletter or something.
I don’t think it should just be for the non-US members. I’m sure that a lot of US members still have no idea of whats going on.
#410 by Joeydantonio on 2011.04.13 - 9:33 am
Yeah, I think that would be the best bet to send a mass mailing. Not only will you reach international users using the mailing method – you may also reach users who have disabilities that aren’t able to keep in touch with everyone as often as they would like, users who don’t follow the forums of other games and sites like thumdar, older members who have not been around for some time, etc….. I know as earlier stated in previous posts that you didn’t want to seem as though you were ‘mass-message spamming’, but in my opinion it’s not really spam because you aren’t offering to sell them anything as far as a product or service goes yet, you are simply informing them that they have the opportunity to take part in the open decision of the opening of a game they already agreed to the TOS of not too long ago.
Also, I know a lot of families who all took part in There.com memberships. Parents and late teenage children in the same household and married couples (that actually met through There.com and now live together) and such. Some can’t vote due to living in the same house, that is another thing to take into consideration when counting the total amount of votes when that day comes.
#411 by luckyjunior2005 on 2011.04.13 - 10:25 am
I agree with the mass mailing as well. It would be the fastest way to get the word out. I wouldn’t think of it as spam. If they want nothing to do with There, all the have to do is delete the message.
#412 by Skyefire on 2011.04.13 - 11:15 am
I can’t see one mass mailing pissing anyone off. It’d only be going out to people that have already shown some interest in There at least. I know MY reaction to getting linked the survey. After I realized it was really, it was pretty much the extreme opposite of upset.
#413 by Antaios on 2011.04.13 - 11:59 am
None US resident here… I had no trouble finding this place
#414 by Orielle on 2011.04.13 - 1:53 pm
But Antaios, you’re Canadian and you don’t count now that Canada has finally became a part of North America. 😛 One of the betas we had signed up for is open to residents of North America and when Ant finally got his invite he put down he’s in Canada and was told Canada wasn’t part of North America. 😛 They eventually fixed it to where Canada is part of North America. lol
#415 by Wendy Stoll on 2011.04.13 - 2:55 pm
Yes to the mass-mailing, and LOL Orielle and Ant!
#416 by Innie on 2011.04.13 - 4:15 pm
Yes to the mass mailing! I would never consider that spam. More like a good news letter to most that will receive it.
And, LOL Ant and Orielle. Sure have missed you guys 🙂
#417 by Captain_Quirk on 2011.04.13 - 7:44 pm
I’m not a US customer, I’m Australian (in Australia) and I heard about the news about There might be reopening on Facebook. But I’m sure a mass emailing would be a great help in getting the word out 🙂 I’ve passed the news around, but I can do only so much. Btw… I too have checked out the There home page from time to time… living in hope for the good news.
#418 by Soede on 2011.04.13 - 8:52 pm
If you DO do a mass mailing, could you please list the number of responses according to team colour? And may the Best Team WIN!!
#419 by Cerenela on 2011.04.14 - 4:28 pm
Well, I live in Latin America and I knew about this survey the very first day that you posted it because a friend who lives in Europe told me about it. Also, a lot of friends that live in Latin America already know about the survey.
#420 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.14 - 5:57 pm
If someone wants to provide translations of the announcement and questions we can try to get them in, if anyone thinks that’s a good idea.
#421 by Cerenela on 2011.04.15 - 4:14 am
Sure! I can translate it. Just let me know where i can send translation to you.
#422 by beth on 2011.04.13 - 8:12 am
mw never once said he’d reopen there.com. he MIGHT open there2 that would have a few things the same as there.com, but is NOT there.com. most of what made the place was the people and I know a lot of people no longer trust mw and won’t go to there2, so it will be even less like there.com. the most worrysome factor to me is the lack of intrest in the human emotion that mw seems to have. i have heard people have gone to therapy due to the closing of there.com. it was real human emotion behind a lot of avies. yes, mw is a buisnessman, but one would hope human compassion would be number one in dealing with an on-line world. I have yet to see that side of mw.
#423 by Rick caldas on 2011.04.13 - 9:14 am
No. Its not “would have a few things the same as there.com” it is there.com and it probably wont even be called THERE2 its gonna be the same virtual world same everything , and it can change back with time as there makes more money and gets more popular
#424 by Cerenela on 2011.04.14 - 4:10 pm
Beth, I think you are confused, as Rick stated it will be the same There.com (maybe with the exception of the places like CC Metro that used to have sponsors) and it won’t be called There2. I can’t talk about other ppl but what I can see is that MW is interested in have There back.
#425 by Hoverbiker on 2011.04.13 - 7:02 am
Surely just as you wouldn’t discuss a sale price of There.com on a blog, you aren’t going to base your decision on whether or not to proceed with There2 based soley on a survey linked to it.
Is that survey a starting point for potential investors to view? Is it simply a starting point for you to view in order to decide whether or not attempt to obtain investors?
That leads into my next question . . . should you decide to go ahead with There2, will there be a board of directors like there was for There?
Seeing as though There.com was ultimately a failure, as far as it being profitable, have you considered employing any professional busines people for this round? Perhaps just on a temporary basis to get the ball rolling? Maybe employ a CEO who would have to step down if/when his business plan wasn’t productive.
#426 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.13 - 7:42 am
. Surely just as you wouldn’t discuss a sale price of There.com on a blog, you aren’t going to base your decision on whether or not to proceed with There2 based soley on a survey linked to it.
It’s a valuable form of input.
. Is that survey a starting point for potential investors to view? Is it simply a starting point for you to view in order to decide whether or not attempt to obtain investors?
No.
. That leads into my next question . . . should you decide to go ahead with There2, will there be a board of directors like there was for There?
Makena’s Board of Directors never went away and continues to exist.
. Seeing as though There.com was ultimately a failure, as far as it being profitable, have you considered employing any professional busines people for this round? Perhaps just on a temporary basis to get the ball rolling? Maybe employ a CEO who would have to step down if/when his business plan wasn’t productive.
I don’t have the answer you want to that question, so I won’t even go there.
#427 by JamTuner on 2011.04.13 - 11:34 am
“Seeing as though There.com was ultimately a failure, as far as it being profitable, have you considered employing any professional busines ( sic) people for this round? Perhaps just on a temporary basis to get the ball rolling?
I must stand up and applaud you for your admirable ( and considerable ) restraint when faced with comments like this one and many others I have seen made about core business implementation. It boggles the mind that there is a persistent attitude that There.com was somehow an amateur theatrical production put on by the neighborhood kids for casual amusement.
#428 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.13 - 12:02 pm
We wanted to get the neighborhood kids to run it, but they were busy building an orbital vehicle for the X-Prize.
#429 by Hoverbiker on 2011.04.13 - 1:11 pm
“I don’t have the answer you want to that question, so I won’t even go there.”
I’ll take that as a no.
Pity the kids were busy, but that must be some neighborhood.
#430 by Rick caldas on 2011.04.13 - 6:31 am
Michael when we Re-register would we be able to pick a different name but still keep our inventory?
#431 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.13 - 6:37 am
Probably not, no.
#432 by Betty on 2011.04.13 - 6:13 am
This honestly distresses me. I’d be happily willing to pay $10, $15 or even $20 a month. I’ve spent hundreds of dollars on this game already and I feel that this was a wasted investment. As I am only 16 and this game is going to be 18+, I will not be able to enjoy the game as I once did for years. I’d suggest this game be 16+ as a lot of those over this age would be willing to pay out and as you’d have to pay to even be able to log in, the people that would be less likely to pay the fee wouldn’t even want to reload their accounts.
I miss this game, a lot. I made a lot of friends and created so many memories yet I’d not be able to go back to this if, theoretically, it did open due to my age. I hope that you can keep a hold of the accounts for at least 2 years because after that time I’ll be able to return! I just don’t want to have all of my hard work put to waste.
#433 by Jonathan on 2011.04.13 - 6:41 am
I don’t think it’s as simple as saying “Yeah, why not, its now 16+”. I presume there are a lot of legalities with ‘minors’. People aged over 18 (why 18 is a massive milestone I don’t know) are considered to be Adult, and therefore liable from a legal standpoint. Unfortunately this is just ‘the way the cookie crumbles’.
#434 by Rick caldas on 2011.04.13 - 6:08 am
btw michael since there will be no Free accounts theres no need for Island Guides
#435 by Cerenela on 2011.04.14 - 3:55 pm
Rick, IG program was not created for helping not paying members, it was created for helping NEW members and all community. And if There.com reopens I hope to see not only the old members but also a lot of new members! And remember that a free account is not the same than a basic member.
#436 by debbilyn on 2011.04.13 - 4:54 am
Michael,
Help us get the word out about the survey. I am posting and emailing as much as possible, but I do not think it is enough to get the word to all of the Therians out there. I want There to be successful for you and all of us “Therians” that want our virtual home back.
#437 by Ravenmagic on 2011.04.13 - 4:41 am
Mr, Wilson,
I was ever so happy to take the survey. I wanted to thank you for the time I had on the game before it closed. Knighthawk101 and I had a blast on Hemp Beach and boarding off of Avie Sacrifice and all the wonderful times in the Hood we owned. Wonderful times! We met and married two years after we got on the game. lol I know it is to much info but hey there it is. We are looking forward to the time that you can get the VW up and running again, and if not, I still think you for a wonderful experience and for me finding my husband. As I made the comment on Facebook. With all your stress with everything going on don’t forget to step back and take long deep breath’s. We would love for you to come down and have a good ole southern dinner with us. Sometimes ya just got to relax. rofl… We will rock out this side of Va. We made so many new and wonderful friends on the game, they know who they are and they will provide lots of music. rofl..
Just relax
Ravenmagic
#438 by Adrian Witt on 2011.04.13 - 7:51 am
Mr. Wilson, what she said. Many thanks
Kinghthawk101
#439 by Adrian Witt on 2011.04.13 - 2:20 am
MW, After Ravenmagic and I spoke about the possiblity of There2 opening it occured to us that we owe you a debt of thanks, if it had not been for There.com we would never have met. We have been together for 2 years now and married for a few months . Thank-you, I sincerely hope “There” comes back.
#440 by kudosRetalian on 2011.04.13 - 2:17 am
I am sorry i am unaware of this but what’s the proof that you are the real michael wilson ?
#441 by Studly From There on 2011.04.13 - 4:47 am
Seriously??? You have not read much of his blog have you?
#442 by JoyofLife on 2011.04.13 - 4:56 am
Yikes kudo … just look at MW’s blog history…. who else who would have left such nerdy techie posts?? (er kidding MW ;0). Seriously do you think anyone would imposter MW for a year and “The Real MW” wouldn’t have done anything about it? Please don’;t drive the man crazy with batshit questions. And anyway maybe it was the Imposter MW that was running THERE all along? Insight MW? hehe
#443 by kudosRetalian on 2011.04.13 - 5:19 am
Hey i was unaware now dont get mad at me i apologised for being ignorant in the first place.
#444 by kudosRetalian on 2011.04.13 - 1:56 am
How come SL runs with basic members and there.com doesn’t?
#445 by VoniLei on 2011.04.12 - 11:17 pm
Mr. Wilson, the question that I’m sure is niggling at the back of every brain here is this…
Will we have quest kits?
Bwahahaha
#446 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.13 - 4:25 am
Yes, they’ll be used to program the cats.
KIDDING.
#447 by There_forever on 2011.04.13 - 4:50 am
Having cats would be a great idea though. Especially if you can get them to acutally interact with the dogs… like in real life
Imagine a dog running after a cat or the opposite!!!
#448 by VoniLei on 2011.04.13 - 6:32 am
Hahaha! Oh, thanks for the giggles. (And I don’t mean the annoying add-on that sends a million chickens, either) 😛
#449 by debbilyn on 2011.04.13 - 4:45 am
Thanks for asking about quest kits. Questing is my favorite activity in There.com. Other worlds have tried questing but nothing compares to the challenge offered in there.
#450 by tim on 2011.04.12 - 9:14 pm
if you come back will i get my stuf back
#451 by jimony on 2011.04.12 - 9:29 pm
No, only if you come back if There comes back does your stuff come back. That has been backed up by the back statements. Just scroll back to see.
#452 by jimony on 2011.04.12 - 8:54 pm
Even though I have been outspoken about thinking MW was deceptive in telling us “There won’t close next month and There won’t close in six months” or something very similar (it closed before six months were up, so he did tell the technical truth, it didn’t close six months from his statement!), my personal opinion of Michael Wilson was solidified the day There closed when he stood in the park (At Cosmo?) and gave people the opportunity to confront and bash him, while he passionately tried to make them understand why he had to close There. I sensed that he was in pain with his decision.
I will always respect him for being there regardless of the profanity being slung at him.
BUT YOU SHOULDN’T HAVE CLOSED THE FORUMS SO QUICK!!! Sorry, had to get that out.
#453 by MrScrooge on 2011.04.13 - 3:30 am
I was there for that. I actually felt bad for him. He was like a bunny rabbit trying to cross a busy highway.
#454 by Marifee on 2011.04.12 - 8:40 pm
Yes yes yes yes PLEASE bring it back. My dogs will be starving lol. Oh to drive my vehicles again…my boards…the roaming freedom…yes yes yes….you get the idea? Lol
#455 by padink on 2011.04.12 - 8:13 pm
“Lets get this done Therians and go home to the best damn game on the Internet!!!!” -xSnoopy
AMEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11
#456 by xSnoopy on 2011.04.12 - 7:27 pm
Michael,
Up until I started following this blog, I thought you were a smug, arrogant …. ahhh, you fill in the blanks
As I followed your reactions to those who were positive and those who were not, a little of the REAL Michael Wilson started to show through.
Its easy to stand on a soap box and preach. I guess most of us have become a little jaded after watching the circus that is Washington politics.
The real eye opener, for me, was how you handled yourself when confronted by, so far, 850 comments both pro and con about There.
I wonder how many hours you have put in here, moderating all 850 of these comments. DAMN, its a full time job and I’m sure there are a few other things going on in your life.
Whether or not we/you get to that “It’s great, but it’s not 86% of the right number yet.”, my idea of who you are has changed.
I swear I will never turn CAPS LOCK on, ever, again in There2. 🙂
Lets get this done Therians and go home to the best damn game on the Internet!!!!
#457 by Hugh5 on 2011.04.12 - 9:44 pm
Nice. I agree. I have one suggestion though Snoopy. When you turn off your caps lock, try to keep your FF off too when paintballing. I mean really…I tried to paintball with you in Zep many times, but all you did was shoot one shot, then turn on your FF. At least I think that was you. Let’s meet up in Lesser Tuma and go a few rounds eh? And no FF please. The beer’s on me.
I have found some new respect for Michael too. I suggested to him that he keep up this new interest in communicating with us when There2 launches. The forums were not enough in my opinion. We need regular emails from Makena/There, a full fledged newsletter (started and owned by Makena), and maybe announcement signs INSIDE There updating us on events and regualr goings-on. The old There suffered from an unending feeling of neglect from its owners. My challenge to Michael–don’t let that happen again.
#458 by Woodstock on 2011.04.12 - 11:56 pm
cya in zephyr bby
#459 by MrScrooge on 2011.04.13 - 3:28 am
Psst Snoopy, don’t tell anyone but sometimes I like Michael (even though he ran me down in his Christmas buggy in ’09).
#460 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.13 - 4:26 am
And count your blessings I couldn’t get it into reverse at that moment ;-).
#461 by xSnoopy on 2011.04.13 - 6:09 am
Hiya Scrooge,
Great to see your name again after so long. Considering what I read into Michaels more recent comments (they seem to be getting more and more positive as time goes by), were VERY close to being back in Zephyr and shooting the crap out of Phill41.. Cant wait to get him in my sights again LOLOL I so want to show him the way to Dune Valley Race Track one more time hehehe
Why didn’t Michaels comment about not being able to find reverse surprise me, put him behind the wheel of a buggy and he gets plain NASTY 🙂
Hugh5, I swear I will keep it off just for you.. after all, whats the worst that can happen? I have a long run back from the ocean 🙂 Sure wont be the first time nor the last LOL
#462 by Hoverbiker on 2011.04.13 - 5:08 am
“Lets get this done Therians and go home to the best damn game on the Internet!!!!”
There wasn’t a game.
#463 by xSnoopy on 2011.04.13 - 6:45 am
Whats your point?
We are trying to convince Michael to open the doors again, not debate whats in a name.
What ever you call it, it was and is the best EVER!
#464 by Truck on 2011.04.13 - 7:07 am
Amen, Lets go home. i want to fall from 21k meters and hit the ground on my hoverboard. jump off and drive away in my buggy.
#465 by mandy on 2011.04.12 - 7:23 pm
hiif it was to reopen would i be able to have all items i had on my island returned just wondered as they costs thousands but not so much the cost as being able to replace them which im sure would be im possable,thanks astonx
#466 by Carlos on 2011.04.12 - 7:03 pm
would be great if theres hopefully it will again be reopened my support for you ..
#467 by Jordan on 2011.04.12 - 5:27 pm
Hello Micheal (If there would to reopen) have you thought about hiring just one greeter maybe, to handle the island guides that way you don’t have to pay a bunch of staff you will have volunteers helping to great the members and welcome them to the world etc… The island guides were a really big help to the game to answer peoples questions and help them on their first moments in the world.
#468 by NathanAvis on 2011.04.12 - 5:59 pm
Hmm dunno Jord if that will really be of much good in MW’s new There. There won’t be lost children, or people blindly making free accounts and not knowing what to do with them like before. It would be almost free to instead have elected people be volunteer experts and contribute towards a knowledge base Wiki, and point everyone to the Wiki if they get stuck or just help them out of your own free will. You don’t need to be a guide to help anybody.
#469 by Evelyn on 2011.04.12 - 4:43 pm
Michael Wilson, You see how many people who support you and There.com. I will behind your side for any helper in the future. I keep my figure cross.
#470 by jimony on 2011.04.12 - 8:42 pm
If your behind someones side, aren’t your in their blindside and can we tell if someone has a good figure if it is crossed?
(I agree with your sentiment, Evelyn, but I couldn’t help but tease your grammar. Hope you don’t hate me for it.) 😉
#471 by living without There. on 2011.04.13 - 1:24 am
You talking about 2 different worlds phil, COD ops is a shooter game that kills people with a youthfull group of under 18,Far as we know Zuck might have been a member a there at one time,lol. Your so dead set on There2 opening but i do recall you enjoying yourself on many nights of buggy racing..There has so many options such as creating an island with a war zone,maybe MW could set this up with and target the adult 1st person shooter games. if there were to open I would see Phil in his buggy again,lol.
#472 by living without There. on 2011.04.12 - 4:18 pm
Heres another thought,get the founder of Facebook Zuckerberg involved,have him support the best virtual world with facebook icons throughout There,this could work for both parties,hes worth 60 billion and always looking to make more money I’m sure, we could have a facebook zone for his advertisement..Yeah???
#473 by Fearless_Phil on 2011.04.12 - 7:20 pm
Call of Duty: Black Ops sold over the $1 billion mark (yes that’s a “B”) in 42 days with users logging in over 600 million hours in a few months. That’s probably a user base of 20+ million users.
You think Zuckerberg is going to target a site/game with maybe 1000 users based on the current survey, when he can partner with dozens of other places with millions of users?
Based on the current survey numbers MW would be better off selling There on eBay, and opening a Dunkin’ Donuts. 🙂
#474 by Hugh5 on 2011.04.12 - 9:52 pm
MMO worlds are not FPS games. A direct comparison doesn’t hold up too well. There isn’t a game per-se. But you are right in that There will need a solid revenue stream. I think Makena can do it. Let’s help them do it instead of trying to shoot it down. We love There, and we all know people who have never been in-world. Invite your friends. I recruited my friends and family all the time in the past. Let’s all do that now. Tell everyone you know about this page. Start the movement NOW.
#475 by Woodstock on 2011.04.12 - 3:58 pm
It’s so exciting that 86% of people are willing to pay. At this stage do you think there a positive signs of a re-open Michael Wilson?
#476 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.12 - 4:14 pm
It’s great, but it’s not 86% of the right number yet.
#477 by Woodstock on 2011.04.12 - 6:24 pm
And would you mind telling us exactly what that number might be?
#478 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.12 - 7:33 pm
Sorry, but we don’t know it yet. Please see my response below about all the factors involved.
#479 by xcal Urradio on 2011.04.12 - 7:13 pm
Hey Michael,
Please keep in mind this is only a fraction of the people who would love to see THERE open. Also keep in mind you have a lot of over seas people that loved there also that might be missing the option of the survey.
Thanks Xcal
#480 by Koala07 on 2011.04.12 - 3:46 pm
Hi Michael Wilson Thank You, for even looking at bringing there.com back. my real world wife Deleight and I were both IG and loved every moment that we where playing the game. We would gladly come back if there reopens and pay a monthly membership for each account. and yes we have done the survey.
Thank you for all the hard work you have done and all that is still ahead to reopen there.com
‘wave
#481 by Syntech on 2011.04.12 - 3:24 pm
we could really use there.com back because everything else sucks! Onverse ppls are real jerks they are creating new rules left and right that we don’t know about. I hope you will come back because you got my word i will be there as long as i get my account lol of course.
#482 by Dolphin on 2011.04.13 - 11:19 am
Awww poor you syntech already forgot the TOU in Onverse and how you were on the Guide Team huh? And btw think you need to be reminded again that “IF” There opens back up again you won’t be ALLOWED in because you are UNDER THE AGE OF 18 :D.
#483 by mimi06 on 2011.04.14 - 2:41 am
guess I missed this post. syntech your true colors shine brightly, to bad you just showed your age here! bash me or any guide wont get you to age 18….
#484 by Syntech on 2011.04.15 - 12:36 pm
Well nooo duhhhh Dolphin besides i quick the guide team i was never kicked off it. Quite frankly. My dad played there.com i can just watch him. I don’t care if I play or not my plan is not to spend another penny and you guys have no excuses to bring drama into this blog. Technically I can talk about onverse anywhere and they technically can’t stop me. Read the ToU yourself Dolphin maybe you will learn a thing or two.
#485 by Coflin on 2011.04.12 - 3:12 pm
I think the whole report that There would reset all usernames not logged into or paid for after six months could be problematic. I am all for doing something about the avie names, because there are so many that have been used as trial accounts (back before the free account system was implemented) or made as a free account and only logged into a handful of times. Many former semi prominent Thereians risk a identity theft of sorts when they may choose to not pay for their old account due to various reasons, and then perhaps a new member would assume that avie name which may cause confusion. IE, say “Thumdar” chose not to pay monthtly to play There because he is now on SecondLife and is very happy and content there (Remember this is a hypothetical). Six months go by, his name becomes up for grabs and another member takes it. I see this new member log in as “Thumdar”, I know Thumdar so I InstantMessage him asking his to hold onto some rare nikes for me for a day or two, knowing as a good friend he will give them back when requested. This new “Thumdar” in turn just keeps them because he isn’t really the person of the same name I thought, and I’m just SOL.
To solve this issue I suggest only avie names with perhaps a Silver funpass or less names go back up for grabs, to prevent confusion such as this and allow for a member two years from now, if they decide to return, they can with their name, things, and identity still attached.
#486 by Thumdar on 2011.04.14 - 3:59 pm
How did you know I’m totally happy and content in SecondLife?!?! ROFL. I log into SL about once every 6 months and usually last about 5 minutes before logging out and muttering, “friggin’ There closing – how dare they?!” Hehe. I know you were being hypothetical ~ couldn’t resist.
#487 by jimony on 2011.04.15 - 5:46 pm
It’s actually a compliment, Thumdar was the most famous name he could think of.
#488 by Austin B on 2011.04.12 - 2:39 pm
Have you considered offering $150-$250 lifetime full premiums? This could immediately generate substantial revenue while There catches footing…
Honestly, in my eyes, this isn’t a bad deal. Playstation, Wii, and Xbox all cost this much, plus 50$ per game, which a hardcore gamer can beat in a few days.
#489 by OdileS AKA MmeOdile on 2011.04.12 - 1:33 pm
Hi Mr Wilson,
Both my husband (DenzelS) and I have played and enjoyed ‘There’ in the past…We are true Therians in every since of the word…We owned several hoods and pazes! Loved our friends and miss them dearly…
My question would be: When Denzel took the survey he said he would pay for 6 months in advance..Although I did …I said ‘no’ to paying 6 months in advance…(should have asked hubby first LOL )..Well now I want to change my mind LOL …Hubby would fork the 6 months in advance, for each of us ….
Question: How do you know the each person taking the survey is only taking it once? And …what if a person needs to change an answer..for example, Me 😉
* way to go MW..hope you can make it happen, I want to fly my planes all around there, and ride our horses….I also want to sing again in ‘there’…. 😉
#490 by jimony on 2011.04.12 - 3:35 pm
And I look forward to having you sing again at my place, OdileS! I hope you have been well.
#491 by OdileS AKA MmeOdile on 2011.04.18 - 1:00 pm
Hey there Jimony…Yes, and maybe you might have a place for us to sing? Hint hint lol lol hugs and hope to see you THERE LOL
#492 by Flygirl_Dani on 2011.04.15 - 9:08 pm
Mme!!!!! 😀 HUGS HUN!!! Miss u!!
#493 by OdileS AKA MmeOdile on 2011.04.18 - 12:59 pm
Hey there Flygirl_Dani…wow..how are you? ….. and hope that there opens so we can party again !!!!!
#494 by dakotaman on 2011.04.12 - 1:23 pm
“I have a question. Why are the folks over at YowNow so hateful?”
Personally, I think it comes from a couple of areas: First, YN is a business that is trying to fill the void left by the closing of There. They obviously (and rightly) see There2 as a direct threat to their very existence. Unfortunately, they have taken a dark road in reacting to the possible reopening of There. Sadly, I think it is the second reason that helps explain that. A quick look at the staffing of YN by longtime residents of There, will reveal that it is staffed by many of the premier designers of There. I don’t begin to understand what the closing of There did to these designers, I do know that they were at a level where there work was rewarded with both fame and $$. The sudden loss of that income may have contributed to the vehemence of their response to a possible reopening of There. What is lost in all of this, is the fact that for most of them, it was There.com who gave them the opportunity and vehicle to become the highly regarded designers in virtual worlds that they are today. While most of them were ‘groundbreakers’ in There design, the growth in designing for There created many, equally talented artists. I do not fault them for being upset about the closing of There. We were all devastated in our own ways, even though the financial/income loss that they experienced added another level to their devastation. I am glad that they decided to recreate their success by joining together to try and approximate what There offered. It’s a testament to how good There really is. But I am saddened that their response to what should be a joyful turn of events is so hateful. If they were truly confident in their ability to do things better, then they would welcome There back as being good for all social worlds. Sadly, I am skeptical that they can ever pull off anything remotely like what There has done from the beginning. (Example: their exclusive in world video clip can be recreated by anyone with a picture and a cheap water/sky animation program for creating screensavers).
Where YN and others have and will always fail is in trying to recreate There’s ‘avie-centric’ approach. While new graphics approaches can create ‘prettier’ avatars, There’s focus on creating seemingly living, breathing, reacting avatars is the key to their continued uniqueness in all mmo’s/social worlds. It is also the ‘secret’ to There’s uncanny ability to promote social interaction. I am overjoyed that MW has the original designer working on updating the avatars, but realize that they really ‘got it right’ the first time, with the most engaging, reactive avatars in ANY virtual world. It’s no wonder we all have an attachment to our avatars!
MW and There’s creators should be proud of creating what history may yet call: The Seminal Social World. I hope There2 will be just the beginning of the future of Social-oriented worlds and will do anything I can to help make that dream a reality.
dakotaman
#495 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.12 - 1:34 pm
Thanks for your comments. I guess one of the thing that saddens me most about the designers is that the T$ BuyBack program was aimed directly at helping them recoup at least some of their losses in real US $, in addition to of course refunding all monies spent the past 30 days. Since our expenses at that time still exceeded income, you can guess where the money to do that came from. I’m not sure I’ve every heard of a virtual world or game doing that before, or ever doing that again.
Oh well. ‘shrug. Onward.
#496 by SassyBeMe on 2011.04.12 - 4:21 pm
Not any world I had been a paid member of has ever reimbursed moneys spent on game. Not that a lot let you cash game moneys in for real. One closed 3 days after I paid a monthly membership fee. Never saw that money returned to my card. The buyback was quite unique. To your credit. Most appreciated.
#497 by Flygirl_Dani on 2011.04.15 - 9:05 pm
Actually The sims online when it closed did reimburse anyone who had bought “simoleans” in the previous 30 days.. They had just initiated the buying of simoleans few months before they closed oddly. But I do have to say it was surprising that there.com did buy back from designers and people who purchased Tbux.. I really wasn’t expecting that..
#498 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.15 - 9:06 pm
That’s cool to hear EA did that.
#499 by Marianne (JoyofLife) on 2011.04.12 - 1:35 pm
Hear, hear! Dakotaman… nice rational post. Can you think of anything we can do? I posted the link on about 40 Facebook “THERE” sites and to 20 THERE friends and asked Thumdar to post on his front page (which he kindly did). MW says he’ll put the link on the old THERE.COM. Any connections in SL? I know many folks migrated over and may want to learn of the survey. Best, Joy aka Marianne
#500 by padink on 2011.04.12 - 2:40 pm
Good idea! yea I’ve been passing the word a long, and a lot of people i know, know of it already and have been doing the same thing. This is exciting. I have hopes. =)
#501 by Skyefire on 2011.04.12 - 4:09 pm
I think most designers aren’t bitter AT There. Sad, angry, grieving still… it’s hard to watch your work vanish like that. It’s as though the uncountable hours spent on your art have been eaten by a void. I think most of us grieved and moved on. Yeah I get it was easier for me because I had been inactive for so long but it still hurts, I put a LOT of hours in There, and a handful in designing. It’s where I learned how to do any of that. But I am more appreciative of the experience than angry, and any upset I have over it is not at There or any staff. More at the world in general that it couldn’t last forever.
The few people that are really really bitter about it, now matter what site they are on, are just a lot louder than the rest of us. Well, it makes more sense to complain about how unhappy you are then to complain about how happy you were with what you had. So, for every designer complaining and upset, there’s a bunch more out there that are not upset, at least not directly at There.
#502 by DavyRocket on 2011.04.12 - 12:58 pm
rofl I just found out I was banned from yownow forums for “no reason given” oh maybe it was because I said in here they are G rated and laughed at that. ‘shrug
#503 by Pink on 2011.04.12 - 2:26 pm
I just went and checked out the goings on in yowishiwasliketherenow forums and my goodness. They banned everyone that said anything good about There! I only went there to see for myself how the community is and .. wow… I do not like this Henry Whatsit. They’re not very nice at all.
#504 by Codrod on 2011.04.12 - 2:55 pm
I am going to post ‘there is good’ lets see if i get banned,
#505 by PeeBeeCee on 2011.04.13 - 2:24 am
#238 by DavyRocket on 2011.04.08 – 4:37 pm
I’m talking about the over all look, an NO way about me talking about that G rated place lol. I was asked to check that place out, I did, I was not impressed, so I left. Sorry didnt mean the new There lol There2 is what i meant my bad.
Ring any bells, Davey? While they are glad Mr Wilson is trying to gauge interest in, and possibly bring back, a very popular venue (I miss it also), YOW Now will not tolerate any bashing on outside forums. In your case, you stated you were not impressed, and left. All they did was to clear your name from the ranks of a place you left.
Hope that clears it up for you.
#506 by jimony on 2011.04.13 - 10:13 am
PeeBeeCee: “While they are glad Mr Wilson is trying to gauge interest in, and possibly bring back, a very popular venue (I miss it also), YOW Now will not tolerate any bashing on outside forums.”
I think it is a little late to try to spread this propaganda. If you read what Reid posted as “Henry Galt” (He claims to be transparent so why doesn’t he post as himself like MW does?) he is far from happy about the possibility that There might come back and I think he came to the realization that many of his followers were simply saying what he wanted to hear to get in on the beginning of what he promised would be bigger and better than There because all they wanted was There back.
#507 by RunningHawk on 2011.04.12 - 12:25 pm
I went read the stuff sounds like being jealous to me lol
#508 by Marianne (JoyofLife) on 2011.04.12 - 12:06 pm
I have a question. Why are the folks over at YowNow so hateful? I just read a tirade by the founder against you MW, and it is really full of venom. My goodness, is this what virtual worlds are about? Ppl can hide behind a virtual “photo” and then have the guts to smear another person? This Henry is the only person on their staff that does not have a photo of himself. What’s the big secret? I’m shocked… And am I missing something with YowNow… I don’t see even a new rendering of the world, surely some graphics would be available if they are working on it for so long? And so many Thereians are in the YowNow forums also full of spite. Even some of my old buddies. How can anyone deny that THERE was a terrific product and how can anyone believe that if it had been profitable that you wouldn’t have kept it open? I mean do they really think that you had evil intentions in closing it? I just don’t get it.
#509 by Guest on 2011.04.16 - 12:25 am
You should read http://secretsofvonira.wordpress.com and http://eyeonvonira.wordpress.com
Both have the answers you are looking for.
#510 by jaybee on 2011.04.12 - 12:05 pm
Let’s worry more about IF MW can open there again, than the little details. NO under 18. NO pay, no play. The end 🙂 Read the above post’s people. He’s answered the questions 1000x. Spread the word….get on all of your messengers and facebooks and cell phones and let everyone you know from there, and who may be interested that it might open but we all need them to take the survey 🙂
#511 by Jack on 2011.04.12 - 12:02 pm
Thanks for the info! Hope to see everything work well as planned. 😀
One question:
Will There2, for sure, be 18+ only? There are plenty of people in the younger audience willing to pay to play.
#512 by Xcal Urradio on 2011.04.12 - 11:25 am
I have been keeping up with the posts and some I just shake my head at …….First I would like to introduce myself… My Name is Xcal I used to run a radio station called urradio.com. most tuned in though pogo and yahoo games …In the spring of 2008 we decided to enter the 3D worlds.
Flygirl_Dani (wife) joined there.com in the summer of 2004 so she asked me to check it out, So we decided to venture off onto this Endeavour the spring of 2008 but not before looking at SL,Kaneva and V-side.
We decided THERE would be the best fit. Our plan was to open a little club and invite people to hang out and tune us in. Something else Happen along the way ….I have had the pleasure of meeting the most talented people I have ever known and the most warmest. THERE.COM became more then just a business adventure it became a life style. Though we had rules in being a legal station on the Internet that lead us into some unpleasant situation with former staff. I respected everyone My father told me once never burn a bridge you never know who might be walking over it.
Okkkk lol Now that you know who I am i would like to offer my view on THERE2.com…………… First of all I respect Michael Wilson for the effort he put in to keep THERE open,
I respect this even after THERE.COM closed. Why you ask? He always had you and I in his mind and he understood the fine line between running a business and understanding your feelings.
Mr. Wilson understood how people from the Arm forces,3rd world country’s and most of all people with disability’s used the platform of THERE.COM to communicate with loved ones and how a person who could not walk in real life ….could now run,walk and fly.
I happen to be honoured to know a few of theses people.
When THERE.com shut it’s Doors I was left with a huge hole to fill and could not help to think of the people who might be feeling the same way…… We all invested so much in THERE.com in ways of Friendship,fun and business.
After a year and some change Michael has found a way to Run There.com more economically efficient.
BUT before he could do this and go down that road again he needed to research what he would be looking at to accomplish this huge task.
For a Guy to run There.com with no profit for so many years leads me to believe he loved it as much or even more then we did.
I encourage the people who felt the need to post negative comments on this Blog to really look at what your saying and read everything Michael Wilson has and continues to Post. He has been Honest and upfront …He cares enough to respond to even the most hateful posts.
Please come join me in taking this survey lets put our feelings to the side and be honest Do we want THERE.COM back? “I DO”
Big Mike I support you and I would pay to enter the world you cared enough to offer back.
Again I thank you
Xcal_urradio
#513 by 1969Craven on 2011.04.12 - 10:29 am
Wow, looks like a lot of people are stuck on petty little details.. I think the question is do we want there.com back .. do you remember your life with it? do you remember how long you looked for a new world to fit in. and how much they all suck! I think MW put up a question if there.com came back would you be willing to pay? I for one am willing to pay to have my there life back.. how about you all?
#514 by Wav3Ryder on 2011.04.12 - 10:10 am
Michael, sorry if this question has already been answered, but with third party sellers gone, will there be something like it? Especially for big developers who wish to make some amount of real money with their large amounts of therebucks? Perhaps There could take a percentage off each exchange so they can profit as well?
#515 by Jasmine on 2011.04.12 - 10:06 am
To be honest, I REALLY wish you’d make it 16+ because I am 17 and I LOVE There. I cried for a while back in March when it closed.
#516 by Pluto on 2011.04.12 - 9:51 am
I’d actually try there because I’ve heard so much about it in the past… I know many friends I’ve met on Onverse who came from there. I don’t really know if I’d stick with there, but I’d definitely try it.
In addition, I wouldn’t spend money on it unless I knew I wanted to continue playing it. Maybe a one month free trial? That’s the only way I might purchase a subscription.
#517 by alexpja on 2011.04.12 - 12:11 pm
Pluto
#518 by Syntech on 2011.04.12 - 3:32 pm
Alex Pluto!
#519 by Praetorian on 2011.04.12 - 9:26 am
watchlight:(Please forgive me. But I think people are a little too stingy about their money.
I see that 14.3 % don’t wanna spend a coin on There.com.)
I remember toward the end of Theres run, there were quite a few members way under the age of 18. And thus, likely had and still have no source of income. I think that this may be a lot of the source of the 14.3% that are unwilling to pay a fee. Coupled with the members who only knew There from the one time life membership. Taking this into consideration, this seems a rather low percentage. Having said that, I do agree. There is well worth a membership fee. And well worth one that is relatively more than the average, I always felt that There was better than any other interactive chat site to date.
I would like to thank Michael Wilson for all his hard work and for keeping There open as long as he did. I would also have him know that I met the person I am married to now on There, and so did many others. So if There is reopened or not Michael, you definately made our world a much smaller, better place for alot of people than it was. And from the bottom of our hearts, we thank you.
#520 by Marianne (JoyofLife) on 2011.04.12 - 9:00 am
Yikes. Current survey results show approx $186,600.00/yr income to Makena off THERE subscriptions. True there might be more from tbux purchases, but they can’t count on that.
Real world that’s like 2-3 employees with benefits. Likely not enuf to re-launch THERE folks.
Guys, find your THERE buddies. Get them to see the light that $20/month is the price of ONE GOOD MEAL a month! Would give up a burger for a month of THERE play?
Find them and get them to answer the survey. So far only @1500 ppl have responded.
Perhaps MW should post on the THERE and Makena site? When googling only info abt THERE closing pops up. Fairly to MW/Makena this limited circulation won’t give a realistic sampling.
#521 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.12 - 10:34 am
Well we’ll be putting a link on the There home page, but frankly according to my logs, we’re getting amazing coverage thanks to all of you, Thumdar, Facebook, Real Life Plus, YowNow, and even DxDesigns (as of today). Keep it up!
P.S. It looks like folks on Onverse have been attempting to start threads, but they’re getting deleted. Hopefully they’re not also getting banned like what is happening at YowNow. I really appreciate folks like RLP being cool about this, and I think their customers will notice that and it will benefit them going forward.
#522 by KevinF on 2011.04.12 - 10:39 am
THUMDAR FOR THE WIN. MY BOY!!
#523 by Skyefire on 2011.04.12 - 11:37 am
Thanks. I know RLP appreciates the appreciation. We’re all trying to be friendly and positive and realize that there is too much user crossover between the communities to pretend people aren’t involved in more than one subset(or world) at a time.
#524 by alexpja on 2011.04.12 - 12:10 pm
Onverse FTW.
#525 by Defector on 2011.04.12 - 1:18 pm
Yes, Onverse has a TOU saying we cannot promote another website. Onverse is still an amazing virtual world though.
#526 by Orielle on 2011.04.12 - 1:59 pm
No idea how true it is but have heard some have been banned from Onverse for talking about There over there which is why some found my screenshot of a thread in Onverse’s forums back in July 2009 rather amusing.
In a way I don’t blame Onverse. I was there following their forums when vSide announced it was closing back in 2009 and saw all those posts from vSide refugees demanding this and that, essentially wanting Onverse to turn in to another vSide. I imagine they experienced deja vu when There closed, all those Thereians signing up, comparing Onverse to There and
making suggestions to try to turn it in to the next There, though they did eventually add paintball and I think they are still working on vehicles…
But still one of the things I liked about There was that we were free to openly discuss other places without fear of moderation or being banned and that we also didn’t have to worry about our private conversations being monitored or staff being invisible and spying on us…
#527 by Onverser on 2011.04.16 - 10:18 am
Michael Wilson, I am an Onverser, if you at least took a quick glance at the Onverse ToU you would understand that as an Onverser, you are agreeing to not promote other virtual worlds within the game or forums. Whether you agree with this rule or not, it’s a rule and once you hit “sign up” you are agreeing to these rules. Considering you were/are a CEO of There/There2 you understand the whole deal with Terms of Use. I find the fact that you are “hoping they are not banning users like YowNow” is kind of.. a dumb move to be honest. Saying that is like basically saying that don’t join this game unless you plan on getting banned for being a Thereian. I see no point in bashing YowNow either. Yes, maybe what they did seems a bit unfair and unjust, but I don’t see why you need to publicly bash their game. Also, I don’t see why you need to make a point saying that they were posting it on the forums and they were being deleted because they wouldn’t advertise the game. I honestly don’t see why they need to advertise your game. I guess I partially understand with your being, how should I say, “upset” but I see no point saying it in a public blog for others to read because that is just putting Onverse and YowNow in a bad position and making them think they are There.com haters. If you really played the game you’d know that the game is really growing a LOT and that the Onversers are very dedicated to the game, quite like how Thereians were dedicated to There.com. Also, there are weekly updates, events and tours daily, and a bunch of other things that happen on Onverse you don’t know the half of it. This reply did not make me any less interested in There.com though. I am still excited and I still support it and I still plan on playing it when it comes out. I know you probably didn’t mean any harm either, but please read other games ToU’s before posting things like this. I am very excited for There and this won’t change my mind. I do want to say thanks though still!
#528 by Truck on 2011.04.12 - 12:50 pm
“Get them to see the light that $20/month is the price of ONE GOOD MEAL a month!”
One good meal? where u from? i don’t eat out much anymore but i never payed 20 bucks fer a meal.
But thats fine with me i can aford to lose some weight. lol
#529 by Rick caldas on 2011.04.12 - 8:25 am
Michael if you do reopen there, would you do what u mentioned in a reply above give us a week to log and transfer inventory to our avatars ? since some dont know the emails they could just use their passwords im sure everyone remembers that and we could change our emails the 1s not in use anymore
#530 by watchlight on 2011.04.12 - 8:48 am
Why change avatar? Can we not use our old avatar like before? :s
#531 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.12 - 10:31 am
Read carefully. We won’t be forcing people to change avatars.
#532 by Rick caldas on 2011.04.12 - 10:58 am
sorry i meant for people with more than one avatar give us 1 week to transfer the inventory to the ones we are gonna pay for
#533 by Karmapup on 2011.04.12 - 11:33 am
The question of ‘multiple avatars’ has already been answered. For the time being, at least, you will need an account for each avatar you wish to retrieve. If you want multiple avies, then you will need multiple accounts, one for each of them.
#534 by watchlight on 2011.04.12 - 7:55 am
Please forgive me. But I think people are a little too stingy about their money.
I see that 14.3 % don’t wanna spend a coin on There.com.
Let me explain this on a diffrent way to those 14.3 %.
This is BUSINESS ladies & gentlemen, not a take away meal.
You must understand, that business can’t run without money. I think you 14.3 % should really see how much it costs to afford, well, just a Linux Server.
If you want There.com back, then you have to earn it too.
20$ a month is nothing. I think, that if you pay those 20$ a month, then there would be some kind of bonus in that, like 10k Therebucks, I don’t know.
Think about it at least..
#535 by Lostbuddyc on 2011.04.12 - 1:50 pm
Take into account people that are under 18 and have no credit card, people who didn’t play long enough, people who are cheapskates and wouldn’t pay if you explained how business works in front of their faces and people who dislike MW but would still play the game and those numbers look about right.
#536 by Jonathan on 2011.04.12 - 7:24 am
I think a lot of people keep forgetting too – is that, the monthly-subscription fees aren’t the only source of income. TBux and Premium Accounts all cost money. Add on top of that any ad-revenue.
#537 by There_forever on 2011.04.12 - 6:59 am
OH and MW, perhaps when the survey is over and you give us the numbers, if the results of this survey aren’t good enough for There to re-open, maybe it would be a good idea to have one more survey saying that judging from the people who took part in the survey it would be neccesary for each member to pay $XX/month in order to get it opened. Are you willing to pay that amount? Yes or No. If you get enough Yes then open otherwise too bad for us.
#538 by There_forever on 2011.04.12 - 6:54 am
Go out on a Saturday night and tell me how much u spend guys and girls! I’m sure that it is much more than 66cents which would be the amount per day if you paid $20/month subscription. I’m sure that it would even be more than $20 as well! If you cant afford to pay 66cents a day then what can I say? Maybe we don’t deserve to have There open again.
#539 by Marianne (JoyofLife) on 2011.04.12 - 7:38 am
Look how can anyone compare even free Second Life to THERE. I mean geesh your avie doesn’t even come with a face (skin). Every freaking thing (like body movements) is an add on. I spent weeks trying to look and just freakin “walk” normally. So after creating a cross-eyed freakish real looking avie – I walked around herky-jerky like a virtual zombie to find clothes in huge arenas and exhausted myself with the “options”.
The THERE experience is “TURN-KEY”… one does not have to become a specialist or programmer to immediately look cute and start talking. The user interface is desgned to be simple… compared to the SL complexity. We gotta pay money for these features…
Then compare the physics … in THERE everything worked… when you hit something with paintball or your hoverboard, it behaved realistically. YOu can’t “do anything” in SL that feels real. No boards, buggy racing not even a seamless world like THERE where you can drive around the globe seamlessly.
There is no comparison in the User Experience, Ease, realistic body movements and physics that THERE provides. Is this worth $10 (33cents a day), or 66 cents a day? or even a buck a day? Come on, I don;t care the SL is free or any of the others. I tried them all and each had MAJOR holes – no voice, no pets, scary looking avies, creepy terrain, no buggies/boards, no easy emotes, did I mention creepy avies?
The THERE package is unique and so very well designed, it was a joy. I hope we can get enuf ppl to step and let MW know we’ll pay to play. Please everyone help us get THERE back online!
#540 by xSnoopy on 2011.04.12 - 9:10 am
I think what Joy is trying to say is simple:
YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR.
We got it for FREE before and the game went under!
If WE want this to work, just accept the fact that its gonna cost all of us a little.
Suck it up and pay a few bucks a month cuz you sure as hell aint gonna find anything like this anywhere else.
#541 by Rick caldas on 2011.04.12 - 7:50 am
u said well on a saturday night not every day of the week
#542 by There_forever on 2011.04.12 - 8:23 am
I think any day of the week if you go out u’ll probably spend more than $20. No offense to anyone in USA or Canada but almost every person I’ve met from there prefers to spend $5 to buy a coffee at starbucks rather than make one at home. Of course this doesnt mean that everybody does that but I hope you get the point. Compared to these I dont think 66 cents a day is too much!!!!
I understand and agree with Marianne. I just have to add that in SL you can’t even walk because of the lag!!!!
#543 by watchlight on 2011.04.12 - 6:01 am
‘waves to Innie again 🙂
I hope that we’ll have a chance to get a beta client on there.com or something Mr. Wilson 🙂
I miss my friends from There.com 🙂
#544 by Marianne (JoyofLife) on 2011.04.12 - 5:21 am
Seems the 2 biggest issues are <18 and monthly fees.
No one esp MW gonna spill the beans that of course a person might use their parent's credit card (with their approval) and sign on as over 18. This would violate the TOS. So guys just quit arguing about this as its clear for legal and financial reasons the world will "OFFICIALLY" BE OVER 18 ONLY. MW must officially state and support this – even if there are ways around it which again would be violations of TOS. Just shush and figure it out on your own.
As far as fees, I figure MW has to find enough stated interest to support 3-4 salaries/expenses, I estimate approx $400k per year. At $10 a month memberships that would require about 3333 members stating they'd pay $10 month. Or 1666 paying $20 per month.
So if you wanna do something to make this happen, email EVERY THEREIAN… paste the survey link on as many Facebook pages as you can find, put on your homepage, call your friends and HAVE THEM RESPOND TO THE SURVEY.
Best honest, wouldn't $20 per month be just about 3 meals out? Wouldn't you trade that for THERE all month long? How much more joy would you get from hoverboarding, playing with pets, falling from the sky and hanging with friends? Give Makena a break and realize that they have to pay salaries and their expenses?!?!
MW already said he's NOT TAKING A SALARY… let's all step up to the plate and stop whining what is "not fair"? HOW FAIR WAS IT THAT MAKENA lost money on our play for years?
SUPPORT MW AND MAKENA BY MAKING SURE THEY CAN MAKE MONEY… by spreading the word and stepping up to the plate to financially support a profitable THERE.
I will pay $100 a month to get back Syn City and the Loaners. I want to go home!
#545 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.12 - 6:54 am
How did you get $400K/year?
#546 by Marianne (JoyofLife) on 2011.04.12 - 6:56 am
4 salaries of $50k/yr plus $200k expenses.
#547 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.12 - 6:57 am
Oh sorry, I thought you’d said we’d already seen that amount of commitment.
#548 by Marianne (JoyofLife) on 2011.04.12 - 7:10 am
I don’t believe $400k is enough a year, but at least it might pay the bills, especially as the labor intensive functions would either be eliminated or peer-review based (no labor cost) ie: moderators, forum moderators and design reviews. In fact if these can be off-loaded as no longer a THERE/Makena function… ie no forums at all hosted by Makena, but hosted elsewhere by user groups… so much bullshit would be eliminated.
My circles in THERE were mostly adults who easily spent 1000s of dollars inworld per year – as I did. I believe expanding this core group can grow the subscription revenue to a sustainable level.
In fact if the survey might be missing some relevant questions targeted to this group such as: for unlimited paintball, some real estate and a certain stipend, would you be willing to pay up to $50/mo, $100/mo, $150/mo. Clearly many of us WERE spending that. How much easier would it be if we got everything we wanted and had one set price – at a beneficial value (better exchange rate etc)? I think there are many folks who would buy such a membership.
#549 by Marianne (JoyofLife) on 2011.04.12 - 7:13 am
Can you tell us how much you do feel is needed in stated subscription revenue? Am I close? Or would that info skew the survey?
#550 by NathanAvis on 2011.04.12 - 3:55 am
By “I strongly recommend” I meant “IF you do, how about” :p
Forgive me for being rather assertive with ya Mr. CEO! After all you know best. These are exciting times, and I get a little carried away!
-NathanAvis, the original D00M, the original MrSinister, the original SinisterDark. (2004).
#551 by KevinF on 2011.04.12 - 3:26 am
Michael, is the word of mouth at this point raking in sufficient results? (in terms of numbers)
#552 by Kaden on 2011.04.12 - 6:45 am
its not a joke if its coming from the guy who had there.com running
#553 by dag on 2011.04.12 - 3:02 am
What would really suck is if this were a big april fool’s joke
#554 by JJ Johnson on 2011.04.12 - 2:32 am
When you pay for the member ship do you pay once and then it takes money out your card and when theirs no money left on the card will the membership cancel?
#555 by pHluid13 on 2011.04.12 - 6:47 am
No money. No service. It’s simple.
#556 by PinkSaphire84 on 2011.04.12 - 2:30 am
Looking over these posts, there really isn’t anything I can say that hasn’t been said. So I had my options, 1. I could simply keep my thoughts to myself and carry on, or 2. Banana. I took the survey. I -and a few others i know- fully support There2. Like many have mentioned, There really isn’t anything else out there like it. Its a wonderful game, and has become a type of home for those who wish for a brief escape from reality. But all this you know. Thank you for your continued efforts! One of my friends peed a little when I told him about the There2 Idea.
#557 by Woodstock on 2011.04.12 - 2:15 am
This is stupid. I think that there still should be non premi accounts that are free. How do you expect to gain new members when they have to start paying just to log on. I think that premi members should pay monthly and when this payment is not made on a particular month they drop back down to basic membership (much like vmtv!)
#558 by mimi06 on 2011.04.12 - 2:12 am
Reading these comments dailey seems more like watching “Family Feud”………SURVEY says! “IF”
#559 by Rubmon on 2011.04.12 - 1:45 am
While reading all comments in this thread, I see a lot of people exited about getting there.com back but without any good suggestions we may as well have our place only open temporarily then have to shut down again because of luck of funds.
While many of us consider this place a home away from home, obviously for M. Wilson this is a business and like any business, cash flow has to keep coming in order to stay open.
Here is my idea to get our place back for a very long time; this idea comes from playing other games and seeing how they are operated to keep their revenue leakage to a minimum.
• Use 2 different currencies, therebucks as the main currency, this would only be used for paying rent, buying items out of shops etc. (no option to transfer therebucks between members, this would keeps the 3rd party from taking the revenue from the company.
• Second currency would allow members to trade their personal items, buy from each other etc. but this currency would not hold any there bucks value, therefore can not be traded for there bucks and can not be used to pay rent or buy stuff from there.com (have a way so members can regularly earn second currency such as events, hunting for currency throughout the world etc.)
• There.com take ownership of all designs ever made and list them in shops at regular price and yes this would include my team’s designs if need be, with this huge inventory there would be no need for designers to take the revenue from the company, allow designers to submit items for shops if they want but offer them second currency payment.
• Charge a reasonable monthly membership fee, in return offer all entertainment for free, including paintballing or at least give paintballers a break “one can only wish lol”
Mr. Wilson I hope at least you give my ideas some consideration.
Sincerely
Rubmon
#560 by xSnoopy on 2011.04.12 - 8:46 am
Rub,
While I cant disagree with your first 2 suggestions, the third one seems, on the surface to be ok, but in giving it more thought, I doubt that you will see any of the serious designers back in game, EVER.
You want to take away all their past hard work and give the future profits to There. While its a nice thought to help MW keep There2 open, all it will do is alienate most, if not all of the really good designers that spent so many hours doing what they do so well. If There did take control of all designs, then if a percentage of a sale was paid, in TBucks to the original designer, that is a better idea but that is basically the same system the original There had.
If memory serves, all the team uniforms we had were designed by those very designers.
#561 by Soede on 2011.04.13 - 7:59 pm
As much as I love There, if they took away all our designs and sold them for themselves, I would be done with There. I wont design for vSide because they take your designs and sell them for themselves, and while that’s not the standard for Kaneva, they have been known to do the same, so not going to design their either.
There had a very appealing system for designers and I wouldn’t want to see that nerfed in any way. I have some concerns about eliminating 3rd party resellers as I still cant see why this was such an issue. It’s not like the Tbux actually left the system. If There wants to keep that piece of the pie too, that is their prerogative though, so long as they get their own reselling system up and running soon to keep the dynamic the same as before!!
#562 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.13 - 8:17 pm
I can’t even imagine taking designs from designers. That’s just plain stealing IP.
Resellers consumed >25% (probably 30%) of There’s revenue. It was a big deal.
#563 by Munp on 2011.04.12 - 1:12 am
If there returns, it will help me quit smoking more because I would rather spend the money on a pair of super bunnies which I never got round to getting
#564 by Tony B on 2011.04.11 - 9:41 pm
Mr. Wilson: Are you really serious about reopening, or just playing with us? How long if you decide to open will it take to open?
#565 by dakotaman on 2011.04.11 - 9:34 pm
Hi Michael,
I can’t say that I’ve ever been so happy to fill out an online survey as I was when I learned of you exploring the option of reopening There (thanks to my old friend, Thumdar who shared the link on FB). You can be sure that I will be sharing this survey with every former Thereian I know and hope that all who have posted or read this thread do the same. I have never wavered in my belief that There has always been a labor of love to you, analogous to the effect that the world of There had on it’s many dedicated members. And whether or not, the time turns out to be now or somewhere down the line, I am glad that you never ‘sold out’ that vision. I said it in this blog over a year ago and I am even more convinced after a year of searching for a new ‘home’ that There continues to be a unique in the world at being the best social mmo. As an active member for over 6 years (having been born in There just after beta — damn the lost beta invite, I am as excited as ever about a possible reopening, which speaks for itself after 6 years of playing the game (Even WoW loses its luster after you’ve reached your level cap…haha).
Anyway, there have been lots of ideas here and the reappearance of many old friends (shout out to Meret and Celtic, among others). I will await further news and want you to know that There will always be home…..no matter your decision after the survey ends. In the meantime I will patiently wait with PayPal a click away!!
(off to Thumdar’s site, I go)
dakotaman
#566 by NathanAvis on 2011.04.11 - 9:19 pm
Hi Michael Wilson,
Cannot tell you how thrilled I am even at the possibility There.Com might reopen.
After you have gotten the numbers from this survey, are you going to make another? I strongly recommend that you do and have it focus on the economics and how much customers are willing to invest/ how they would invest in their previous There.Com pastimes.
For example, a lot of us were hood owners, or tycoons in portable real estate hotspots (Zephyr, Duda Beach, PAZ Island etc.).
Some of us were paintballers and no doubt broke a few mice in all the clicking/tbuck madness!
Some of us were big into 3rd party tools that we felt enriched all aspects of Theres for us like dancing, decorating, testing objects, exploring.
Those are all things that you could gain from financially, or alter payment plans and benefits of to benefit you and your potential customers.
#567 by ally on 2011.04.11 - 8:25 pm
How long do we have to wait??? its killing me!
#568 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.11 - 8:26 pm
The survey will stay up for 30 days.
#569 by Sue on 2011.04.11 - 6:03 pm
I am so excited about this news. Thank you Michael Wilson for never giving up on us and There.com, i will continue to show my support monthly for the service.
Love Sue
#570 by Nigel Blackthorne on 2011.04.11 - 5:08 pm
Michael, you mentioned the costs involved in running this service in California…as a former northern Californian I understand that the costs are high there (rent/utilities/saleries…etc)…some tech companies (Google and Yahoo) have located facilites up here in the pacific northwest for lower taxes, rent, utilities. Would that be an option for at least part of the operation to help mitigate costs?
Nigel
#571 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.11 - 5:40 pm
It’s not a hosting issue (any more). It’s people, and salaries for these sorts of folks really don’t vary from state to state.
#572 by Winston on 2011.04.11 - 7:03 pm
C’mon…Get outta that liberal haven, California, and get to a blood red state like Utah or Idaho. You could pay your people in Tbux and not have any problems (from a legal stand point anyway). Both states badly want tech firms and their tax policies favor business so much they might even pay you to set up shop there 🙂
p.s. This was sarcasm.
#573 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.11 - 7:21 pm
If I moved out of California, I’d move to a REAL state, like Montana. ;-).
p.s. This was sarcasm too.
#574 by Brandyn_1 on 2011.04.12 - 6:33 am
Hahaha! Thats to freaking funny! Why not come to Florida? beaches on 3 sides? wouldn’t you love it if we got hit by a Tsunami ?
Just kidding! – I live here.
#575 by WHooopie on 2011.04.11 - 4:42 pm
Hello, I would like to ask that you reconsider letting certain banned memebers come back. Not all especially the ones that committed fraud and other major offenses. How ever some ppl were banned for ridicoulous reasons. I know it was a pg 13 environment but even on tv you can say things like fart knocker and donkey balls. You actually lost ALOT of money with the number of people you banned for silly stuff. Plus you had certain people who made it habby to follow others around on second new free account and record everything. Of course if you stalk someone eventually your gonna catch them saying something to report. Any how just a thought
#576 by ABC on 2011.04.11 - 4:21 pm
Please unban those who made mistakes and really wish to come back to there.com. We are your most loyal members!!!! i’d be willing to pay anything to get my account back :((
#577 by luckyjunior2005 on 2011.04.11 - 7:31 pm
It seems to me that if the people who were banned were really There’s most loyal members, you wouldn’t have violated the TOS in the first place. But that’s just my opinion…
#578 by ABC on 2011.04.11 - 4:20 pm
Please unban those who made mistakes and really wish to come back to there.com. We are your most loyal members!!!! i’d be willing to pay anything to get my account bacl :((
#579 by Tbonz on 2011.04.11 - 4:14 pm
Hello again Michael i know you said you wouldn’t answer to questions about the age limit but please as a favor tell me your honest opinion would you care that younger people played there.com i don’t want to sound mean in anyway but wasn’t half of there.com 13-17 years of age (rough estimate) please don’t give me the potatoes i want the beef. And on any occasion do you think you could maybe but a game rating such as 15+ i mean this might be weird but porn sites say 18 plus and you said pornography would not be in there i believe but anyways please respond so i know where i stand if the time comes
#580 by The Truth on 2011.04.11 - 4:08 pm
The truth of the matter is “Why pay to go on There2 when you can go on Second Life for free?” At some point you’re going to have to offer a free option, whether you like it or not.
#581 by Codrod on 2011.04.11 - 4:07 pm
MW, Check this out as well 🙂 It is a discussion about the possible re-open.
http://www.realifeplus.com/dashboard/forums/other-worlds/51701-therecom-survey-potential-re-open-chance.html
(Real life plus forums)
#582 by Lyrically_Lethal on 2011.04.11 - 4:05 pm
Reading these comment’s sicken me. I am not here to argue or debate so I won’t reply after this. I’ll most likely never come back to this page.
#583 by ABC on 2011.04.11 - 5:57 pm
lol steph go away, you make me sick, keep your negativity out of here and let us therians that want it back flourish kbye.
#584 by SpeedRacer on 2011.04.12 - 12:32 am
I never knew words on a screen could sicken you? did you be sick already? you know where to go dont you, if you dont like it bye bye!
#585 by jonathan5k2006 on 2011.04.11 - 3:35 pm
So MW is there any latest results on numbers for the survey?? I hope you can get this game going again… are you looking forward to opening up there and maybe this time coming in to chat with us all an have a laugh? :)))
#586 by living without There. on 2011.04.11 - 3:31 pm
Wow as much as would love to see There open again i wouldnt blame MW for closing this discussion and Thread after reading all these negative post and demands. Brings back all the bad memorys of the people who made There miserable and why we grouped together in our own zones. This is supposed to be a time when we support the idea of reopening There not demands or whinning about the age etc..
#587 by KevinF on 2011.04.11 - 3:25 pm
Instead of wasting time making ridiculous requests, why don’t we all notify everyone we ever played there.com with, with respect to the actual survey. It is not guaranteed that There.com is making a return, and currently, this survey is moving relatively slowly through just word of mouth advertising. – Please, make conscious efforts about notifying anyone you’ve played with, and pass the message on.
Secondly, I just wanted to thank you Mr Wilson, for at least considering the re-opening of there.com. You made an interesting post earlier about ‘changing the lives of at least one’, or something along those lines anyways – nevertheless, you have provided a local hang out spot for me and a lot of my friends, who basically grew up playing there.com. It was a sad, sad day to see it go. Thanks so much for all your efforts, both in running there.com – and attempting to revive it.
#588 by RunningHawk on 2011.04.11 - 2:13 pm
If you people stayed out Second Life would not have to worry about getting rid of your Lidens lol I just hate that game but hope they open There.com I would be willing spend 20.00 month get the best game ever was online:)
#589 by Infamous on 2011.04.11 - 1:22 pm
Honestly, i think you should just unban Every account out there, and let everyone have a second chance (sense its a new game) and go with my idea about how to run the there.com premium membership, become alot of people are agreeing with it..
“Second life has a very on-going economy, and they have a smart setup, i was thinking that you could do that with there, INSTEAD of a monthly fee, is offer a basic account (What the old new members had in the day , no voice / trade for free) then you got the Platinum Accounts (Voice, Trade, Tbux, pazs etc for 10, or 20$ or whatever.) And finally the Golds that pay monthly 10$, for (voice, trade, tbux, developer rights, Land ownership , Live Help (Zones) ) That way, you are still getting money from the gold members if they want to upgrade fully, Your STILL getting new people who like to play and are not sure if they are willing to spend 10$, and you have your basic members that do not develop or are interested in owning land or zones so, basic buggy racers / pbers. So really, with the gold you would get live help access, Being able to buy/rent zones, and being able to develop.
I believe this allows people who wish to have more, have more, and people who cannot afford 10$ or are willing to pay 10$ monthly have there fun to. Everyone wins hopefully this time. Just a thought, that i would love for you to look into so everyone has a chance to play.”
And a response :
“#340 by Asadchick on 2011.04.08 – 9:14 pm
maybe you could change it.. The people with premium accounts, can get there account back but they half to pay 20$ or whatever you want, And Basics..(your choice) & New members that havent made one yet, Should go with the idea above ^^ Infamous. So practicly….Premiums from before it closed have a better deal cuz they still stick with there premium ( but half to pay to get there account back,) And then new commers (just do infamous”s idea) And then just keep it 13+ Becaues you will still be getting money And like 70% is uner 18 So you will beloosing costumrs and they will be loosinther hearts So i think its a good idea hbu?.”
Altho, i do not agree with her by saying it should Not be a +18 Game. If you think about it alot of members of There.com where under 18, and still was able to pay for tbux, i believe some of the $ came from them.
Also, another reason the company was probably losing $ was because of the other tbux websites, you could buy tbux from maybe deny that.
Id just like to say us old members shouldnt have to pay 10$ monthly if we already payed once, by doing what i said above gives them the option to just stay with 10$ one time fee, but still have to buy tbux.
Please comment this time.
#590 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.11 - 2:02 pm
“Please comment this time.”? Excuse me?
#591 by jimony on 2011.04.11 - 2:16 pm
LOL “Excuse me?” That WAS a comment!
I don’t think one sad chick agreeing with him makes “alot”. Sorry, but I couldn’t follow much more than that.
#592 by Wendy Stoll on 2011.04.11 - 2:18 pm
Want me to smack ’em for ya, Michael?? Or…maybe I’m just using you as a cover…
#593 by Infamous on 2011.04.11 - 2:23 pm
You didn’t comment on my last one so i was just asking for you to comment on this..
Do you think its a good idea? whats ur thoughts?
#594 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.11 - 2:32 pm
I think I’m worried about getting enough responses to the survey right now to make a decision.
#595 by Codrod on 2011.04.11 - 2:09 pm
Defiantly agreed all the way.
#596 by Marianne (JoyofLife) on 2011.04.11 - 2:43 pm
Infamous…honestly, can you be a little less self centered? MW is trying to decide if there’s enough potential profit to EVEN CONSIDER opening. Prattling on about detail questions and expecting a CEO to soothe your curiosity is a waste of his time! PLEASE respect other’s time by letting him FOCUS on determining if the business model will work. Details will follow. Honestly I’m concerned about turning the guy off with redundant, boring, off-topic demands. This will not contribute to getting THERE opened. Let’s bitch later…there plenty of time for that ;0).
#597 by Codrod on 2011.04.11 - 4:01 pm
Well, you would want to get unbanned if you were banned…
I was banned for a reason that I was not told, I am not criticising the ex Helpers of There or the company, I just think they were mistaken because I wouldn’t break the TOS.
#598 by Syntech on 2011.04.11 - 1:20 pm
When will you officially close this survey?? Also myself working in a bit of marketing and running a company i see how it can be difficult but truthly i think you should give like a one day trial.
#599 by Celtic on 2011.04.11 - 1:02 pm
I’m very happy to see that changes in technology and structure might mean a return of There..I took the survey, sharing that I would be willing to pay a subscription cost in a 18+world. In fact, I’d come to want those things before There closed…
Being active in-world from late 2003 until it closed last year, over the years I am pretty darn sure that I spent money that ran into the four digits…and for the most part, I didn’t mind because I was having a good time. And I totally know that I am not alone in having spent a lot of money in There. Some people spend their fun money at the movies or fast food or in subscriptions to WoW etc, I chose to spend a lot of it in There.
I am always amazed when I read that some people think that There should just exist and cost them nothing…I just sit and shake my head that some people complain that *GASP* There might want to turn a profit… Hell, I want There to turn a profit for two reasons. One-they deserve it. If you want good people-and thus a good product, you’ve got to be willing to pay them well and There had some of the best, most insanely dedicated people I’ve ever seen. The second reason is, if There-and other virtual worlds can find a model to be profitable, that will mean better features, more advertising, more investors and so on. And all of that means a better product, more choices and more people to meet and hang out with.
So in short, I am glad that-if There re-opens-it will be on a subscription basis.
On a related thought~Speaking for myself, my activity level slacked off (and thus my spending lessened) when the demographics changed so sharply and continued to slide towards a younger group with free accounts (or at least it seemed that way). I started playing There as a 29 year old, and finished as a 36 year old..my interests changed over the years, but not my love of virtual worlds. As an *cough* thirty something guy, I wanted to meet and hang out with people around my ageish so you know~we could share complaints about bad hips and those damn teenage kids on our paz lawns;). It became more and more difficult for me to find people with whom I shared common interests. I always had hoped that the activities section of There Central would have been more robust along with maybe? keyword searchable profiles?, anything to help people find others with similar interests..
anyway, thank you Michael Wilson for having a soft spot in your heart for There and for keeping at work on trying to make a go of it. I hope you can find a way to open it back up and make it profitable. From moment one it was home and I miss it.
Celtic
#600 by Lee on 2011.04.11 - 12:54 pm
Do you know an exact date you will be making the decision? Sorry but I need to be counting down soon.
#601 by Cassie on 2011.04.11 - 12:29 pm
Is it safe to assume that a decision will be formed by may? Around 5/7?
Also, probably another annoying question, but if this was to proceed, could there possibly be a thereIM app created, for like, an iPhone/iPad?
#602 by Antaios on 2011.04.11 - 12:28 pm
Ok i have only one question will PINK be banned? just saying!
#603 by Orielle on 2011.04.11 - 1:28 pm
Why would he ban pink when he returned to Pink Freaks, Inc? Didn’t you see my post on Thumdar? 😛
Haha Sorry Michael. Couldn’t resist changing the url when I saw someone post link trying to say you had returned to Forterra when obviously it was just a link for the person to return to the Forterra profile.
Oh by the way, IF There does reopen could you be so kind as to put clothes on my avie? I left her sitting on a log in Karuna Plaza in default undies, pink super bunnies, and my newb hair. It’d be interesting to see how you’d dress me. 😛
#604 by jimony on 2011.04.11 - 12:00 pm
I think there should be free trials shortly after There reopens that are Ghosts. They can see but can’t be seen. In the chat bubbles all they will see is “If you were a paid member, you could see what I am saying.” When someone talks on mic, they would hear a recording saying the same message. There could be bots and tutorials that could help them learn how to manuever while in trial mode. Just an idea for future trials that wouldn’t interfere with paid members activities. Since they couldn’t hear or see what is actually communicated you wouldn’t have to worry about age verification until they want to be paid members. Since they couldn’t interact with real members, you don’t have to worry about alternate accounts, in fact, you could have one avatar prenamed and setup as a ghost that anyone can log into to test it. For instance “Adam” could be multiple ghosts that only the person logged into can see. You wouldn’t have to use storage or waste avatar names on trials.
#605 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.11 - 12:24 pm
Ok folks, as much as I like all this discussion, this isn’t a very good venue for these things. If you take the discussion over to say, Thumdar, or Vonira, we can all follow it there.
#606 by TherianForever on 2011.04.11 - 12:59 pm
If they took it to Vonira, they’d probably be banned from the site 😛
#607 by jimony on 2011.04.11 - 1:44 pm
There is a discussion about future ideas and suggestions at Thumdar.
T.F.; I was thinking the same thing. I’d actually like to read what they have to say there but I was banned from Vonira for attempting to rebuttal accusations against my wife and myself started by my nephew so I had decided OwNow isn’t worth it. I probably wouldn’t be allowed on anyway for my outspoken veiws of the way There and all Therians were slandered by its founder.
I think Thumdar is the only really valid place to take this discussion since it isn’t in competition.
Hope to see you all there, if not, hope to see you all There.
#608 by VoniLei on 2011.04.11 - 2:11 pm
Jimony, RealLifePlus has a thread about this survey, and discussion is welcomed there 🙂
#609 by jimony on 2011.04.11 - 8:21 pm
Yes, RealLifePlus are good people. First, I hope There can flourish because I already know it has what I want, but I will also support RLP because they ARE good people and competition does make the product better.
It is really great to see the professionalism and the good will of a competing company as RLP. Our discussions at RLP about There can help them find nuggets of information they can use for their own.
#610 by Therians Fan on 2011.04.11 - 11:58 am
I see why resellers were an issue in There, but it did help with the flow of the currency moving. If you did this by for each transaction that someone buys money from a third party they would have to pay $X transaction fee, and in order to become a reseller you would have to pay $X a month, so that A. we know they aren’t scamming us, and B. you would get something in return. The transaction fee would go towards your company as well as becoming a reseller. Is it possible if that could happen in the near future?
#611 by Brido on 2011.04.11 - 11:48 am
Hey brido here, MW just got a quick question to ask, Say there does open which of course we all hope for and can help towards. How would the paypal thing work? You say you don’t need an account and you won’t be accepting credit cards? I’m not familiar with paypal so exactly how would payments work. Thank you.
#612 by Jordan Charters on 2011.04.11 - 11:01 pm
PayPal gives you the option to either use your PayPal account and pay, or manually type in your credit card details etc to pay individually each time. Having the account makes it easier so you don’t have to type in your card details each time and safer.
#613 by Austin B on 2011.04.11 - 11:31 am
Have any Ther-e-conomy boosting strategies been discussed? Like spending 100,000 Tbucks in one month gets the next month free? -or something along those lines. That would definately boost auction sales, and people may be willing to spend more overall.
For 10$ I can get premium membership.
But for 25$ I can 25$ worth of T and it would send me over the 100k limit… 🙂
Just thinking a bit outside the box-incentives for the major players. Of course I wouldn’t implement this immediately but it (or some other reward system for the socioeconomic upper class) should definitely be looked into…
#614 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.11 - 11:36 am
We’re not discussing those things yet. We’re just trying to figure out if there enough interest to open.
#615 by Rick caldas on 2011.04.11 - 11:21 am
Michael as u mentioned before youre not gonna accept credit cards? cause i know some people dont use paypal i know wel have paybycash but still no cc?
#616 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.11 - 11:36 am
PayPal will accept credit cards for us. You don’t need a PayPal account.
#617 by Lauren02 on 2011.04.11 - 10:44 am
Ahhh! This would be so exciting! I can still remember asking my mom to buy there.com for me, for my 13th birthday..haha. I am now 21 so it would be a great visit down memory lane 🙂
#618 by SassyBeMe on 2011.04.11 - 10:32 am
Some one will probably smack me for this one. 🙂 What if you go back to offering different membership cost like you had when I started. Maybe not exact amounts like the 4.99 I think it was per month with few t’s added allowance. What I’m thinking is those that sign up for the buyback program pay more like the 20 a month with no t-buck added. Then You don’t have to worry about what t’s are being sold back. Or have watermarked (maybe). Maybe I don’t think of all the cheats either.
#619 by Joeydantonio on 2011.04.11 - 11:23 am
Yeah, I like the idea of having different membership plans.
For example, if you pay $10 a month you get all the benefits and a little allowance. But if you pay $15 a month you get all the benefits and a little MORE of an allowance/bonuses etc… If you pay $20 a month, you get all the benefits and the biggest allowance.
That way, those of us who are willing to pay the $15 a month or $20 a month— can still help out as much as we can and pay what our ‘limit’ is while still getting more benefits for it than the people paying $10 a month. This will probably encourage those paying $10 a month to consider paying more monthly as well for maximum benefits.
Each plan name would be something similar to most games with membership plans… maybe $10/Month would be Bronze, $15/Month would be Silver, and $20/Month would be Gold.
—–
As for the talk of how we will not get new members to join us if there is no way to log in unless you pay:: I think if new members were allowed to join but were RESTRICTED to certain abilities unless they became ‘paid members’… For example- Not allowed to have voice, not allowed to go to certain areas in the world, not allowed in neighborhoods or funzones, etc. it would be a great way to get new members to ‘log in’, but technically not be getting the full experience of There.com itself.
#620 by DavyRocket on 2011.04.11 - 11:44 am
‘Smacks Sassy 😛
#621 by v on 2011.04.11 - 12:11 pm
geez – he was faster than I was…. ‘smacks dave :))
#622 by truck on 2011.04.11 - 3:28 pm
Hey SassyBeMe
“What I’m thinking is those that sign up for the buyback program pay more like the 20 a month with no t-buck added. Then You don’t have to worry about what t’s are being sold back. Or have watermarked”
What about haveing 2 seperit t-buxs catagorys.
1 fer designer profit and 1 fer what u bought in t’s or sold in regular auction (Not designer)
*Added u can dump designer t’s into reg account but not the other way around
u can use both for what u do normaly, but the designer is the only 1 u can use fer buyback
What u think??? is that a watermark?
T’s = regular t-buxs
DT’s= Designer t-buxs
#623 by DavyRocket on 2011.04.12 - 6:43 am
This is a good idea. In Blue Mars we have 2 separate blu’s 1 is user blu which cannot be given to a developer, then you have developer blu. Only developer blu can be sold, or given to another user member for such things as “refunds”. As a dev you can see how much “dev” blu you have available. You can also transfer dev blu to your user account only, not vice versa, but you do get 75% of that blu back, if’en you bought your own product. AR gets the other 25% tax, and I really like paying a tax per item rather than paying 1800 tbucks just to submit, then paying just to add to the auction pages. That really made it hard for any new developer/designer to get started. I would do not mind paying to list in auctions, but pay for each submission NO I do not like.
#624 by jimony on 2011.04.12 - 8:30 am
This is basically the same thing I suggested about DBucks. Except only T’s can be used to pay for rent or There content. D’s could be used to buy from Developer.
D’s could be sold back to There (minus a fee) for T’s or possibly cashed out. D’s could be traded between users but all T’s have to be purchased only from There.
#625 by SassyBeMe on 2011.04.15 - 5:19 am
Huh well, I didn’t think regular t buck sales from resold items was a big deal. I can see not wanting to buy back tbucks that were gifted with a membership. That would be wrong. Unless they choose not to allow buyback of t’s to any non developer. Which really they would have to separate t bucks then cause every one would just sign up for the developer program like they did with workshop zones. I might be wrong, but I thought he was referring to Outside resellers of tbucks. Not resellers of products in game.
I also like keeping things simple and sweet. I also don’t think of all the cheats people do unless they tell me. 🙂
I’m sure there will be more discussions about this later IF, WHEN, they reopen. 🙂 I’m not apposed to any ideas that work for both.
#626 by Pickels on 2011.04.11 - 10:17 am
My friends and I are possibly thinking about coming back if There was to reopen but one deciding factor I had a question about, Since we were forced to leave I have invested my money into Lindens in the game of Second Life – If my friends and i came back to there would we be able to transfer our lindens into Therebucks ? If you would be willing to do this my friends and i would likely come back,
#627 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.11 - 10:33 am
How in the world would we do that?
#628 by Austin B on 2011.04.11 - 11:37 am
Can you transfer my dirt to gold? 🙂
#629 by pHluid13 on 2011.04.11 - 11:42 am
Maybe there is a site that will purchase your lindens for money and then you can use that money to purchase tbux. Kind of like an exchange program site. I’m sure there’s something like that out there. There.com has to open first before you can do that though. =)
#630 by truck on 2011.04.11 - 1:42 pm
lindens have there own buy back for ther L$, but remember 1 thing with the lindens. its never the same price.. 1 min it can be (ex- $10 = 2000 L$ and 30 mins later it could be $12 = 2000L$) and u can ony sell back $300 worth of L$ a month..
#631 by Marianne (JoyofLife) on 2011.04.11 - 2:34 pm
Hey Voni…how are ya? Excited? I miss you. Let’s hookup at Duda when THERE opens and have a party.
#632 by VoniLei on 2011.04.11 - 2:57 pm
Hi Joy!
I swear, if There reopens, I will lay claim to my old paz land and drop there again. I miss my pond and my log cabin in Monkey Crater!! And I miss my hoverboard! I left my avvie at Top of the World….LOL
#633 by KevinF on 2011.04.11 - 9:14 am
Michael Wilson reached level 85 on world of warcraft, failed horrifically in his attempt to become a gladiator of the arena, and now brings back there.com 🙂 GG
#634 by VoniLei on 2011.04.11 - 11:06 am
And that’s relevant how, exactly?
#635 by Meret on 2011.04.11 - 9:00 am
While it’s nice you are evaluating re-opening There, I think you really need to come up with a more robust approach to payment options or risk closing a 2nd time. Imo, real virtual worlds are suffering even more than they were last year. While I expect you would probably do fine at first from the old-timers, the need to pay first to come back in after someone takes a break (and they will after 4-6 months) would be a huge hurdle most would not take. And while trials are mostly a pain, without some form of them available, growth would be harder than it was. A couple of things to consider,
– No monthly fee if a person is renting any form of real estate (serves multiple purposes)
– Consider a refundable trial (pay $10, will be funded within 15 days if they choose not to stay)
– Provide 1 free month they can use within 12 months to return if they cancel (min of 3 months previous continuous payment)
– Allow paying members to grant a 15 day free trial to their friends (they are responsible)
– Make paintball within funzones no cost (normal payments if used outside of funzones)
– Get rid of some of the land, the world was too big for the population
My last comment should you choose to try this again. Capitalize much better this time on building out There’s unique features. It’s only those things that other worlds still can’t provide that makes people want to see There open again. World physics, continuous travel, avatars and chat, vehicles, etc.
#636 by VoniLei on 2011.04.11 - 10:58 am
Keep the land. Get rid of all that extra ocean! LOL
Good points, Meret, but I’d expect nothing less of you 😛
#637 by soede on 2011.04.11 - 10:21 pm
Dead on.
#638 by SaltySilver on 2011.04.12 - 12:28 pm
Meret: why? – Make paintball within funzones no cost (normal payments if used outside of funzones. Are you talking paintball refills? I call Foul play. unless its the same for buggies… Its better to have free refills as we had when the closing of there was announced. Remember we do have forcefields.
#639 by Therians Fan on 2011.04.11 - 8:56 am
For those who don’t know, I myself what a ‘cloud’ is, but could you explain to the members of the community what it is and what it does? A lot of people I am speaking to have no clue what it is, and I think it would be great if you can explain more about it. 🙂
#640 by Brandyn_1 on 2011.04.11 - 8:34 am
If There.com does return. Will the avatars be remodeled? Or were they every remodeled?
#641 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.11 - 8:52 am
Existing avatars will be the same. As I’ve said, we’ve had the person who developed There’s original avatars working on updating them, but I’m not sure how we will roll them out yet.
#642 by mmmm22222222 on 2011.04.13 - 6:02 am
I saw pictures of new faces to avatars, I’m sure I seen them on this blog actualy, would these new faces be in game? Or are they still be worked on for animations etc?
#643 by Rick caldas on 2011.04.11 - 8:13 am
also michael will profiles still exist and every skill etc?
#644 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.11 - 8:19 am
Yes, they will.
#645 by KevinF on 2011.04.11 - 7:49 am
Fair enough, my final suggestion would be to disallow the avie name brad, or any make up thereof. (you know what I`m talking about.)
#646 by Bradley Cornwest on 2011.04.11 - 8:28 am
This would be a suggestion full of discrimination. I can’t believe you would actually post this. Maybe they could disallow you?
#647 by Rick caldas on 2011.04.11 - 7:45 am
well free paintball no but make it more affordable, 200tbucks each reload werent that cheap u could just simply charge 200 tbucks outside paintball zones, but when in paintball matches we could have unlimited balls (paintballs)
#648 by jimony on 2011.04.11 - 8:39 am
I think most paintballers already had those.
#649 by VoniLei on 2011.04.11 - 7:36 am
With all due respect, Michael, I think not allowing any free play at all would be a huge mistake. There is a large fan base (including myself) that would be more than willing to pay to play because they’ve been in world before, and loved it. However, in the interest of having NEW players come to the game, I don’t think many would be willing to shell out real life $$ for a game they’ve never played before. Is there a way to allow a certain number of hours of free play before payment, perhaps linked to email or IP or something? I feel that not allowing any ‘free samples’ of game time would be detrimental in the long run.
#650 by Evan on 2011.04.11 - 9:09 am
I have to agree with Vonie here. I think there should be a SHORT free trial, and by short I mean probably a week, maybe less. Maybe even just one full day. I do agree people need a chance to try a place out before they pony up the money. I would also dramatically lower the times of the Try Its. It was fully possible to make your way in that world for free simply by using the extended try it times. Make them 2 minutes, max. That’s more than enough time to see how something looks on you, or how well a hoverboat looks in the sky. All of this, IMHO, of course.
#651 by VoniLei on 2011.04.11 - 12:13 pm
*waves to Evan*
I was even thinking that long…I was thinking in terms of hours. Like, 12 hours total play time or something.
When I first heard about There, I was adamant that I wasn’t going to pay to play anything online when there were so many free things. I was logged in for all of 5 mins when I pulled out my CC and plunked down my $10. It was being IN WORLD that changed my mind….I think a lot of people are the same way.
#652 by VoniLei on 2011.04.11 - 12:16 pm
Ugh! That first sentence should read that I *WASNT thinking that long. I really must learn to proofread before hitting ‘post comment’ *headdesk*
#653 by Shizuka_no_Umi on 2011.04.11 - 9:21 am
Agree with Voni on this, especially with all those “free-to-play” MMOs out there, if you want to be able to have some new players to join, a free trial is absolutely necessary.
Even massively known pay-to-play games, such as World of Warcraft, offer free-trials of 30 days.
#654 by truck on 2011.04.11 - 1:32 pm
only problem i seen last time with free trials, is after the trial is over they make a new name. i remember when i first joined THERE. $4.95 fer my name 10 music, 20 voice and 20 explorer pack and i had only 14 days to deside to do it. i payed the 4.95 and down the road i bought the payed for the voice music and ex pack. as for 2 other friends they keep getting the trials and it was to a point i gave up adding them to my buddys list.
#655 by Wendy Stoll on 2011.04.11 - 12:07 pm
Hiya Voni!
I agree with you, too 🙂
Wendy50s
#656 by VoniLei on 2011.04.11 - 1:03 pm
Hi Wendy!!
Geesh, it’s like…a reunion! *giggle*
Poor MW having to wade thru and moderate all these comments. Your head must be spinning! LOL
#657 by KevinF on 2011.04.11 - 7:33 am
Do you have an answer for my question Mr Wilson?
#658 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.11 - 7:41 am
I will not have as much time this week to answer questions unrelated to the survey. Sorry.
#659 by Phantasmagoria on 2011.04.11 - 7:26 am
Woah woah woah, let’s back up a minute here. No free basic membership? What! How am I supposed to grief noobs?!? Noobs were a vital part of the There.com existence. I don’t think There will be as much fun without noobs to bash around and harass. I demand that the investors comment on the noob issue!
#660 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.11 - 7:28 am
There_Test_1, There_Test_2, etc, will be renamed There_Noob_1, There_Noob_2, etc for your benefit.
#661 by TgKhali on 2011.04.11 - 7:34 am
There_Test_1, There_Test_2, etc, WILL be renamed There_Noob_1, There_Noob_2
You say it as if There is coming back x]]
Lmao seriously will you?
#662 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.11 - 7:41 am
IF There came back, not only would I do that, I would let you be There_Test_0.
#663 by Brandyn_1 on 2011.04.11 - 8:32 am
Hahaha!!! That is a great idea I’d really like to see that!!
#664 by Stephkats on 2011.04.11 - 6:45 am
Hello MW. I have a question.. I’m 23 years old, but I don’t have a credit card yet..Do you have another way to pay?.. I mean like before? paypal? or another way?
#665 by mimi06 on 2011.04.11 - 6:34 am
sorry for double post……..
#666 by mimi06 on 2011.04.11 - 6:32 am
e-mailing group_Ipanet members, in hopes to get the survey passed around our spanish speaking friends, as they were a very large part of the THERE community.
#667 by KevinF on 2011.04.11 - 6:04 am
I would also suggest free paintball, and cleaning up the paintball glitches –> The paintball community was by far larger than any other There.com sports. I think it would be a great idea to prioritize this — seeing as your strategy should enforce ingame communities (thus making people routinely pay your monthly prices). Oh and also, obliterate the entire idea of selling tbux outside the game –> the recirculation of already existing game currency definitely took away significant cashflow, at least in my opinion
#668 by KevinF on 2011.04.11 - 5:59 am
Just a suggestion Michael, I think you lost a lot of very active members as a result of petty permanent bans (for swearing, cursing, greifing events, etc) Seeing as the world (if it opens) will be 18+, I would suggest you unban the less severe offences (starting off of a clean slate), allowing them to resume playing, while retaining the more severe (such as fraud, uploading pornographic content). GIVE PEOPLE A SECOND CHANCE DAMNIT.
#669 by MEOW on 2011.04.11 - 7:00 am
amen
#670 by m on 2011.04.11 - 7:15 am
GOD BLESS YOUR HEART
#671 by lool on 2011.04.11 - 7:41 am
I agreee <33!
#672 by Lee C on 2011.04.11 - 11:46 am
I agree too. I miss my banned friends. 😦
#673 by Jonathan on 2011.04.11 - 8:45 am
Hate to say it, but I agree too!
#674 by ghdfh on 2011.04.11 - 11:40 am
DO IT
#675 by vanitybeach/dollhousehorror/sheisty/dorothydean/truffleshuffle on 2011.04.11 - 12:04 pm
WORD. As an upstanding virtual citizen of There1 who never once committed any of these offenses, I agree.
#676 by PurpleMia on 2011.04.11 - 5:59 am
Re previous posts ……………
608 by Joeydantonio on 2011.04.10 – 10:15 pm
I realize probably 90% of the emails people used when they registered with there.com were fake, but this may be worth a shot..
For more of a guarantee everyone is aware of this survey going around, and to get as much of an input as possible – have you considered sending a mass-message email out to the email addresses registered with each avatar? (kind of like a newsletter type of thing… or a ‘we would like your input” title.)
Reply #609 by pHluid13 on 2011.04.11 – 4:37 am
He has considered it. He doesn’t like to mass email/spam the users. Most emails being disconnected anyway. He answered this in a prior post. Just re-iterating for you
…………….. in reply … please read this quote ………..
#90 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.08 – 3:30 am
We think six months will be the limit. At that point, we’ll mass-mail the Avatars who have not returned (many times) and, if they still do not, we will be releasing their names back into the system. None of that is firm yet, of course.
…… Do they or do they not believe in “mass-mail” ????
But that aside, I do hope There will re open and that we get our stuff back and it is much the same. No free newbies to help decide if they want to make There their home will be strange.
Mia xx
#677 by pHluid13 on 2011.04.11 - 7:36 am
OP was asking about mass emailing to take survey. MW is talking about after the possible re-opening of there only to those who haven’t re-logged in which would be a significantly smaller group of individuals. “Liking” and actually “doing” being two separate things. I think MW wants to minimize the amount of mass emails he has to send.
At any rate, thanks for re-iterating. This small thread might answer some people’s questions if they were unclear. ‘tu
#678 by jimony on 2011.04.11 - 8:33 am
I think a nicely written mass-email to all previously registered email addresses about the survey is the best way to assure the maximum amount of response to the survey itself. Just be sure to include an apology in the case the recipient of the email was not the person who registered the email address. One properly worded email surely won’t annoy many. One email from There.com/Makena is all it should take for those excited about There to get them to the survey.
#679 by Jennyw9wkids on 2011.04.11 - 5:38 am
I SO HOPE THIS COMES TRUE! I just took the survey. Sportstar25 text me on Fri 4-8-11 tell let me know about this…but I was out of town and got back LATE last night. MW You would make ALOT of people happy if There reopened. 🙂
#680 by Marianne (JoyofLife) on 2011.04.11 - 5:23 am
It’s funny how ppl are already making demands. I for one am very excited about reopening THERE with no improvements or changes. It was fabulous they way it was. I like the stipend idea… even up to $100 per month to include real estate and an allowance maybe at a favorable rate for buying in advance. As far as justifying the THERE is not “raking in the dough” honestly most adult recognize that THERE is a business and needs to pay its bills. I feel its not necessary to appease folks that are not rational… and who seem to see conspiracies everywhere. I hope the new model can be profitable to Makena… as of course that’s the only reason they WOULD reopen THERE. I’m so happy to think about reopening Joy and Friends Loaners and Syn City again. THank you MW, please know many of us are behind your attempt and want to support it positively!
#681 by Wendy Stoll on 2011.04.11 - 12:03 pm
‘tu Joy!
Wendy50s
#682 by MEOW on 2011.04.11 - 5:01 am
This is what i’ve been staring at for the past miserable year of my life.
#683 by Marianne (JoyofLife) on 2011.04.11 - 2:29 pm
MEOW…that is sooo sweet….. me too. I have permenantly in my google search: THERE.COM REOPENING. I wistfully have been searching that every month…dutifully as if by sheer will or karma “something” might pop up AND IT DID!
Let’s all of us try to spread the word to our connections and leave MW to deal with the realities at hand. BOTTOM LINE is: can they make enough money to pay their bills (and God forbid make a profit?). I know I didn;t go to work everyday NOT to make money… let’s support MW and Makena to make a profit so our dream can come true….. THERE.COM DOES REOPEN!!
Blessings and I promise I won;t ban anyone for taking 20 vehicles from my Loaner. sniff, I even miss the griefing…
#684 by George on 2011.04.11 - 4:57 am
MW, you seemed to have overlook my previous question. Would you accept a fee of 100USD+ to have banned members accounts reopened?
#685 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.11 - 6:31 am
I’m not going to answer that at this time. If you read the survey carefully, the list of people who would not be welcome is pretty specific.
#686 by jimony on 2011.04.11 - 8:25 am
Michael, could you please post the text of the survey you keep referring us to. Once we finish the survey we can’t go back and read it; it just goes to a page thanking us for taking the survey.
#687 by Bradley Cornwest on 2011.04.11 - 8:58 am
We’re sure you’re all going to have lots of questions about why we’re running this survey, and we’re not going to try and answer them all here. This is just a survey to see if there’s enough interest, financially, to re-open what we’re calling for now, “There2”. We can, however, answer
a few of them here and now:
1. “There2” would be a PAID service. There would be monthly charge for everyone, except people with lifetime beta accounts. Initially at least, there would be no free accounts, and no free trials.
2. “There2” must be an 18+ site. One of the biggest expenses was supporting a PG-13 environment. This does not mean we would allow pornography, hate speeches, or copyrighted materials– we just won’t be responsible for people under 18 using the service.
3. Therebucks would be sold. However, offsite sales and purchases of Therebucks (Therebucks resellers) will not be allowed. We recognize that we’ll have to fill this gap for developers at some time. We’re doing this because previously a significant % of company revenue was lost to re-sales.
4. All old There accounts were preserved when we closed. For former members, you’d be allowed to reclaim your old account after paying a subscription fee, your account contents will be restored after a brief period of time as the system retrieves appropriate backups. All premium options that were in your membership would be restored.
5. All former There members would be welcome, EXCEPT those suspended for conduct inappropriate for a PG-13 site and those who have violated Makena Technologies policies, agreements or intellectual property rights.
6. At re-launch, “There2” Community Support would not be provided.
7. At re-launch the “There2” Developer program would be open. Approvals will be much slower. The world would move to a peer-to-peer approval system over time.
8. “There2” Rental of Funzones and Real Estate would be reopened. However, rental fees and access for FunZone or Real Estate would be directly tied to your CPU resource/time use (ex. like a phone with 15 cents/hour charges).
9. “There2” would include some updates shortly after re-launch; There2_DX9, There2_ OSX, some additional hi-res viewing options and 2 new activities.
We have appreciated members who have reached out since There closed. Please review the information above carefully. Your honesty and time in taking the survey, is appreciated.
Thank you.
#688 by mimi06 on 2011.04.11 - 4:47 am
contacted, members of “Group_Iplanet.. lets not forget to let our foreign friends know of this survey, they also played a big part in the THERE community.
#689 by SassyBeMe on 2011.04.11 - 4:47 am
One example of how some worlds handle a free account. Limit time, either in world per day, or how many days. Limited activities. Which I would think limited activities would help decrease grieving. Not able to teleport to zones. Not able to enter restricted paid member areas. Its not being harsh. These are powerful teasers. Well advertised paid for areas and privileges. I know you repeated that you are short of staff now. Maybe you can apply teasers later to build up the memberships.
#690 by Rakja on 2011.04.11 - 4:34 am
If you do post financial information. …can you please not post any one person’s salary specifically. Lump them into one line called “salaries’ if you can. We don’t need to know exactly how many people are making what…and I know people get paid more in California then alot of other states. We don’t need to start bickering andd argueing or putting targets on anyones head. We just want to see There get opened, have a chat and drive some vehicles!
#691 by padwan_thererian on 2011.04.11 - 4:32 am
what does hamilton av do?? ??????
#692 by mmmm2222222 on 2011.04.11 - 4:25 am
Out of curiosity I couldnt quite understand what you meant by this ‘IF we re-open, I promise I’ll do this every month, too. I don’t want people to think for a second that we’re rakin’ in the dough here.’
You will promise what every month? Thanks in advance
#693 by jimony on 2011.04.11 - 8:18 am
What he wrote about disclosing data just before his promise. It is at the top of this blog under the PS.s.
#694 by xSnoopy on 2011.04.11 - 3:15 am
Mike,
I just made the mistake of looking up “Cloud Computing” and understand a little about how it works but several hundred questions come to mind about how There2 will run in it.
Aside from the financial aspects, what will we see when, and if, you choose to reopen?
I’m curious about the potential improvement in graphics and response time of The Cloud depending on the Sector load at peak usage time.
You have said that the sectors will be much larger in There2.
If there is a “similar” load on a There2 sector because of a large event, will we see a degradation of graphics and will we all see lag increasing?
The explanation I read said that the “servers” will be MUCH more localized than they were in the old There, thus eliminating some of or a lot of the nasty “hops” I was getting to the servers in New York..
Another assumption was that we should see a substantial increase in response time compared to the “old” there.
Another assumption I am making is that you guys have been running a PRE Alpha on a very small scale. Can you give us a little glimpse as to what your seeing?
Sorry about all the questions but I and probably a lot of people are really getting hyped about all of this.
#695 by 20000Dollers on 2011.04.11 - 2:57 am
Mr Wilson is it possable to change my e-mail adress on my there.com account thats premium and gold pass cuz the e-mail adress that i made my account with has been hacked and i cont get it back but i have a new e-mail adress now and i was just woundering if u can change my e-mail adress ill post a nother post later date with my new e-mail adress when the time come’s cuz i wont be able to respond to ur invatasion cuz i cont no longer use the e-mail adress i used for 20000Dollers account cont u answere this question MW … and ill send u the e-mail adress when u asnwere plzzz tell me u can cuz i had everything on that account and im 21 years of age now .. ?
#696 by Gr8Fun on 2011.04.11 - 2:38 am
Michael, thank you for doing this. I can assure you that MY heart and mind are not in another virtual world. NOTHING has come remotely close to THERE. I hope you are able to bring it back.
#697 by Jordan Marzetti on 2011.04.11 - 2:08 am
So, if There does make a come back with a monthly fee, surely you will be introducing some new activities. I read on a previous post of yours about ‘Grow’. I think where you discussed about players having something to check up on every time they log on will surely attract a lot of members. Furthermore there just needs to be more activities introduced into There for it to gain interest.
Another thing I thought of was a competition held to make a youtube video for There to gain popularity and the winner gets something like two free friend referrals?
Look forward to There again, hopefully and finally going home.
#698 by Jordan Charters on 2011.04.11 - 1:43 am
Hi Michael Wilson,
From one of your above posts I see you’d be looking for staff to help with There2. Hopefully if you do manage to make the decision that it shall be opened, then just wanted to say that I’ll be very interested to become part of the team when Job Opportunities are available. Want to support it anyway I can.
Thanks for the updates you’ve posted so far and I look forward to the re-opening.
Jordan / Jordy26 (Avatar)
#699 by Robert M on 2011.04.11 - 12:29 am
Will I still be able to shoot people that ask stupid questions or make rediculous demands (like “DO IT IMMEDIATELY! OPEN NOW!!”) like they’re in charge of something?
#700 by George on 2011.04.11 - 12:10 am
Michael Wilson, I am so thrilled about this news. Though I have one request. Upon opening there.com would you be able to please give those people who were banned a second chance. I believe that as there is starting fresh the people should be able to start fresh also. It has been years since some people have been banned and I am sure that many have learnt there lesson. Maybe paying a fee to be unbanned could also be possible
i would be willing to pay over $100USD for my account to be reopened. Please consider this and write back.
#701 by Soede on 2011.04.10 - 11:32 pm
What would be the plan to attract new paying customers if there is to be no free trial or basic membership?
While I, and so many others who have already experienced There, are willing to open our wallets, fresh users would have to make that same commitment before having any assurance that the world is worth paying for.
I am concerned that as a long term policy this would make the Welcome Walkway all but deserted.
Disallowing any form of free account will definitely increase the revenue per capita, especially in the short term, but wont that have huge consequences for funneling people into the world?
#702 by jimony on 2011.04.11 - 6:00 am
I am sure this will have to be something they will have to work on soon after opening, but I think the main goal right now is just to see if there is enough support from the over 18 Therians.
One of the things they might consider in the future is to give free trials by referral of members in good standing.
#703 by Joeydantonio on 2011.04.10 - 10:15 pm
I realize probably 90% of the emails people used when they registered with there.com were fake, but this may be worth a shot..
For more of a guarantee everyone is aware of this survey going around, and to get as much of an input as possible – have you considered sending a mass-message email out to the email addresses registered with each avatar? (kind of like a newsletter type of thing… or a ‘we would like your input” title.)
#704 by pHluid13 on 2011.04.11 - 4:37 am
He has considered it. He doesn’t like to mass email/spam the users. Most emails being disconnected anyway. He answered this in a prior post. Just re-iterating for you.
#705 by LOSER on 2011.04.10 - 9:41 pm
i’m sitting here refreshing this page 1000 times for new questions. can you just please open there right now before i die?
#706 by mmmm22222222 on 2011.04.11 - 12:11 am
I wish it was that simple, I’m no business man but it’s not rocket science to say you can’t just open There, its got to go through a process of some kind I don’t know.. It just can’t be opened by the flick of a switch
#707 by CuriousLeader on 2011.04.10 - 9:11 pm
Mr Wilson, if i may ask how would we get our account’s back, I mean is there gonna be any security question’s date of birth ? or any thing that can prove that, that is our account? If it were to re-open and i’m sure hoping that it does in the future 😀
-Thank you for your time 😀
#708 by Therians Fan on 2011.04.10 - 9:07 pm
Just out of curiosity, when you said that all of the sponsor names would be removed from the island, what would you do in regards to the coca-cola avatars that members used? Would it still say coca-cola or would it have There on it?
#709 by Lostbuddy1 on 2011.04.11 - 7:45 pm
I’d also like to know this answer as my avatar was a coke avie.
#710 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.11 - 7:47 pm
I’m pretty sure your Avatars could be resurrected IF we re-opened, but without the Coca-Cola UI, etc.
#711 by innocentangel on 2011.04.10 - 8:08 pm
I just what to know, so its the same game will there be any changes? I mean this not MMORPG when I pay mmorpg I get no lag always updates and a gameplay, all there.com is a chat program, yes you can drive a buggy but thats it.
#712 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.10 - 8:09 pm
Correct, there are still nor Orcs in There.
#713 by Hoverbiker on 2011.04.11 - 2:02 am
What about the “Pretty People”, will they still have special privileges if/when There2 opens?
#714 by innocentangel on 2011.04.11 - 10:58 am
I was actually wondering what makes you think, people will stick around for the same game but more expensive, last there.com was cheaper and it still was some what dead. How are you going to keep it going? anyways for all the people out there think im a hater im not a hater. im just being logical.
#715 by jimony on 2011.04.10 - 8:20 pm
All you can do in There is chat and drive a buggy, yep, I guess that about sums it up.
All those other things we did were just in our imagination.
Guess I don’t need to think about restarting my karaoke club no more.
#716 by Rick caldas on 2011.04.11 - 12:39 am
lol what about paintball? what about hoverbikes? hoverboards? motu motu? the egg game i forgot its name and all those things its not “just drive a buggy” i feel the people that post negative comments are obviously under 18
#717 by Innie on 2011.04.11 - 6:12 pm
Wow, you forgot about paint balling, avie bashing, Playing with our dogs, hoverboating, hoverboarding, etc. There is WAY more to do than just ride in a buggy. And why would we want this to be an MMORPG? I say, you want an MMORPG, go play WoW or Rift.
#718 by Jungle on 2011.04.10 - 8:00 pm
why are people complaining about there’s graphics. Please Michael Wilson do not update the graphics for there, its the cartoonish style that it had that made it so much better to everything else.
#719 by Austin B on 2011.04.10 - 8:00 pm
By any chance, is there a certain number you have in mind? Or are you just waiting for a result to determine from there…?
Also, I know your the last person who needs to be reminded, but you also have to weigh in Therebucks purchases, real estate income, growing membership over time, and the fact that even the “no” responders may buy in after they see all of their friends back online…:)
Also, how long are you going to give it to generate profit?
#720 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.10 - 8:05 pm
“The numbers” will be based on what sort of responses we get, since we’d tailor the plan accordingly. For example, if the numbers came in high, we might add or increase a monthly T$ stipend, if low, we might not. Another consideration might be a “Buy 2 friends a month, get a month free for yourself”, or something like that. The permutations, as you can imagine, are endless.
Right now, we will be very conservative (as we should be), and I don’t think it’s fair to talk about those numbers yet. Also, we’re still learning about the costs of the technology, which will impact this.
As for profit, the first thing we’d do with profit would be hire more people. If we could do that, I’d be happy.
#721 by Skyefire on 2011.04.10 - 9:25 pm
I’ll definitely hang around longer if my subscription includes a stipend. It doesn’t have to be much and I know that for the good stuff I have to shell out money. I was OK with that in 2003 and I still am, still play games with microcharges. But even just a little stipend so I can buy that new t-shirt or whatever on the first would make a huge huge difference in wanting to stay longer. Another thing I have done in games is subscribe one month at a time and only renew on a login, so that it might be 32 days or 40 days since the last time I paid before I pay again. Getting a stipend would totally stop me from doing that.
I really appreciate the humor in some of your comments but now I think I would like to see the “Carbonite Valley”… from the outside, of course. Next time you work on a new area, you should consider that. You can put those accounts that have temporary freezes on them in there and the rest of us can paintball them around.
#722 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.10 - 9:36 pm
Oh totally. Avatars in Carbonite Valley would still be able to log in. They just can’t move. Maybe they’d be allowed a 10-minute out-of-body experience each day, but otherwise they’d just like Hans Solo.
Good feedback on the stipend. The big issue is of course if we introduce a buyback program, we will need to “watermark” stipend T$ so they can’t be cashed in. That would be bad.
#723 by Skyefire on 2011.04.11 - 8:24 am
I’ve thought about it and here is one possible way to deal with it. A person could never be allowed to cash out more than the total stipend they have received. So, if a person had received a total of say 5000 Therebucks, they could never cash out if their balance was below that amount. That runs into a few customer service “It’s NOT FAIR!” issues though, especially after a year or two of that number becoming steadily larger. It is fair, it’s very fair, but I’m nor sure explaining that is going to be possible enough to make it work.
#724 by pHluid13 on 2011.04.10 - 8:00 pm
I just want to say to you MW that I love how transparent you are commuting yourself to be in the future about the well being of there.com. I have always said to people to be transparent in all that you do and the honesty will reward itself. It’s a good thing you’re doing here. And I thank you as well as others I am sure.
#725 by Joeydantonio on 2011.04.10 - 7:48 pm
If you don’t open There.com, I will join the non-existent Vonira cult and ruin my social life and well-being while insulting everyone that gets in my way.
(Say i won’t, I am grabbing the garlic now as we speak to fend off the vonira vampires as I am initiated into the cult.)
#726 by Grace on 2011.04.10 - 7:11 pm
If there.com doesn’t open im going to hurl my body off of a building.
#727 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.10 - 7:13 pm
I don’t think that’s a very good idea.
Ok. There were a bunch of not-nice follow ups to that comment, all of them in jest. I apologize, but I’m not going to approve them. If you’d said “IF you don’t open There.com, I will eat brussel sprouts every night for the rest of my life”, or “take courses in statistics over and over again”, I might.
#728 by jimony on 2011.04.10 - 6:16 pm
Earlier I mentioned a New There site that is built on the Second Life platform.
Peter7 has a video of his place there. It is a recreation of Duda Beach.
Here is the link if you would like to watch it:
#729 by xSnoopy on 2011.04.10 - 6:54 pm
jaybee,
That was what I was trying to point out. Even at $15 a month I doubt that $180,000 a year would suffice to convince Mike to open There2.
Perhaps the way the question was phrased ( “I would be willing to pay” ) tended to push people to check the minimum they would pay, as you did.
It’s doubtful that MW didn’t give the phrasing a lot of thought but, in retrospect, I wonder if it skewed the results lower than he expected.
Mike, You will be surprised how many people will be willing to pay more if there were free Paintball refills.
#730 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.10 - 6:57 pm
I admit we could have done the phrasing differently, but almost anything we would do would graviate to the lowest amount (after all, people don’t usually volunteer to pay more). At the end of the day, we can’t say “Well, YOU said you’d pay $100 / month in the survey, so pay up”. This data will be used to guide us to a decision, not issue invoices :-).
#731 by Rebecca McArthur on 2011.04.11 - 2:37 am
Ugh that’s HORRIBLE! I can’t imagine that this is a “substitute” for There that satisfies on any level at all
#732 by jimony on 2011.04.11 - 5:45 am
Not for my wife and others we know who have tried it. Some were even unable to get logged in to it at all. It is the Second Life avatar and physics.
It doesn’t replace or substitute There. But it is a very good effort at trying for nostalgic purposes.
#733 by jaybee on 2011.04.10 - 6:08 pm
I’d just like to say…I put $10.00 on the survey…but i’d pay the highest amt. 🙂 can we change the survey answers??? 🙂 I know i should have thought about that first!!!
#734 by Nocturnally on 2011.04.10 - 5:18 pm
People, learn to read the survey and the comments. Your questions are answered 100 times.
#735 by jimony on 2011.04.10 - 5:39 pm
But, There’s nearly 600 Posts! You surely don’t expect me to read them all!!
Oh, nevermind, I already have, twice or more.
#736 by Truck on 2011.04.10 - 5:12 pm
just a quick question.
Mr wilson will you be bringing back the THERE IM? i remember it was in a beta form when my odd avie was invited to join it.
#737 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.10 - 5:13 pm
Yes, we will.
#738 by Truck on 2011.04.10 - 5:24 pm
im still learning these phone apps but will it run on them? not saying i’d pull off the road fer a there im break or anything.. lol
#739 by mmmm22222222 on 2011.04.11 - 12:06 am
I am also Interested in this Mr Wilson, would it be possible that under 18’s could use There I’M and the 3D world could only be accessed by 18
Could that be possible?
#740 by xSnoopy on 2011.04.10 - 5:10 pm
The survey numbers make absolutely no sense to me.
$10 a month amounts to less than 2 stops at the gas station for most of us, PER YEAR!
Every $5 a month increase you add is another stop at the pump, or $60.
Or another way .. The average cost of a pack of cigarettes is $4.50. At 2 packs a WEEK, that is $460 a YEAR.
Look at it another way… When you and a friend go out for lunch, how much is the tab? $20, $25, $30.
With your dinner, you order a beer .. etc, etc
Most of us are willing to pay $10 a month or $120 a year to play the best DAMN game most of us have ever known.
WTF is that all about????
(Mike edit that last comment out if you want to)
Well, you do the math on just about any little thing you can think of and the cost per year really adds up in a hurry.
If I did the math correctly, so far 1000 people said they would pay something to play There.
At an average of $15 a month, that comes to $180,000 a Year and I doubt that, that will keep There2 open.
We have been complaining for over a year and now that Mike thinks that he can make a go of it, we tell him that we don’t really miss it that much.
WELL, I DO !!!!
#741 by Truck on 2011.04.10 - 5:21 pm
I miss it 2 xSnoopy. I dont want a wannabe site telling us what we can do or say. or banning us for the wrong word typed. lol i got to do this…
THERE.com RULES!!!!!!!!!!!!! ITS MY HOME AND I WILL PAY TO PLAY IT! NOT UR WANNABE CARBON COPY!
lol. MW plzs keep us up today with the survey. Thank you
#742 by jimony on 2011.04.10 - 5:27 pm
Well, I think the numbers are skewed in that it is set up like a vote.
If I am voting how much to pay, I am voting the least abount. Maybe there should be another question asking how much more we would pay if it was necessary to keep it open. I know I would pay at least 20 if I had to, at least to get it back on its feet. If I knew There couldn’t open at a lower number.
I hope Michael, or his investors he may be trying to show he has support for it or whoever, takes the leap of faith and reopens it at whatever number the numbers show are necessary.
#743 by Sylverstone Khandr on 2011.04.10 - 5:06 pm
Well MW, I thank you for bringing out this survey and restoring the one thing many Thereians lost: hope.
I don’t think I ever met you in-world… well, there was the Summer Games of 2010, but you were like across the zone and it was very laggy….
Anyways, it’s good to see how many people are responding.
One thing I mentioned in the survey is the return of the Ultimate Game Card. Please tell me if you’re considering its usage once again to purchase membership and Therebucks. 🙂
#744 by VJ on 2011.04.11 - 5:13 am
It has come to my attention that I quoted the wrong numbers for my post, the perils of having to scroll the length of the blog I suppose. I believe the numbers should be 135 vs. 167 instead, sorry.
Still, these are the small percentages (not bothering with Other since there is no way to know where those responses fall from this end) and I would think that a lot of the responses are from the same person (in other words, one person answering that they will not pay AND would not be interested if the site is 18+ only with the same guidelines). Anyhow, by far the majorities of responders are willing to pay and are interested in 18+ with the same guidelines, so ‘tu! Hopefully we will see a lot more of the same as the survey continues.
I realize it is probably bad blog etiquette to reply to your own reply (or perhaps not, I really have no idea), I just wanted to clear that up.
#745 by Sylverstone Khandr on 2011.04.16 - 6:37 pm
Actually replied to my own post there…
#746 by VJ on 2011.04.10 - 5:06 pm
Okay, so far the numbers for people NOT interested in the site if it is 18+ are less than the number of people unwilling to pay for membership (119 vs. 157) ‘tu
If we go with $10 a month (as stated previously, the $15 and $20 would of course be willing to pay $10) then we are looking at ~10 k a month, ~50 k to start if everyone willing does the 6 moths up front.
Perhaps we could try having a Telethon to help drum up some more funds? Hey, it works for Public Broadcasting …
You’ll receive emails and pictures from your sponsored Thereian. The money you send will enable them to purchase the latest fashions, paintball annoying griefers, and quest for hours on end …
#747 by apecore on 2011.04.10 - 4:38 pm
hey Michael,
for the 6month pre-pay basis, will there be some free tbux included on that option if ever? Some what like 100tbux or something. that would be really cool
thanks,
apecore
#748 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.10 - 4:41 pm
Let’s see. 100 Tbux @ 1800 T$/$1.00 is … not very much 🙂
Anyway, yes, we’d consider that, but it would probably be more if we did 🙂
#749 by apecore on 2011.04.10 - 5:17 pm
thank you for your response.. appreciate it a lot!
#750 by mmmm22222222 on 2011.04.11 - 12:01 am
This is a good idea, maybe every month that passes through those 6 months, the payer gets 18,000 free per month he pays for the 6 month, it also gives you the right to raise the price of the 6 month since they get the t bux with it.. Meaning more money for Makena
#751 by Syntech on 2011.04.10 - 4:26 pm
Is there any possible way you could make it so we could play on a stand alone version? Like play with ourselfs lol I would enjoy idk bout you all but lol.
#752 by old there.com person on 2011.04.10 - 2:52 pm
There.com
Dress up your avatar – over 100,000 3D clothes and accessories. Free!
http://www.imvu.com
Why does this show up in search when I look for There.com….I FIND THIS VERY INTERESTING
#753 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.10 - 2:53 pm
Sure. They bought the keyword. We used to do the same thing.
#754 by Ace_Merrill on 2011.04.10 - 2:29 pm
This is too much like the television show Lost. We all had a dramatic goodbye and now one year later a bearded Michael Wilson shows up, crying and waving a survey. “We have to go back, Kate” (I guess he’s talking to Banshee Kate, though who knows).
Now for the rest of 2011 we’ll all each of us have dramatic stories and events happen to us before we finally all meet up and go back to There.
#755 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.10 - 2:31 pm
Now wait just a minute. This is modeled after Fringe, not Lost. Sheesh. And don’t even bring up “The Event”.
#756 by jimony on 2011.04.10 - 2:42 pm
Jeeese!!! I hope not, it turned out they were all DEAD!
LOL
#757 by SassyBeMe on 2011.04.10 - 2:50 pm
Now for the rest of 2011 we’ll all each of us have dramatic stories and events happen to us before we finally all meet up and go back to There.
Oh so you had life happen before There reopens? Way cool. Hope more for ya. 🙂
#758 by Carlos mmm on 2011.04.10 - 2:26 pm
@ asaad hahah yownnow sucks and if it does open you have to pay for that tooo and i know it isnt going to be as good as there.com was
and they are banning people on their forums for saying stuff about going back to there.com and also closed the thread.
its funny how the only people that talk crap of joining there.com back
is only the vonira staff LOL vonira aint better then there with that fail screen shot 😀
#759 by Tbonz on 2011.04.10 - 2:22 pm
First of all i want to thank you for posting this, and what you did to help thumdar stay alive since i know many people who went there to find everyone. The big question is would you mind me posting a video on youtube and/or other places to ask therians to come and take this survey?
#760 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.10 - 2:24 pm
Yes, of course, anything it takes to get the word out we’ve got this survey going.
#761 by Tbonz on 2011.04.10 - 2:28 pm
Ok , will be posting one shortly and thank you for the fast response.
#762 by Asadchick on 2011.04.10 - 2:04 pm
Hmmmp, a site where there s NOO free basic membership. halfing to paay per month.and its 18plus… this game will be the worst ever…not much people will go on…EVERYONE GOTO YOWNOW (vonira.com) WHEN IT OPEN!! its awsome! andd it will be like there.com.. (but this time we know fo sure there wont b a idiot owner-.- )
#763 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.10 - 2:09 pm
Uh. Ok.
#764 by Wendy Stoll on 2011.04.10 - 2:27 pm
This time fo sure there wont b a idiot teenybopper…
(sorry, couldn’t help it…)
#765 by realifepluscentral on 2011.04.10 - 5:12 pm
What the heck is wrong with this person..? On the YowNow forums the CEO was even telling someone how to make a Legal lawsuit against There.com… Are you kiding me?? And if the Game was better.. They wouldn’t bann any player that is willing to stick up for There.com.. Yeah some company!! MW made There.com not go bankrupt.. and look now we have a chance to get There.com back.. How is that a “idiot owner” ?
#766 by pHluid13 on 2011.04.10 - 2:25 pm
HAVING to pay per month is no big deal. If you truly care about the software as most people here do, a monthly fee is nothing for the ultimate benefits that this software provides. Take into account most MMO games that charge a monthly fee to use. It has been proven to thrive. I’m not looking for any kind of rebuttal or the like. Merely and simply saying that this isn’t the venue for these kinds of statements. Take the survey to voice your opinion on whether you would pay or not. Thats what this is all about. Theres no need to make any rude remarks about any individual here as well. MW is doing us a great deed by doing everything in his power to rekindle the THERE service.
#767 by Will on 2011.04.10 - 2:28 pm
What a dick.
#768 by pHluid13 on 2011.04.10 - 3:06 pm
Now now, lets be the tasteful Thereians we are and not stoop. We are better than that. Let this guy dig his own grave.
#769 by hugh5 on 2011.04.15 - 8:56 pm
LOL. Don’t hold back. Um, before we get ahead of ourselves, should we not question the validity of this so-called survey? I can’t put my finger on it, but something’s fishy about it. Some of us have been duped before because we all miss There SO much. I just recently debunked a myth going around about some girl who claimed to have a beta version of There, and was playing it with her friends. It was total nonsense, but a lot of people believed it. It’s possible we’re being set up. I apologize if this thought offends anyone, but we’re living in an economy of desperation and con-artists abound. Setting up a survey like this is absurdly easy and costs almost nothing. After all, SurveyMonkey is FREE and anyone can set up a WordPress Blog and then distribute “news” about it to other MMO sites. Then, in our desperation to see There make a comeback, we leap before looking.
There are bigger cons than this floating around. This so-called MW is not dumb, but, I have to admit, there’s something weird about all this. After all, MW and Makena might be “broke” (relatively speaking), but they do have some resources. I think they’d set up a real website and use their massive database to do some real “casting” and surveys. Mark my words folks, this is odd.
Who’s to say that this guy isn’t already setting up a phishing “sign-up” site where we can pay in advance? We pay our money, and There2 never materializes. Call me paranoid if you wish, but people get taken everyday but stuff like this. Has anyone contacted Makena to verify this?
#770 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.15 - 9:00 pm
Brought to you by:
hugh5
Atlanta, Georgia
I’m a designer and a developer of 3D modeling. I am currently developing an MMO online world called Thayr (in production name). You can check out images at the website http://www.thayrworld.com or at my FaceBook page.
A.K.A. the CEO of http://www.thayrworld.com
(Just you know, so we all have that written down).
Sheesh.
#771 by hugh5 on 2011.04.15 - 10:21 pm
No, there is no “CEO” of the MMO we’re putting together–and the name is just a working title. I own a communications firm–I’m the owner of that, and although I could use the title CEO, I don’t. The MMO we’re having fun with is just a hobby at the moment–it’s not a formal business yet. And, I didn’t mention it to get free publicity. You’re a jerk for thinking so. Finding a large group of beta testers for our MMO was easy, just as you’ve found it easy to dupe all these people into believing you’re Michael Wilson. I don’t believe it. I have to give you credit–you’re dedicated. But I would have believed it more if you had taken the time to set up a phishing website indistinguishable from the real thing and merged the survey into that. Easy to do. Just get Adobe Dreamweaver and a hosting site, and you’re golden. Happens everyday.
Setting up a free survey in SurveyMonkey and then a free WordPress blog, and then telling everyone you’re MW, and we’re supposed to take this seriously? An 18-year-old could do this sitting at home in his bedroom. You’re either doing this to scam money from us, or you’re doing it just for kicks. Either way, I will find out if this is genuine. Makena is hard to reach online, which you undoubtably know, but I will contact them.
One thing is certain–this is your blog. If you want to ridicule any of us, you’re certainly at liberty to do so. I think you’re a fraud, and this free blog you tossed together is a total scam. I’ll believe There2 is real when I see an online presence for it, and some formal press releases–I have seen NEITHER. You’re not fooling me for one minute. I will personally uncover this if it is a hoax.
#772 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.15 - 10:28 pm
You’re really too modest. Here you bill yourself as “Creative Director and CEO”, so you must be a CEO.
Ok. I’ve given you a free venue here. Anything else you’d like to say? Any way I can help you in your hoax uncovering?
Make no mistake about it, I haven’t ridiculed anything you’ve said, in fact I’ll be more than happy to support you. After all, someone who can produce a MMO of the size you talked about in just over a year deserves all the credit you can get. I mean, look at those good folks at Real Life Plus, Envie, and YowNow – they’ve all be hard at it for more than a year, and can’t claim the progress you have! Even Glitch, which is built by the folks who started Flickr and have over 10M in funding, are just now getting to Beta, and you’re wayyyy ahead of them. Excellent!
Can you pass on a URL for former There members to sign up? I’ll be happy to pass it on!
P.S. Oh shoot, so sorry. You know, lots of people here know how to reach Makena on-line, I know because they’ve written me. Why don’t you ask them for my email, since I know you wouldn’t trust whatever answer I might give you.
P.S.S. There folks, I apologize for this comedic interlude, and will return to answering your comments as best I can. Thanks for your patience.
#773 by Mimi06 on 2011.04.10 - 2:32 pm
rather demanding ? “EVERYONE GO TO YOWNOW”? thanks but I prefer to be in a world that at least doesnt TELL you go there now.. rofl and is very much open 🙂 The need to play over rides watching forums all day..Thinks some places will hold many brats.. sigh PS did you know that YOWNOW isnt allowing a free ride to ANYONE? you will HAVE to play to pay.. (wink)
#774 by Joeydantonio on 2011.04.10 - 2:32 pm
LOL @ this commenter trying to get free advertisement on MW’s blog. You guys have been saying Vonira is going to open for like 3 years now…. just because Vonira is never going to open and you guys are now out of $350+ on domain hosting fee’s, don’t try to ruin all of our excitement for a game that actually has the potential to open in the near future. And yes, you are a ‘sadchick’ as your name says. It’s ok.
PS: I don’t think MW is a ‘idiot owner’ at all… I actually think MW is quite smart… For a owner to be a ‘idiot’, he can’t have more money than your whole family combined….. and everyone else that lives on your street and there families too. Lol 😛
PSS: And finally, a ‘idiot owner’ can’t create such a successful game that may never have turned a profit before on the first try or 2, but finds a way to lead it in that direction in just a little over a year of thinking. Still having this many interested customers in your product after such a let down just proves my point even more.
#775 by jimony on 2011.04.10 - 2:38 pm
I understand you have to say stuff like that so your **** owner won’t ban you for saying you’ll go to There.
I am sure you will still be welcome into There when you are old enough.
Of course OwNow doesn’t plan on giving free memberships or trials and they said they only want a few Payers/Players so they must be planning to charge a lot (At their banning rate, a few is all they will have). Just looking at the points in your post, the only difference is the 18+.
Hope you enjoy all the G rated restrictions your Gestapo will lay down for you to pay for (from the history of his promises, I doubt there ever will be a virtual world to log into).
#776 by Secrets of Vonira on 2011.04.10 - 3:10 pm
Stop it Asadchick! NowYow will not be free either and the self proclaimed God/inventor of every person and idea ever thought of, Henry Galt, has even informed you yanks that it won’t be a world for people under 18 but for adults and family. I guess that means NowYowNow will be the worst ever as well with not many people going on?
#777 by Truck on 2011.04.10 - 3:54 pm
“Hmmmp, a site where there s NOO free basic membership. halfing to paay per month.and its 18plus… this game will be the worst ever…not much people will go on…EVERYONE GOTO YOWNOW (vonira.com) WHEN IT OPEN!! its awsome! andd it will be like there.com.. (but this time we know fo sure there wont b a idiot owner-.- )”
OMG who ever u are u better go read yow wannabe there. their will be no free membership their eather! as for 18+ i perfer it. and from what i have seen of screen shots over the early past year im very leary about it.. 1 photo was part there and part second life! i belive the 18 under is part of what hurt There.. bouncing credit cards, griffing, as for a person complaning on his site about making people pay 10 bucks what about his site 9.95 a month wow what a savings of 5 cents big deal! if i designed onver there i would have to take his word on what was sold to recive my money! for someone thats shoots off his mouth i see him no better ther what he complanes about!! and if u havent noticed after someone bashes him he deletes the users comments or deletes that part of the fourm. speaking of his forums he’s only had 3 different web places u had to goto before u found the 1 he was useing. but thats the way he’ wants to run the yow wannabe there then let him i will be no part of it.
#778 by Asadchick on 2011.04.10 - 6:43 pm
Hmmp lets see, for one the same thing is going to happen like last time, go straight down hill, And whats the point of having it 18 Plus, because people younger are going to go on it anyways so whats the point ?? And turning 18Plus is just going to make less ppl go on it.. ALLL those people whoo used to go on it.. cant go on it anymore becuse its going to be a 18plus game so thy cant go on because there aacoount says there younger, so your just making mistakes…
#779 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.10 - 6:45 pm
You know these comments have to be approved before they show up, right?
#780 by Joeydantonio on 2011.04.10 - 7:19 pm
Asadchick- Actually, no the same thing most likely wouldn’t happen as last time because the ridiculous high costs to run the old servers no longer exist as a barrier. But I am assuming from the way you used 3 sentences to list one reason how you dislike its 18+, that you probably don’t know what that even means. So in simpler words for you, it doesn’t cost as much as it did before to keep there.com running… so it is now much easier financially to keep it going if it does re-open.
For your 18+ complaint, no it will not make there.com lose money if it re-opens because most members who spent the most money were well over 18 years old. Personally speaking, I would have sales on there.com to much older players than myself and I am currently 20 years old. It was much more common for a much younger member to ask for free items or say they will pay me back a months rent in a given amount of time if I gave them free rent in one of my hoods or a free design I made or what have you. I have always realized in the past that most members under 18 years old are more likely to be griefers and cause unnecessary problems. Older members (18+) aren’t AS likely to do that because they are…….. well…… for a lack of a better word or maybe not… mature. (IN MOST CASES, but some may surprise you.)
So that being said, I realize you are most likely under the age of 18 and that’s why you are trying your absolute hardest to downgrade this idea and be mean and throw a little hissy fit in comments on a public wordpress blog… but it’s not really going anywhere because the decision has already been made.
#781 by Secrets of Vonira on 2011.04.11 - 11:56 am
The point of making it 18+ is so that There.com is not legally responsible if you, being the 14 year old you are, decide to join and then file a lawsuit because they didn’t ban someone who used inappropriate language around you.
Oh, and don’t forget to check out http://secretsofvonira.wordpress.com for the latest revelation of Vonira’s lies!
#782 by TherianForever on 2011.04.10 - 6:47 pm
YowNow is so cultish that it frightens me. If you want to be a part of a G rated world where you are constantly threatened with legal action you go ahead and hang out with those Vonira folks. I’m looking forward to paying to play There…it will keep griefers to a minimum and just knowing that all my stuff would still be there…WOW! MW, you’ve got the diehard Therians very excited with your post.
#783 by truck on 2011.04.11 - 1:56 pm
secrets of vonira yep are a secret rofl for me posting here i was banned rofl he can dish it out but can’t take it.
You have been banned for the following reason:
No reason was specified.
Date the ban will be lifted: Never
Rofl hummm reason is i read the fourms and told the truth and it hearts.
#784 by Syntech on 2011.04.10 - 12:37 pm
MW,
Is there anything we the players can help with? Anything don’t hesitate to ask!
#785 by Joeydantonio on 2011.04.10 - 11:50 am
I think the results are actually pretty good for only a couple days of the survey being up and not that much announcement of it.
#786 by mimi06 on 2011.04.10 - 12:36 pm
True, FB has more chatter, then the entire AT&T network..but chatter won’t get MW the results he wants.
#787 by Dolphin on 2011.04.10 - 12:59 pm
Yep but like MW said the survey has only been up for a few days 🙂
#788 by mimi06 on 2011.04.10 - 11:45 am
When I think back.. to about 10 hours BEFORE THERE went dark.. and ALL the voices that were heard in world.. WHERE are they now? These numbers aren’t even close to the THERE I knew. Ques Sera Sera.
#789 by Fearless_Phil on 2011.04.10 - 11:31 am
I’m over There, and have moved on multiplayer FPS games like Battlefield and Call of Duty.
The missing element from those games is the online social aspect. People create Clans and utilize other ways to socialize like Ventrilo and clan web sites with forums. I’m surprised none of those hugely successful games have created a social outlet for players when they want to take a break from the game.
Why don’t you (MW) try and partner with one of those games?
They have huge budgets and sell to millions of gamers every time they release a new game or version (about every year and a half). Those games have a huge launch with a retail price of around $60. They start with a bang and slowly lose players over the course of a year since the game starts to get a little old. Some of them are experimenting with add-on elements (ex. limited edition guns) to gain a little more revenue and keep players interested until the next big release.
Integrating some social gathering aspects into those games could change the whole dynamic.
There is an Open Beta currently for BattlefieldPlay4Free. It’s a free online version of the hugely successful Battlefield games. Their business model is to charge for upgraded weapons, outfits, skills, etc. Not all that different than There’s failed model, but people don’t play that game to socialize. I don’t know if it will succeed, but integrating social aspects into a highly developed gaming engine could really change things.
#790 by Rick caldas on 2011.04.10 - 11:21 am
well aslong as u have the paybycash option to pay the monthly fee im in michael please make sure u do 🙂
#791 by sn3aky on 2011.04.10 - 11:20 am
Well looking at the numbers from the survey I am disappointed, there was a lot less than I expected and I know if the word of this survey got out, you could easily recruit more numbers from old players.
I see these results posted this morning as a count of all the hardcore Thereians who still follow up on it.
Sad to see such a great product still remain down. I am anxiously looking forward to There.com re opening and I know it will one day.
#792 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.10 - 11:22 am
We’ll be posting it in more places next week. It’s only been up a few days, folks.
We also have to thank the folks @ Thumdar, SoThere, RealLifePlus (who are nice people too), and YowNow for posting a link for us. We’re getting lots of traffic from all those places.
#793 by sn3aky on 2011.04.10 - 11:47 am
I did noticed the dates for the survey and mis-read them, I will do what I can to get the word out, a lot of facebook groups are out there in support of There and as well as other resources you have mentioned.
#794 by Faunarose on 2011.04.10 - 11:07 am
Michael – I am getting the impression that you were just as pained as the rest of us to “let go of THERE”. After all it was your child. Glad you are sentimental and I for one, certainly want you to make money should you go ahead with the relaunch.
Fingers crossed.
Hugs, Faunarose
#795 by Syntech on 2011.04.10 - 11:12 am
~ You gotta think for a bit if he were to launch even for an hour a day he would still loose money. You need money to do certain things as usually sadly you can’t run it for free.
#796 by Wendy Stoll on 2011.04.10 - 10:45 am
Thanks for the update 😀
Wendy50s
#797 by jonathan5k2006 on 2011.04.10 - 10:27 am
Nice stats:) is there a go a head seeing as your gaining $5850 if not more?
#798 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.10 - 10:28 am
Let’s see. Run a company on $5850 a month? I wish that could be true, but, sadly, it’s not.
#799 by jonathan5k2006 on 2011.04.10 - 10:41 am
well whats the goal your aiming for?
#800 by There_forever on 2011.04.10 - 10:41 am
Well it isn’t really 5850 a month. Its 10030 a month. You shouldn’t forget to add the ones that voted for 15 and 20/month. Plain logic since everybody who voted to pay more than 15 or 20 wouldn’t mind paying less. The question is if Makena decides that the membership has to be for example $15/month in order to be able to open the world again, are those who voted for $10/month willing to pay that much in the end?
#801 by jonathan5k2006 on 2011.04.10 - 10:49 am
I dont mind what we pay for it 🙂 long as we can get off anything boring 🙂 there.com was the way forward :))) there for ever 😀
#802 by ThereianPlayer on 2011.04.10 - 11:05 am
I wouldn’t mind the extra 5 dollars. As long as I get my second home back 🙂
#803 by Syntech on 2011.04.10 - 11:10 am
well actually add about how many there bucks we buy ( and maybe you can work something out on Funzones and land and rent stuffs) Also the amount of new players you would get Which would be a lot because all the thereians joined other worlds and talked about where they came from. Not mentioning if you can work up enough money to advertise.
#804 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.10 - 11:15 am
That’s a good point, but we’ve decided not to count on that number right now.
We have advertised, by the way. The problem is that when you use something like Google Adwords (or any of the ad networks), you’re going to get fairly poor coverage unless you tweak it constantly, and are willing to spend a lot of money on placement. IMVU, for example, has a person whose full time job is to manage their ad networks. Not do strategy, not do marketing – just manage their ad buys.
Oh, and since it’s been mentioned, we also looked into TV ads. Minimum, we were talking 250K for production and any sort of reasonable placement. Do the math on recovering that cost with memberships.
#805 by Therians Fan on 2011.04.10 - 2:20 pm
By the way, that Dr. Phil episode was pretty interesting. i had trouble looking for it on YouTube, but I found the article on it. Care to explain about it? What was your opinion on his episode? Do you have a link for us to watch?
#806 by miranda199 on 2011.04.10 - 10:24 am
OMG !!!!! PLEASEE LET BE THIS DREAM TRUE!!!!!!! PLZ!!!
#807 by Jenzie on 2011.04.10 - 9:59 am
I believe the people would pay the monthly fee with no problem. We all have missed there.com,not only our friends and neighbors, but the fun, This is a day we all have waited for.
#808 by Rick caldas on 2011.04.10 - 9:11 am
i miss paintball srsly if there does reopen im so gonna get addicted to paintballing again, hopefully there wont be any changes about it
#809 by Jordan on 2011.04.10 - 9:09 am
Michael can you give us an estimate of how long this all will take, and when it will be open?
#810 by pHluid13 on 2011.04.10 - 10:14 am
30 days before we hear any more concrete evidence of there opening.
#811 by SaltySilver on 2011.04.10 - 8:33 am
Michael, Do you have any stats on age or group age brackets of members? I don’t believe that the under 18 group would have more. I would think that it would be upper 20s to 50s. Just wondering. For those in The under 18 crowd that think older ppl don’t play… remember we were the ones playing Pong and Atari. We were here first! 😀
#812 by phluid13 on 2011.04.10 - 10:25 am
See response #474 above.
#813 by Charlie Knight on 2011.04.10 - 8:13 am
MW, how will you catch under 18’s? And if they were found in the game what would happen to them o.o
#814 by Will on 2011.04.10 - 9:06 am
Charlie knight.. as in.. oxted..
#815 by Charlie Knight on 2011.04.10 - 11:19 am
Excuse me?
#816 by Ray on 2011.04.10 - 5:24 pm
My friend thinks this is all a fake so dont get excited about it, the person claiing to be michael isnt the michael we know
#817 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.10 - 5:26 pm
Ok. Then who am I?
#818 by Innie on 2011.04.10 - 7:39 pm
Ray, your friend is not telling you the truth. This is the real Michael Wilson.
#819 by Hugh5 on 2011.04.15 - 1:21 pm
I have the same concern. There is no way to validate this on our end. MW would have to do that somehow. I have to admit, this is very unlike MW. While There.com was open Micheal and Makena routinely kept their distance from the membership. Communication just was not their thing. They spend more time courting corporations and in-world branding than they did with us. Am I right?
Message to Michael: can you validate you are who you say you are? I think this is a valide query. At the very least it is SO good to see so many old recognizable names. I miss you all even if we did all grief one another once in a while. I have to say this, the members of There.com were special folks in so many ways. More like extended family.
#820 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.15 - 1:42 pm
What do you want? A DNA sample?
#821 by hugh5 on 2011.04.15 - 3:42 pm
LOL–Hi MW. Well, that would be conclusive if I knew how to make use of DNA samples. However, since I have no access to a DNA lab, I would have to say, why not come up with something on your end that you know would be conclusve to all of us? As one business owner to another, I know of ways to prove who I am, so I’m sure you can do it too.
Perhaps you are the infamous Albion. All of us who paintballed knew of the avatar who called himself Albion. He was the single worst hoverpack paintballer there was, but he thought very highly of himself. There was only one Albion–the infamous Baronate of the Albonate clan and a serious threat to no one.
Seriously though Michael (if this is indeed you), you must have a million ways to validate yourself to us. Yes? No?
Even if There2 makes a comeback, it will be on the DX8 graphics engine which is seriously out-of-date. This has me wondering–just how long There2 can exist using older technology? Can if afford to retool into the DX10 formats? I’m building my own MMO based on the Unity Game Engine under DX10/browser-based interface. It will have all that There.com had and more. When There.com closed, I just wanted to see if I could do it or not, so I slung together some seed capital and a few friends to help, and we’re making great progress. I still hope There makes a comeback, but I’m still pressing forward with my own MMO. There.com was the best–IMVU, Blue Mars, Project Entropia, Second Life and all the others just don’t hold a candle to There.com. I think even Ventrella would approve of the work we’re been putting into our MMO’s avatars, their morph/motion systems, the VOIP/IM/chat systems, and the emotes. Our new paintball is awesome…
#822 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.15 - 3:53 pm
I’m not going to address the identity question. If you don’t believe I’m me, then consider this fiction, and move along.
As for DX8, remember that it makes it possible for There to run on many, many computers, which, frankly, don’t support DX9, or DX10.
We already have a DX9 version ready, and it’s been QA’d and is ready to go.
The problem with Unity, or, for that matter, Crysis, is that they don’t have distributed physics, which is what makes There work the way it does for little things ike paintball and buggies.
#823 by hugh5 on 2011.04.15 - 8:12 pm
Well, well—now there’s that famous Michael attitude we’ve all heard about. Perhaps you are him–who knows eh? You are defininitely as clandestine as the MW we came to “know” in There. “Move along”? Nice thing to say to your old customers. Don’t forget that I was (and still want to be) a customer of There.com since 2002. I was an original beta tester. Your attitude says, “I don’t care and customer service means nothing.” Very odd attitude for a CEO who claims to be researching customers opinions don’t you think? I’m the CEO of my business and customer service means everything to me.
Perhaps you can’t stand up to the really tough questions. As long as everyone here just says “sign me up big daddy”, you’re okay. But someone llike me puts you under a microscope, and you cring? Wow. I take my earlier assessment back–I’m not impressed.
It’s good to hear that “T2” is geared up for DX9. I think your information about DX10 is off base. The data we have from Microsoft shows that DX10 is very widely supported and backward compatible. Also, if you are right about distributed physics, then you’ll have to explain why we have successfully tested our hoverboards (full acrobatics), 2 types of buggies, our hoverpack, 2 types of hoverbus, 2 types of helicopters ALL under Unity. They worked beautifully. We beta tested our entire MMO last week with 5,000 beta testers and experienced no major problems. Also, our paintball systems worked like a charm. One match involved over 40-50 users with NO lag–that’s right NO LAG. That said, are you perhaps talking about something you don’t know much about? We have 4 islands up and running and all 5,000 testers gave the system a complete workout. I won’t say that we didn’t have any bugs–we did, but they were minor.
If you’d like to come in and test for yourself, I can give give you the necessary ID/PW login.
I still think you need to prove you are THE MW. Otherwise this little “toe in the water” survey is untrustworthy. You ask us to trust you and to trust the concept of paying in advance for a product that currently does not exist. Why should we?
#824 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.15 - 8:25 pm
I went back to make sure I knew what you were talking about, and yes, my answer is still the same. If you don’t believe I am who I say I am, then I can’t help you, because I’m not sure how you expect me to prove it.
By the way, I’m sure I’m doing something wrong, but I tried to go to http://www.thayrworld.com and my browser couldn’t resolve the name. I also used dig and whois, and they don’t seem to know what it is, either. I was sure I was messing up somehow, so I went to GoDaddy (yes, I’m ashamed), and found that the domain is available. You might want to grab it before someone else does.
If you have a great world which will be a viable alternative for the There community, then I’m sure they’d all love to check it out, and I would support it. I’m pretty clearly not in this for the money, so please pass on any information you’d like.
#825 by Antaios on 2011.04.18 - 5:18 pm
honestly as I said with a few friends.. if this isn’t Michael Wilson then no lose, as there.com will still be closed and after a year I’m sure everyone has come to accept that as fact.. now could this be someone playing on peoples emotions? if it was we will find out soon enough.. I do know some people online that would play this out for aslong as they can just for the hoots and drama but.. none of them would invest the money to play the game like this.. if this is MW and this is a true sign he’s considering reopening there.com then cool I’m there.. if its not MW and just someone playing with peoples emotions.. I personally don’t care.. if it comes I’ll pay, if it doesn’t I have all my friends still with me so I’m not loosing a thing.. and I’m having fun exploring and seeing all the new worlds out there..
those out to attack him.. heck folks there.com is still closed if, MW was just sitting there one day and say oh heck likes cause some drama and start up a survey and see who will want to have there.com back.. if he’s playing on your emotions you need to be stronger.. those who attack him i don’t get it.. he’s who he is get over it MW or Mary White its nice to have the thought but you still have your friends.. so you lost nothing
#826 by Rick caldas on 2011.04.10 - 8:08 am
Michael if for example i pay for my account this month , month after i dont pay will my account get blocked? then how will it work when i want to reopen it? also if someone pays this month and then doesent pay for six months comes back will they still have the account if they pay again?
#827 by pHluid13 on 2011.04.10 - 10:21 am
I would assume it would be like any monthly pay service, get service for the month you pay for. Pay on Jan 1st and get service until Feb 1st. Miss a payment on Feb 1st and your account is innaccessible until youpay again at which you would get another month’s service when you decide to pay again.
#828 by Hugh5 on 2011.04.15 - 12:58 pm
Hey — I don’t know if you remember me. How are things? I look forward to meeting up in Zep again soon. Darn, typing in this blog is laggy for me. LOL–now THAT really does remind me of There. Too funny….
#829 by ThereianPlayer on 2011.04.10 - 8:08 am
So im guessing anyone who joins and lies and says they’re under 18 is taking the risk? Whenever we join and we hit the accept on the TOU and it says “I’m 18” We are taking the risk of dealing with 18+ respnsibilities.? I understand you are tired of answering age content questions but like many have stated before me under 18 users made up a large portion of There.
#830 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.10 - 8:14 am
We don’t support people lying. That’s why we ask those questions.
<18 did NOT make up a large portion of paying There customers. That was part of the problem. Quite the opposite, of course.
#831 by ThereianPlayer on 2011.04.10 - 8:15 am
Ok, thank you for answering, and even with parental consent the users still wont be able to come on?
#832 by Innie on 2011.04.10 - 7:38 pm
MW, do you mean “>18 was not the large portion of paying There customers”? Because the way you posted above shows that the teenagers were the large portion of paying customers and those over 18 did not spend money.
(unless i am losing my mind….that is very possible)
#833 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.10 - 7:41 pm
Eh, what?
There were lots of folks under 18. Unfortunately, they didn’t spend much money. And they were the source of most of the chargebacks. I wish it had been different.
#834 by Charlie Knight on 2011.04.10 - 8:14 am
Fully agree with that.
#835 by KevinF on 2011.04.11 - 6:14 am
Truer words have never been spoken. Well stated.
#836 by Mimi06 on 2011.04.10 - 8:04 am
rofl……sorry can’t help but laugh……..all he is asking is to take the survey.. either ya do or ya don’t.. The word “IF”……remember that.. ya no that saying..
#837 by There_forever on 2011.04.10 - 8:02 am
Any possible update on how the survey is going and if we are close to the number you are looking for?
#838 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.10 - 8:03 am
Not at this moment, no. It’s SUNDAY.
#839 by mmmm2222222 on 2011.04.10 - 7:46 am
Oh right, Will there be any way to tell who is who, and how does it work? Is there a timer that changes avatars every once in a while? So everyone has a chance of being embedded into the enviroment?
#840 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.10 - 7:47 am
I’m KIDDING. Sheesh.
#841 by mmmm2222222 on 2011.04.10 - 7:51 am
Damn you Mr Wilson, you really actualy had me! Haha, wow I have been fooled on a public blog. Haha.. Oh god… Its so hard to read sarcasm on posts 😛
Could you answer this question now that you have had your laugh haha
‘How long will accounts, that have still not been activated save? Would it be possible to keep them saved for at least 5 years? Which is enough time to give anyone younger than me (Im 17) a chance to re-activate there account after turning 18?’
#842 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.10 - 8:00 am
I don’t know. We’ll look into it.
#843 by Jill on 2011.04.10 - 11:01 am
What do you expect from CHILDREN. : )
#844 by mmmm2222222 on 2011.04.10 - 1:02 pm
What did you mean by this, Jill? I find that highly offensive
#845 by Ant on 2011.04.10 - 7:32 am
Might I suggest replacing all the There_Test avies with Michael Wilson# avies so everyone can feel like their shooting Mr. Wilson out of their systems.
#846 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.10 - 7:36 am
Have I mentioned the new area “Carbonite Valley” where certain Avatars will find themselves embedded when they return? 😉
#847 by mmmm2222222 on 2011.04.10 - 7:38 am
When you mean embedded, you mean into the rocks etc? The enviroment?
#848 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.10 - 7:39 am
Yes. Think of Pompeii.
#849 by Ant on 2011.04.10 - 7:49 am
I do believe I read somewhere about this in another blog of yours!
#850 by mmmm2222222 on 2011.04.10 - 7:29 am
Well I have said it enough now and to be honest there is good reasons and bad reasons why I cannot access a world I joined back in April of 2006 due to my age, So here is a question.
How long will accounts, still not been activated save? Would it be possible to keep them saved for at least 5 years? Which is enough time to give anyone younger than me (Im 17) a chance to re-activate there account after turning 18?
I would find it very unfair that I paid to buy items that I can no longer use due to my age and it would be completely unfair to not be able to use them EVER again even once I turn 18 due to the fact that my non-activated account would be deleted after a certain amount of time.
#851 by Ant on 2011.04.10 - 7:47 am
If I were under 18 years of age, I would send in a ticket when and if There were to reopen and ask them to note on my account that I would be logging in when I am of age to legally join, and to please reserve this account until that date. Couldn’t hurt anyways.
#852 by pHluid13 on 2011.04.10 - 6:51 am
Would you consider a referral bonus/discount for bringing in more members helping the word of mouth marketing to bring more profit/sustainability in the long run?
#853 by MrScrooge on 2011.04.10 - 5:50 am
Humbug. I might warm up to the idea of paying a monthly fee if I can shoot Mr. Wilson with my paint gun. I also am curious to know, if There did indeed return would the There Testers return or have they passed away? I was dead set against a return of There but I would probably pay a monthly fee just to drive my buggy around or attempt to shoot things with my paint ball gun.
Also, what is going to happen if someone decides to grief the ‘no under 18’ rule. What happens if they start saying Mr or Mrs. X is under 18 just to grief them and attempt to have them banned? Also, would the censorship be at the same level it once was? Would people get moderated for saying a profanity while in their own zone talking to their friends?
This is all probably just moot at the moment but it’s something to think about when, and if, you starting drawing out the plans.
Good luck regardless of what happens, Michael. 😛
#854 by jimony on 2011.04.10 - 8:34 am
Hi Scrooge! Glad you’re planning to bring your grumpy personality back to There to give it a chance!
Most of your questions, I would like to know also, but MW did touch on the censorship part a bit, in that by raising the game to 18+ they don’t have to censor to the PG 13 level, thereby saving a lot of the previous expense. My guess is that profanity will not be moderated as long as it isn’t directed for griefing.
#855 by Codrod on 2011.04.10 - 4:06 am
If I may ask, what is expensive about running There below 18?
#856 by mmmm2222222 on 2011.04.10 - 7:31 am
Its things such as moderation I suppose, Moderating that minors are not hearing or seeing things they shouldnt be that adults around them are doing, and it isnt the adults fault due to the fact that parts of There was adult only, and there was occasions were minors found these areas and blended in with adults. So its mainly for saftety purposes.
Correct me if I am wrong Mr Wilson
#857 by jimony on 2011.04.10 - 8:28 am
It sounds like you explained it fairly good to me.
Of course griefing by noobs (probalbly not new members but alternate accounts) was also a major problem and I seriously do not believe that had anything to do with the age of the griefer. Most of the griefers I had to deal with were adults. So don’t just assume when something is mentioned about immature actions that it means any specific age group. Even MW can act a bit immature at times (just look at how he took his marbles and went home last year! I hope he does bring them back and let us play again).
#858 by Codrod on 2011.04.10 - 8:08 am
Oh, long time no speak m2 🙂
#859 by SassyBeMe on 2011.04.10 - 3:32 am
So are you thinking of keeping this more browser based/social? Few social entertaining areas? Or is that completely off base and I should drink more coffee?
#860 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.10 - 7:01 am
Drink more coffee.
#861 by SassyBeMe on 2011.04.10 - 8:39 am
I did just that, thank you. 🙂 I had to ask since I was getting a little lost from hints and past post you’ve made. I’ve had the cloud explained to me a bit so I think I understand now. Can’t wait to see what y’all been up to.
#862 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.10 - 9:06 am
Well, you won’t notice a lot. It’s been mostly in the innards to make it work in the Cloud, plus some bug fixes. Remember, we let most of the staff go last year.
#863 by mark on 2011.04.10 - 3:14 am
Can you make it so if you have tbux in your account you can cash it out so you pay back to paypal. I
#864 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.10 - 7:00 am
Probably not. We’d instantly be in the financial hole again as people signed up to drain their accounts and leave.
#865 by Ladomat on 2011.04.10 - 2:29 am
I wish Mr. Wilson would have been that helpful with answering questions when There closed ‘hole
🙂
#866 by Kangaroo on 2011.04.10 - 2:15 am
Interesting “news” 🙂
I liked the There game engine. In my opinion the game physics and avatar moves/interactions/chat was very unique in There.
Of course there are games with better graphics, but when it comes to the whole chat/interaction experience, the There world was working very well compared to other worlds. I havent really found anything similar around the online worlds yet.
I was in There, and if the There-saga get a sequel I will most likely check out what “There Too” will be like.
Hmm, and I wonder… wasnt T2 actually as good as or even better than T1?
(terminator, that is) 😉
Greetings from Kangaroo (beta 2003)
#867 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.10 - 6:59 am
Remember, the engine is not why the graphics looked the way they did. We chose the style to make it perform on as many computers as possible. There have been worlds created with There for prospects which would have made you swear it was the Crysis engine – because we changed the art, not the engine. After all, it’s all OpenGL/DX9/DX10 under the hood, not matter what engine you use (Ok, maybe DX11 if you’re on the edge).
#868 by watchlight on 2011.04.10 - 1:55 am
I just got this link sent to my facebook/email inbox. And I must admit, I really really hope that you will re-open there.com 🙂 I took the survey, and I found it very interesting 🙂
I’m looking forward for some more updates about there.com 🙂
Watchlight/Kasper.
#869 by Innie on 2011.04.10 - 7:28 am
”’waves at watchlight
#870 by DavyRocket on 2011.04.10 - 1:06 am
I just hope I will be able to ride/drive my Tiki Buggy coaster again. Everytime I open the Max file for that I think of all the fun times we had with it. I also cannot wait to paintball again. I think MW should let all of us paintball, and bash him sometime 😉 and I with Jimony on this one. All the minors that keep asking will they be able to come back, if not why.. Geez.. Micheal has explained it time and time again.. I mean what part of “NO” do you not understand? He explained why very clearly. If you do not understand why.. read it again or get your parents to read it, and tell you why. I have a few questions for you also Micheal..
Will There still have the tiki “cartoonish: look again? All the tiki islands still intact as they were before closing.
Will the tbucks be the same per dollar as before? 1800 per $1.00?
Will all the limits remain the same for content creations?
Will Open Collada be supported?
and last… Would it be possible to release the Web content kits so we can add banners/buttons to our websites again (When it gets closers to opening time that is)?
#871 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.10 - 6:56 am
Will There still have the tiki “cartoonish: look again? All the tiki islands still intact as they were before closing. Yes
Will the tbucks be the same per dollar as before? 1800 per $1.00? Probably
Will all the limits remain the same for content creations? Don’t know
Will Open Collada be supported? Not right away
and last… Would it be possible to release the Web content kits so we can add banners/buttons to our websites again (When it gets closers to opening time that is)? Don’t know
#872 by Rick caldas on 2011.04.10 - 12:22 am
Michael can you at least confirm if u do reopen it that every paintball/buggy zone will be in?
#873 by Gerrado on 2011.04.09 - 11:52 pm
Michael Wilson, how are the numbers looking so far that are willing to pay?
#874 by Jonathan on 2011.04.09 - 11:26 pm
A few questions.
1. I read further up, that there would be a Mac OS X client. Would this client be distributed through the Mac ‘App Store’ – perhaps there could be a fee for this? Although saying that, i’m not sure how Apple’s guidelines would feel about it.
2. Do you think you’d have a Trial period, for new users – something like what World of Warcraft do. They give a 10 day trial, which doesn’t have all the features of the full game – otherwise, new users would have to shell out a sum for a game they might not even enjoy.
Thanks!
#875 by phluid13 on 2011.04.10 - 10:31 am
1. That would be awesome actually and I wouldn’t see an issue with Apple’s guidelines. I don’t know if it’s worth MW’s budget to afford a yearly developer account and distribute in this manner since the client is free though and there would be no profit made off of it. Unless by chance there is an initial fee which I personally wouldn’t have a problem with. i.e. World of Warcraft charges for the software and then you pay the monthly fee on top of that. I’m curious for a response here as well.
2. I think it was stated that there would be no trial period.
#876 by Jonathan on 2011.04.10 - 11:46 am
I read something a while ago on Apple’s Developer Forums, which said that if an ‘app’ requires registration before the user can use it, then it won’t be accepted, although saying that, they must have changed their minds since then – as apps like Twitter and Facebook, amongst others are accepted. I’m both a payed member of the Mac and iOS developer accounts, and they aren’t expensive – only $99 each a year. This is cheap when you think about what you get for that fee – the support available is second to none.
Also, I’m guessing he is already a member of the Mac developer community, as the Mac client is already under development.
And yes, it stated there would be no trial period in the questionnaire, but surely this would limit the number of new users?
#877 by Tgkhali on 2011.04.09 - 10:49 pm
@#420 Michael Wilson
Then can I ask what IS the problem now?
#878 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.10 - 7:03 am
Eh? What?
#879 by StingrayJames on 2011.04.09 - 9:30 pm
another idea is to keep the world small just a few neghiborhoods to start or even paz comunities dont bring back the old content make a new start with a world that is 10% of the size of the old one ie cram us into as little amount of space as possible to start and than as membership goes up increase the size and decrease as it goes down to keep costs down , server space is something of a large expense and having say .. i dunno 7500 diffrent buggies that get used once every 2 years is somewhat of a massive waste of space but if we dont bring back the old content and just start over i see potential sure its not popular amongst people like me who make things but hey we could resubmit the good stuff :P… either way i know housing the servers is expensive and customer support is too but when i was running a neghiborhood i didnt call customer support i just banned people.. infact there staff heard very little from us .
#880 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.09 - 10:28 pm
Server costs won’t be the issue any more.
#881 by TgKhali on 2011.04.09 - 11:08 pm
Then can I ask what IS the problem now?
#882 by mmmm2222222 on 2011.04.10 - 12:50 am
What has all of a sudden made server costs not an issue anymore? I mean before it was the one of the main problems due to the fact that you had sectors and phyisc engines etc, and now nothing will be a problem. I noticed you said, “We have found ways to make it cheaper.” What ways? Without going into detail that you probably cannot discuss anyway… What will this cause to ‘There2’? Will it mean physics will be gone? Or there will be less sectors? Or better internet speeds to download more objects at a faster rate in one area? (If that affects anything just an example)…
To make the question quick, simple and understandable..
Will there be anythings removed from There because of this, ‘cheaper way’?
#883 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.10 - 6:38 am
No.. Branded areas like CCMetro will be gone, but that’s for legal reasons.
#884 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.10 - 6:55 am
We use “servers” in the cloud now. Also, if you read my other entries, server costs had actually dropped since There opened, and were a component of the cost, but smaller than say, people.
#885 by Truck on 2011.04.10 - 5:56 am
I disagree! For the designers that spent the money before there closed, and for the people that helped out with thier own pazes to help others! i spent a good bit of money doing submittions, My designer profit and friendly donations went to my pazes in the sky for ALL TO USE. My group size and use is what keep me from shutting down the 21st floor, It was my gift back to THERE and all to use. and for my Board,buggy,hover pack and hoverboats, 90% of them i use to lend out for noob and older members to use. with all the people that wanted to make there a better place to have fun i Salute you!
#886 by RRTT on 2011.04.09 - 8:35 pm
Mike,
If There were to re-open, would there be any changes to the distributed physics that made there great? Would there be any downgraded features that would affect the experience we are familiar with? What changes, if any, would be noticed in the world as a result of decreasing the running costs? Thanks for your time
#887 by Lostbuddy1 on 2011.04.09 - 9:46 pm
Particulary this part “It may be a lot fewer sectors, but you should be able to still drive ’round the world.”
Sounds like something is gonna be impacted, hopefully nothing to major.
#888 by Austin B on 2011.04.09 - 7:38 pm
Based on very loose predictions based on parabolic trend of decreasing order (based on the assuption that as the survey spreads to more people, less will be left to take it), I found that in 21.539472 days after the initial posting, approx. 5876.6864 would have taken the survey. Is this enough? 🙂
I love graphing calculators…
#889 by jimony on 2011.04.09 - 8:01 pm
And if you’re goodlooking too, you’d definitely be in.
#890 by RRTT on 2011.04.09 - 8:25 pm
Hahaha 😀
#891 by Sandy on 2011.04.09 - 8:12 pm
thats $58,000
#892 by Austin B on 2011.04.09 - 9:43 pm
Perhaps I should make a note before I get peoples hopes up over a number.
Mathematical models are great but they have their flaws: they don’t account for major events. Also, since something like this relies on word of mouth, the response is going to be volatile, versus a smooth bell-curve math model.
Finally, on top of all this, I calculated 21 days of response based off 3 peices of data (including start time as 0,0) which only spanned into the first day. Imagine planning your next 21 years based off of your last 18 months.
So at best this is a rough, very rough estimate.
#893 by jimony on 2011.04.09 - 10:14 pm
By your calculations how many of those 5876.6864 have stated they aren’t willing to pay to play and how many are under 18?
And then, are you considering that each of those that are willing to pay, would most likely be willing to pay more than they said they would?
Even a percentage that voted not to pay would if they have to.
#894 by Asadchick on 2011.04.09 - 7:21 pm
So you would never change the age on it ?? ( Yes or no ) If no why ???
#895 by Lostbuddy1 on 2011.04.09 - 7:43 pm
He’s already explained, read.
But the problem is that, as you know, not everyone under 18 is responsible, and, worse than that, there are many people over 18 who don’t behave responsibly around people under 18.
Since it’s the internet, we can’t reliably tell who is and isn’t a minor, so there’s no way we can make rules, systems, or anything else which can guarantee 100% that minors will behave appropriately around non-minors, and, more importantly, vice versa. Anyone who tells you they can is imagining things.
With There, we tried to do that, but it’s expensive, and still not perfect. And, most importantly, it had the potential to expose minors, like yourself, to bad people.
So, if There is to re-open, we can’t afford to do this again. We’d like to, but the facts are, we can’t.
Sorry.
Running a world for minors is expensive, and hard to do well, and, whereas in real life who’s responsible for who seems to sort itself out quite nicely, it’s a complete mess when it comes to online venues where it’s hard to tell who’s who. I’m sure there are people who will tell you it’s easy, and they have some super-secret-patent-pending-super-spy way to make it work, but we are not those people (not to mention that if you DID have a super-secret-patent-pending-super-spy way to do it, it would involve a HUGE invasion of everyone’s privacy, and a HUGE liability).
etc.
#896 by jimony on 2011.04.09 - 7:47 pm
Please read the posts before you. Michael has answered this question so many times, even I am getting tired of reading it.
#897 by jimony on 2011.04.09 - 7:58 pm
I don’t mean to sound uncaring in my previous response, it is just that this question keeps gettting asked and answered over and over again.
I did try to put myself in your shoes by imagining how I would feel if MW decided There could only open again if he only allowed smart, good looking people in.
#898 by FEMME FATALE on 2011.04.09 - 7:03 pm
Very Excited about this.
Id gladly come back to there.
And pay any monthly fee.
Since i had multiple accounts if there reopens I hope there’s a way to transfer all item’s into one avatar.
#899 by Therians Fan on 2011.04.09 - 6:47 pm
“If” There does return, a lot of our stuff including deed ownership and other things in our inventory are in some of our alt accounts. Would it be possible to give us about 14 days to grab our stuff and transfer them into our main account and after that you can shut the unnecessary accounts that won’t be use? I have a lot of things in my alts and it would be great if possible if we can transfer them into one accounts.
#900 by Captain_Quirk on 2011.04.09 - 5:44 pm
Great to hear that There might be coming back. I stress ‘might’…… I’m always skeptical. (I’m Captain_Quirk to those who knew me on There.) Sorry. We’ll see, but please don’t get your hopes up. I’ve really missed There & the friends I made there. There was a really big part of my life. I don’t might paying a monthly fee but a certain amount of Therebucks should included along with that monthly cost… especially if that cost is in the higher range. I’m disabled, on a support pension and spend alot of time housebound, I would gladly pay a monthly fee to be “out & about” again with my friends. But I can only afford so much. I have alot of important things to pay for as well.. I sincerely hope There will be back in some form along with improvements & additions as time goes on… Patience everyone……. patience… BTW … I did the Survey. Every Thereian should do it!
Thanks Mr.Wilson.
(from Dennis (the Menace))
#901 by Orielle on 2011.04.09 - 5:29 pm
Back in March 2008 one of my alts received a survey about membership options such as receiving a weekly allowance and/or having items regularly dropped in your inventory. I sort of liked this idea but thought it should be more implemented like City of Heroes Veteran Rewards program where we get some sort of gift every three months of PAID membership. I could see some remaining a paying member as long as they felt the rewards for being a paying member are worth it. A lot of people in virtual worlds love items that make their avies unique, different from most of the others.
#902 by Sandy on 2011.04.09 - 5:04 pm
ive waited over a year i cant wait 30 days!!!!!
#903 by SC on 2011.04.09 - 4:34 pm
I see an initial interest that may last maybe 3 months. Then things will tame down and people will go back to their lives and suddenly you’ll have these servers eating up investors cash and no interest. The same issues will remain that were inherent in the management of this programme before. No one left but the supossed ‘griefers’, being banned for saying hell and damn, and the bradfords that sink tons of cash into game getting away with buggery.
#904 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.09 - 4:37 pm
Well, let’s see:
1. This time there are no servers.
2. This time, since there are no minors, you can say “Hell and Damn”.
But to each your own. Thanks!
#905 by Therian18 on 2011.04.09 - 4:13 pm
Mr. Wilson, I’ve been a dedicated member of There.com for 2 years. Since then, I’ve considered it my home. I’ve made many loyal friends there, some, still in touch with me to this day. Making There II an 18+ community is like telling me I’m not good enough to come back to my home, the place I belong. I’m 15 and willing to pay any price to get my home back. I’m very disappointed you would raise the required age for There.com, as there are PLENTY of people like me who feel the same EXACT way. If I remember correctly, most of the there.com were users under 18. There would be profit lost, although, I am nobody who can confirm that with evidence.
Please, Michael Wilson, give me my home, as there are other Therians being granted their wish… When will mine be granted?
Thanks for listening.
#906 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.09 - 5:10 pm
I’m sorry, and I understand your disappointment.
But the problem is that, as you know, not everyone under 18 is responsible, and, worse than that, there are many people over 18 who don’t behave responsibly around people under 18.
Since it’s the internet, we can’t reliably tell who is and isn’t a minor, so there’s no way we can make rules, systems, or anything else which can guarantee 100% that minors will behave appropriately around non-minors, and, more importantly, vice versa. Anyone who tells you they can is imagining things.
With There, we tried to do that, but it’s expensive, and still not perfect. And, most importantly, it had the potential to expose minors, like yourself, to bad people.
So, if There is to re-open, we can’t afford to do this again. We’d like to, but the facts are, we can’t.
Sorry.
#907 by ThereianPlayer on 2011.04.10 - 5:17 am
So even underage users who get parental consent to be on cant play? I know many under 18 users who are very responsible and loved to play There. Would they still be allowed to play if they had consent from their parents? I understand its expensive to make it 13+ but if its 18+ and underage users get consent from parents then the parents have taken on the responsibility to let their child play and Im sure the parents will let their children know they have to be responsible players in game. I know under 18 members who spent tons of money in There who could have been mistaken for 30 year olds because they knew they were in a public game and they knew they needed to act mature.
#908 by Therian18 on 2011.04.10 - 7:51 am
Yes, what if we had parental consent? I don’t want to lose all my progress and data in my account after all that time spent. There are plenty of us who are responsible, Mr. Wilson.
You said there are people who don’t behave responsibly around therians below 18. I pretty much think we have enough sense to ignore them and leave the area. There II, announce that you will NOT be held liable for ANYBODY who gets in trouble, not held responsible.
I honestly see no trouble in that and no reasons as in why you couldn’t let that pass.
There are PLENTY of us who are mature enough to have There.com back, who also have bought MANY there bucks and actually enjoyed playing in the virtual world. There is no reason why we should be locked out for years just due to an age cap that means nothing.
#909 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.10 - 8:00 am
I’m sorry, but “Plenty” isn’t enough. It has to be ALL, which we all know isn’t possible. I’m sorry.
#910 by Lostbuddy1 on 2011.04.09 - 2:55 pm
1000x 10$ still wouldn’t be enough, as stated. I really don’t know how to really put it, without any trial (which I agree with MW that it can’t hold out, and or will maybe come in the future) it’s not gonna go too far. Look at it this way, you’ve never heard of There, what is it? hmmm I’m interested, let’s see what it looks like… oh cool, looks okay, alittle cartoony but I’ll give it a chance. *looks at fees* what! no free trials? how am I suppose to see what this is without paying for something I won’t like? and then…….(*customer gone* or *someone who is really really interested, has time, money and will risk it to see what is it*) how many people you think will go with the paying corner when they’re new and how long will it last, I bet not long for most of them. I’ve thought about it the whole day today while I was at work and I don’t know now that I’d even pay $10 for something like this unless it has more stuff to offer (which in due time can come or already has I don’t know.)
Call me crazy, but I just don’t see There.com re-opening unless a buttload of people really agree to pay and is more than what you need to re-open, which I understand, cause it’s a business, but as I said, If it ends up being $10 a month, I don’t know for sure that I’d pay for too long, and would like a prepaid option cause it would be a waist of money for me if it was $10 a month.
The whole 18+ thing is great too and I also agree but it also cuts out a good chunk of who was playing, they also payed a good amount (some did) and yes they will get in some way or another, I mean look how many of them are commenting, imagine who is actually reading all this and telling all their buddies, it’s the inevitable, and hey they may even you know…put money into your game including the monthly plan. I know you’re not gonna budge on the 18+ idea and I stand by you on it but just know that it has it’s disadvantages and advantages (which I’m sure and hope you have weighed.)
IMHO I think there need’s some kind of demoing of There to convert new members, cause the dedicated hardcore Thereians just ain’t gonna make There stay open, and advertising wise, look at the new customer pov. who knows if we’ll be able to have enough and have it open or if the hardcore Thereians can even make it open by themselves.
maybe if some were rich, and feel free to prove me wrong and laugh in my face if it does come true.
I hope to see this game open back up as much as you do and believe anything is possible (so I hope you can prove me wrong.)
#911 by Sandy on 2011.04.09 - 2:53 pm
Can we please have an update on the numbers.
#912 by martin71 on 2011.04.09 - 2:16 pm
hi there micheal great to see you again we would love to see there.com back in action we sure do miss it and for the age wise i think thats a great idea as for the children they was getting too young to be on there i found at the age of 9 who owed a 45 acra in game we play we have created some places from there.com …
the point is its a great idea to put a price on it every month ..
hope to see you soon
#913 by Sportstar25 on 2011.04.09 - 1:53 pm
Hopefully this survey will show you all the interest in there.com and you are able to reopen it….i have tried so many virtual worlds after there closing and nothing at all felt like my virtual home as there did….. Keeping fingers crossed …Sportstar25
#914 by jimony on 2011.04.09 - 1:45 pm
Michael, do you have any estimate what percentage so far of the survey responses are positive and over 18?
#915 by StingrayJames on 2011.04.09 - 1:32 pm
Honestly i would start from zero and add content to the world as i did to begin with there is and never will be anything as good as there.com the free roaming ability is the best feature you could have ever imagined i could just go and end up somewhere or nowhere at all it was fun and i would actually dedicate time to rebuilding some of what was lost
#916 by Cory on 2011.04.09 - 1:18 pm
MW , will you be cutting down on live support ( which didn’t help at all , maybe once every 20 times you needed something) so you don’t have to pay as much $ for people to ‘work’?
#917 by jimony on 2011.04.09 - 7:26 pm
When MW makes the decision that There cannot return, that is when he has cut life support.
Oh, you meant live client support, my bad.
#918 by Rakja Suvarna on 2011.04.09 - 12:18 pm
Hi Michael,
We are trying to get back in touch with everyone to tell them. Everybody split to different games. 🙂 But we are rounding them up. Can you keep posting the ‘as of xx.xx.xx so many people took the survey’? It helps to copy and paste that and send it out to the ones who don’t believe it can ever come back and are jaded by all the hoaxes that have gone on.
Thanks, – Rakja
#919 by mmmm2222222 on 2011.04.09 - 12:18 pm
Well to be honest, My maturity level is not going to increase in one year, I am as mature as I can possibly be which is why I cant see the age be lowered to a 16 + If it isnt lowered which I cant see you ever agreeing on doing, Would there be a possibility in saving my account until next year when I turn 18?
#920 by Jill on 2011.04.09 - 1:38 pm
Excellent point – why don’t we just give everyone an account at birth. I heard that is when one’s maturity level is really set in stone. OMG, shoot me now.
#921 by jonathan5k2006 on 2011.04.09 - 2:13 pm
mmmmm2222222 ello 🙂 remeber meee?
#922 by mmmm2222222 on 2011.04.10 - 12:41 am
Yeah man, I remember you! We need to find a better place to catch up other chan Michaels blog
#923 by Jinxed_Karma on 2011.04.09 - 5:44 pm
I’d hate to sound like an old man here… but here goes. 🙂 You’d be surprised. I thought the same when I was 17. Twenty years later and I’m still maturing. Heck, I’m not even close to the same person I was when I started There in 2003, thankfully.
Now granted, the difference between 17 and 18 is minimal, but unfortunately, numerous laws deem it as having some amount of importance.
Personally, I’d like to see There open to all ages, but sadly, bad people make that impossible. I’d never advise anyone to lie, but I always wonder how that Mature-rated game trailer knows I’m telling the truth when I have to enter by date of birth to watch it. 😉
#924 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.09 - 5:54 pm
Yes, I agree with you 1000%. I’m sure anyone is ever done growing, or maturing (or, just plain aging). If I could, I’d carve the previous comment into stone, and put it somewhere that the commenter could find it 30 years from now and have a good laugh.
#925 by jimony on 2011.04.09 - 7:23 pm
Amen, Jinxed! When I was 17 I thought I was mature. I would have made the same comment when I was that age. Maybe mmmmm2222222 is more mature than his peers. But since it is about the cost of supporting all the protections that There would be legally obligated to do, it wouldn’t matter if every underage member was more mature than everyone else. It comes down to legallity and what hard decisions have to be made in order for There to make a comeback. I know it seems like 18 is a long way off, even if you are two months away, but that is some of the things we have to accept in life.
(Hint: when two months seems like no time at all, that is when you know you’ve reached maturity)
#926 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.09 - 7:26 pm
Amen to that.
#927 by Infamous on 2011.04.09 - 12:04 pm
Micheal, Alot of people have old accounts with high value items and MULTIPLE items they still want, could we have like, a week or so to transfer them to a account that we are going to pay for instead of paying 10$ just to login to it and switch the stuff?
#928 by speedracer2 on 2011.04.09 - 12:04 pm
Hi, so when do you think you will know when the world will be starting to come back? 🙂
#929 by Rick caldas on 2011.04.09 - 12:01 pm
michael could you tell us in 2009 around how many people did play there? well premium members
#930 by Alter on 2011.04.09 - 12:33 pm
That is a curiosity that prolly has a lot of people wondering to how many did play There.com. The numbers were never released and now thats its closed it would be nice to know how many players there were. I know it would be kinda inacurate since everybody had fistfuls of alts but nevertheless the population of There.com would be nice to know.
#931 by Mary Mazzio on 2011.04.09 - 12:01 pm
Well I am very excited about the possibility of There opening up. I have yet to find a world with the vehicles that There provides. I don’t think there is a better virtual world to play in and I know I would be back!
#932 by brojoe44 on 2011.04.09 - 11:49 am
i know i asked this already but if only 1000 people play and you said in one of your p.s. things only about 750 people plus since i bet people have taken the servey (i know i told all my friends) i’d say we’d have about 1100 people and i don’t think that’d be enough if 1000 isn’t. how many people would be enough?
#933 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.09 - 11:55 am
There’s no simple answer. It depends on how much people agree they are willing to pay.
Patience. The survey hasn’t even been up a week.
#934 by There_forever on 2011.04.09 - 11:34 am
What will be used to verify our ages just wondering
#935 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.09 - 11:40 am
We’ll take a core sample and count the rings.
#936 by RRTT on 2011.04.09 - 1:08 pm
Mike, I’m pretty sure that only works on trees. Thanks for the laugh!
#937 by Sportstar25 on 2011.04.09 - 1:56 pm
‘VASH! I am still 21 i tell ya!!!
#938 by Scott Fieber on 2011.04.09 - 2:07 pm
LOLOLOL
Ouch
#939 by TimothyWeary on 2011.04.09 - 2:17 pm
LOL. Carbon dating might be a easier and a lot less painful 🙂
#940 by LillyBeth Filth on 2011.04.09 - 11:18 am
Memories and Good Times.
Hi Micheal.
I would be more than happy to pay $10.00 a month for access or an annual/ 6 monthly fee of $120.00.
I was one of the very early 2003 members, just missed the beta program, my name was ElizaRose and I came from The Sims Online and I have very fond memories of There.com being the first time I had ever been in a 3D social platform which was not restricted by “walls” and “houses”
To jump in a Buggy or hover board and explore the land was very exciting.
I tasted my first taste of online work when i caught the end of the property boom (just before you released hundereds of houses causing the property value to nose dive! lol)
I opened the very first virtual business, a pawn brokers called “There Pawn Brokers” The website still stands today! lol (http://www.freewebs.com/elizarose/) and I was getting IMs for 18 months after I had stopped logging in!
I recall how many people in the forums didnt like me “because” of the business I ran (buying stuff from people and giving them T$ instantly and then selling it in the auctions for profit….hopefully!) and then I found SL and moved on and have been making my real income for 4+ years via TRU textures (www.texturesrus.net)
When I came back to There.com for a visit 3 yrs later there was a “pawn brokers” on every street corner and it seemed “the norm”
I am totally behind your “no free access” decision. As a member of secondlife.com for 7 years now I have seen first hand as a business person and resident of SL how breeding a freebie culture is detremental to maintaining a stable economy (which is essential for said platform to continue to operate)
People either don’t get or don’t care that staff need paying, servers need fixing, client and software needs checking and fixing, customer care and support requires paid staff and so on. Instead left in the hands of the merchants (as in SL) they destroy their own potential success by declaring price wars with competitors or accept a financial loss in place of an ego win (paying to give the impression of success)
Linden Labs are trying to gain some control over the market but its a little too late.
If it was me, I would stop all free access to SL and ensure all merchants of any type are paid and ID verified members. Just as in RL if you want to make money you can’t do it without declaring your ID and address for TAX purposes.
I run my business in SL and on the net and I pay my taxes, my company is registered in the UK and anyone can find out my rl name and address because of this. Some people find this obsurd and cling to beliefs that their RL ID should remain private whilst at the same time demand the right to run a business with the potential to make real money. You can’t have it both ways IMO.
Whilst I dont enjoy IMVU I do respect their business and marketing strategy. No freebies and anyone wanting to sell virtual goods has to verify their RL ID and pay to be premium members. Thats just common sense to me and anyone screaming “not fair” need to try selling stuff on Ebay.. its no different at the end of the day.
Anyway, enough about me and then… I miss There.com, I didn’t log in much over the last 3 years because my work takes up too much of my time but when I did get some free time, There.com was kinda like my virtual vacation were no one bothered me about business and as no one knew me, I could race my buggy (badly) and just have fun exploring.
My only suggestion would be (and I know its a lot to consider right now) to expand the boundries as There.com starts to feel “small” after you have seen everything.
I would be very interested in exploring the business side of things again now I have 2D and 3D experience but I suspect unless you allow more freedom for designers to import low poly meshes, that market will become saturated very quickly when we are all restricted to the same meshes and models.
Anyway, just my 2 cents for what its worth… great news….glad you found a work around or at least a chance of one.
Elizabeth Gallagher.
#941 by Codrod on 2011.04.09 - 10:46 am
What is the problem with lowering to below 18 anyway, why couldn’t you.
#942 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.09 - 11:03 am
I’ve answered that question lots already.
#943 by LillyBeth Filth on 2011.04.09 - 11:26 am
Codrod.
I agree with you about the negative bashers.. its funny because when There.com was closing how many people swore they wouldnt go to SL and/or if they did spent weeks or months saying how much they hated it, how cold and strange it was and how they missed the community of There.
Today in the There.com survivers SL group many were saying the total opposite! (the same people who said they hated SL) Now theyre saying “oh but I like SL now… I can make stuff in world and I can make it for free..I dont have to pay pre payments to submit my content…yadda yadda”
I hate the “free loader” culture in SL and strongly believe if you want to profit from something you SHOULD be willing to pay for the opportunity.
There is little point marketing to the penny pinchers and freeloaders, its a dead end market that leads to nothing much and fast.
Instead, appeal to those who dont object to spending a dollar in return for someones time, skill, work, service for these are the very people who are keeping SL and other platforms in business. Without spending customers, SL would grind to a halt in less than 6 weeks.
#944 by VirtualJester on 2011.04.09 - 10:33 am
I just replied to a comment from a friend in instant messanger who brought up how many will not return and other will. Anyhow, this is what I had to say about the subject and thought I’d go ahead and share it here as well:
in a way, I get the “I’ll never go back” out of resentment or spite thing, but when you think it through it is not really logical though
if we get back everything we had when it shutdown, then the only thing that was lost is time
if ppl were able to sell off their stuff prior to the closing, then they did not really lose much monetarily and still the only thing lost is time
it was a recession, LOTS of businesses closed their doors without any chance for a future return
so the fact that there is even a possibility of it really coming back is highly unusual for any sort of business, and also demonstrates that the organization does actually care
typically businessmen will do anything and everything in order to separate themselves from any situation that can be perceived as a failure
I really like that they have continued to seek solutions in order to bring it back online
so I guess I can see why some may have an initial negative reaction, but somehow I think the majority of the ones who voice that sort of stance are only churning propaganda to serve their own personal agendas
in other words, they are vested elsewhere and recognize the return of There as a threat to their current interests, which it surely would be
also, There bashing makes for a great distraction and social alliance tool, which is exactly what the purpose of any propaganda is in the first place
anyhow, just my 2 cents, I am excited about it and would return in a heartbeat
#945 by Jordan Charters on 2011.04.09 - 10:25 am
Hi, I thought being a old There member I’d show my thoughts towards the possible “There2”.
Firstly, fantastic, something everyone here surely loved to play in their spare time is returning which is always good. Although I understand many have already moved onto other worlds im sure the real hardcore users of the past will return to support There even if its just to pop in every now and then. Personally I will be happy to return and show my face and support the world even with a paid membership.
There2 has my full support however I think it will really have to look into the mistakes made in the previous world before There2 opens, repeating these will be a disaster. (Wont go listing them but im sure we know of some).
Hopefully if There2 re-opens we can have the say of which features we would like to see added eithier submitting them ourselves or choose from a list etc. Amongst other areas.
I’ll wrap it up now but anyway MW, you have my full support and I will re-join when/if There2 opens.
#946 by Rick caldas on 2011.04.09 - 10:12 am
Michael if you do reopen just please confirm there will be the paybycash option to pay for the membership& buy therebucks cause then itl be possible for me to get in game noone in my family has cc im 19 do not own one thank you
#947 by There_forever on 2011.04.09 - 9:57 am
I was just checking some WWE news since I am a fan of the Undertaker. Not on the official WWE website, just some other website that has to do with WWE. There was a link to another website where I would find info on Undertakers condition. I was happy I’ll find some news on it. BUT… there was an unpleasant surprise. In order to be able to read the article I would have to buy a premium membership which would cost me $7.98/month. No joke! $7.98/month just to be able to read a wrestling site.
That reminded me of some other website I bumped into a couple of years ago. It was a webcam chat website which gave you the ability to chat via webcam in public chat rooms – it was not a sex site. There were 12 chat rooms if i recall correctly. In order to be able to become a premium member and get the most of the website you needed to pay $5/month.
In various forums they ask you to pay up to $10/month to become a premium or VIP member.
Another virtual world which offers mainly adult services via pixel costs $20/month but it had nothing much else to offer compared to There.com. I can’t be sure but I dont even know if it has voice chat!
These are just a few examples of what I have seen on the internet the past few years. Just the ones I can remember right now.
After seeing all the above I wonder if $15 or even $20 is too much. Of course it isn’t. As someone said in a forum, “even $15/month is a bargain” and I am sure that almost everybody would be able to save that money in order to be able to get back into There.com. 66 cents a day if it the price is $20 a month. I don’t really see a reason to not pay that amount. Even chocolate costs more than that!!!!!
For the few that REALLY can’t afford to pay that price – because there are people around that honestly can’t afford it – the gift membership would be a wonderful option. Even if that meant that more than one friends can pay for that persons membership.
#948 by Rockiesgran on 2011.04.09 - 9:54 am
This is amazing and everyone hopes it happens! Everyone I know or even just talk to misses There.com and wants it back. It has been the topic of conversation with everyone since There.com closed!! Many aren’t playing any other games but have tried everything, there is no comparison! OurThere is the Second Life older platform with a small group of There.com people but most can’t even get on or don’t stay. Please, please, please reopen there.com or There2!! We will all be on There2 and are willing to pay the monthly charge whatever it turns out to be. We all spent that much and more in the game each month just buying stuff or whatever anyway and having the game back is so worth it. Our friendships in there.com were like a big family and when there.com closed it was a tremendous emotional loss to everyone. I know people on fixed incomes without money to spare that are already budgeting the monthly charge into their finances in preparation! Please Michael, open There2, it will populate, grow and grow!
#949 by jamasko on 2011.04.09 - 8:50 am
I really hope there is enough of us out their. To convince you to reopen the much loved world we once enjoyed being in .I know i miss it .As well as alot of other people.And look forward to the day there opens its doors again.Id be back in a heart beat
#950 by brojoe44 on 2011.04.09 - 8:44 am
well still if only 1000 people play and he said in one of his p.s. things only about 750 people plus since i bet people have taken the servey (i know i told all my friends) i’d say we’d have about 1100 people and i don’t think that’d be enough if 1000 isn’t. how many people would be enough?
#951 by mmmm2222222 on 2011.04.09 - 8:10 am
Is there a chance that the age can be dropped to 16 +? Im sure alot of people the same age as my self and anyone else my age would agree that the maturity level of 16 + is as good as an 18 +.. It would defintenly allow me to play legally and I have the money to pay a monthly fee which doesnt bother me.
Is there a possibility it COULD be dropped?
#952 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.09 - 10:39 am
I can’t see that happening, no. Sorry.
#953 by Evan on 2011.04.09 - 7:51 am
Wow, this announcement has scared the piss out of a certain “supposedly” upcoming virtual world. They are banning anyone who dares mention There. 🙂 It starts with a Y and ends with a Now. Of course I’ll pay a subscription to There. It’s home! 🙂
#954 by Ifyouknewthatyouwoulddbeassmartasme on 2011.04.09 - 7:31 am
Michael,
If you own a corner shop, you don’t buy a 20,000 sq ft warehouse with staff to keep a shops worth of stock. Strip the costs/overheads to the absolute bare minimum and take things slowly and only expand when you are 100% certain that it is necessary, and do this step by step. This includes staffing, server space, advertising and all other forms of outgoings.
Do not open this game until you are sure that the money coming in, will exceed what you have to pay out, to run it, and do not take unecessary risks.
There is alot of financial waste in every business and spending a few hours thinking about how you can streamline the business, from a financial point of view, would be time well spent.
Employing x amount of staff, who only ever seemed to reprimand people, is pointless. I’m not a computer programmer or a game designer, but bot based things like automatically freezing an avatar if they used bad language in chat would be something worth looking into. Once a toddler touches a hot iron, then they don’t touch it again.
Also, if people feel they are being harassed, then a feature where you could literally make them vanish would save alot of trouble.
If this was implemented, no one could moan “oh, the helpers are corrupt/ in favour of the other person” etc, because the rules would be set in stone and clear cut.
These are ideas that have flaws, but i hope you can see where i am coming from.
Alot of the harassment happened because people could make account after account and return and carry on their dirty work. I think that if it was a subscribed service, this would be nowhere near the problem that it was, no-one is going to pay x amount of dollars, to return and annoy someone. Resultantly, you won’t need as many staff to mollycoddle the idiots.
You have a fantastic platform for a game, which, when compared to the other worlds out there, should be able to sell itself. There is no need to spend huge amounts on Google advertising/adwords, which, unless you are a sales based business, is pointless. It is very hard to quantify the return on this, as you don’t know what payments or amount of new members you recieve are contributable to this.
I have never seen an advert for There.com in my life and neither has anyone else. So whatever was happening here, you were not reaching the desired crowd.
Don’t underestimate the importance of marketing though, find someone who is creative and knows what they are doing and the increased revenue created, will more than cover their salary cost. Find someone that knows that they can add value to your business and you are on to a winner.
I don’t believe you employed anyone in a marketing position previously which was a grave mistake. If you did, then they were clearly not up to their job. Signing a few deals with cosmogirl/coca cola is not enough, but you should continue to look at cross channel marketing with other companies. Also, remember, the bigger/more succesful the company, the easier it is to take money from them. Find someone who has the balls/connections to speak to such companies and you may be suprised what you can prise out of them.
Also, take advantage of peoples good nature and decency by relying on users to reach your goal. There.com is a community and there are lots of people that would be willing to work for you for gratis. Create roles with goals and give people game based rewards if they meet their target.
E.g, if you told people that they could have a months subscription free for every paid person that they get to subscribe, for just 1 month, could only benefit you financially. You’d still get the same amount of revenue (-1 months subscription from the original user but +1 from the new user), but even if say 1 in 5 continued playing after the first month, then this is more revenue for you in the future. There.com is addictive and alot of people will get hooked.
All it would require is a “who invited you here” on the registration screen.
I could go on and on….
Finally, Michael, there is nothing worse than failure…you have a chance to redeem yourself and make alot of people happy in the process and, making people happy, is one of the most rewarding things that you can do in life.
#955 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.09 - 11:12 am
Ummm, I don’t know what to say here. There are several inaccuracies in your post (like “I don’t believe you employed anyone in a marketing position…”), but I’m not going to dissect it here. Thanks for taking the time though. Please make sure you fill out the survey. Thanks!
#956 by Asadchick on 2011.04.09 - 7:27 am
(Reply please)..ok, i justofficially read ALL the comments..so after you re-launch, there could be hope for changing some rules around ? am i correct..
#957 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.09 - 10:38 am
If you mean “Make it Free”, or “Make it for < 18", no.
#958 by SaltySilver on 2011.04.09 - 6:46 am
A Big Yes to there2 opening. I like the idea of pay to play. It should help give a sane and realistic attitude to situations and problems.
I’m hoping that paintball reloads will be a thing of the past. I never understood why paintball was the only sport you had to pay to play.
But that is all water under the bridge now. Like many have said, there is no other there out there. Please! let us click our ruby red shoes together and come home.
#959 by Markaina on 2011.04.09 - 6:38 am
I’m really happy to know that you haven’t forgotten about us.
Someone mentioned earlier about the There client not running on MacOS/iPhone/iPad/Grandma’sOldStudebaker… If There does happen to come back, would there be a chance that we’d get to see it on something like maybe Facebook apps, or even better – the Android platform?
Oh how I’d love to have it on my Android phone/tablet!
#960 by Lea1 on 2011.04.09 - 5:50 am
WOW!! I would Love there to open again, I really really Miss it, And would Pay If required, there is the best in all the worlds out there, was like real to me. Just sooo much fun. oh please hurry ” ) ty ty ty.
#961 by Codrod on 2011.04.09 - 5:40 am
Your talking like there will open 😀
#962 by TgKhali on 2011.04.09 - 8:26 am
Omg its CodRod! Remember meh?
Anyway, MW did you see that? I just found an old friend from There on here, I can still find more ;D
Hope it’ll be open soon
And CodRod, i think it will be 😀
#963 by Bonny146 on 2011.04.13 - 7:11 pm
I think I remember you.. Any chance you remember meeee? 😀
#964 by xxBethanyxx on 2011.04.18 - 4:13 am
Bonnnny!<3
#965 by M on 2011.04.09 - 4:44 am
Is there a Mac client being released?
#966 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.09 - 4:46 am
Yes, there will be a Mac Client.
#967 by M on 2011.04.09 - 4:53 am
Thats amazing, I cant wait.
#968 by jimony on 2011.04.09 - 7:41 am
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
I don’t care about the Mac client, but now that you have stated positively that there WILL be a mac client,
you have to honor your word, and re-open There to make that happen!
#969 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.09 - 10:38 am
We only will re-open if enough people say they will pay to cover the costs.
#970 by 20000Dollers on 2011.04.09 - 4:42 am
hi MW i was just woundering if my old e-mail adress got hacked if it possable to change my account e-mail adress to my new e-mail adress cuz i have a account on there.com and it was 20000Dollers i am 21 years old and im willing to pay $20 even $30 a month just to play there agane the nly resion im asking if i can change my e-mail adress on my account is some one hacked my e-mail adress but i have a new e-mail adress now so can u plzz can u plzz change my e-mail adress mr MW plzz answere back on this question
#971 by speedracer2 on 2011.04.09 - 4:58 am
Dollers just open a support ticket to makena and explain the situation and they will go through the varification process with you over it.. They will probably be happily to change it for you! 🙂 Question answered 🙂
#972 by therebestforever on 2011.04.09 - 4:24 am
YAY!!!and nooo i forgot my pass for my account and email i used for it Dx i had so much stuff whyy!!
#973 by Rick caldas on 2011.04.09 - 4:08 am
why not have like a kind of open beta for a week so people that are new to the game try it and when its over they can buy the membership ? and us old thereians could go on our old accounts so we could transfer the stuff to the ones were gonna pay for
#974 by Cliff on 2011.04.09 - 4:07 am
What happens if people sell computers and the buyer wanted to go on there and the previous owner got banned.
#975 by Rick caldas on 2011.04.09 - 4:20 am
they banned your mac or ip not the computer
#976 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.09 - 4:21 am
Incorrect.
#977 by Rick caldas on 2011.04.09 - 4:32 am
oh alright, btw michael
1.will every name be reset? the ones that arent being used?
2.the stastistics such as highest rated buggy racer /painballer etc be reset too ?
3. will the groups that we had created be deleted?
4, skills will stay the same or would we have to lvl up again?
5.will the paintball reloads $ be the same? (200tb)
just wondering
#978 by Syntech on 2011.04.09 - 3:59 am
One more thing Michael umm its still gonna be expensive in my opinion for costumer support unless you make customer support a (Volunteering position). When it was pg-13 I knew a whole lot of kids that joined up under the age 13 so making there.com a pg 18 game its still gonna cost money because they will find a way to get in.
#979 by Cerenela on 2011.04.09 - 5:39 am
They could use the 5 regular greeters as moderators and not the whole staff of helpers and use the old IG program too.
#980 by Syntech on 2011.04.09 - 7:58 am
yes they can but they should like one constant thing you know like make Greeters have the helper powers and everything and still use the IG program so the IGs can help out newbies. Yea he should do it all as volunteers though that can save him a lot. Oh yea and BTW Micheal you should sponser other games like Onverse, Bluemars, Secondlife, other will see that and think of comeing back 😀
#981 by jimony on 2011.04.15 - 3:51 pm
Seeing as how MW is able to moderate and approve all these posts, day and night, I don’t see why he won’t be able to handle all the greeting and everything by himslef! LOL
#982 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.15 - 3:57 pm
Yes, especially with my new, patent-pending “Formerly Banned Member Greeting Device”
#983 by Syntech on 2011.04.09 - 3:56 am
Alot of people spent money in secondlife so I don’t seem them comming back to there. Since the Teen Secondlife they allowed 16 and up players to come on.
#984 by Cerenela on 2011.04.09 - 5:29 am
I know about a lot of SL members that are willing to come back to There. Not only SL members but players who are in other games too. I’ve personally spent a lot of money in other game but no game is like There was (my personal opinion).
#985 by kevin smith on 2011.04.09 - 2:11 am
I feel it should have at least, say, a week or 2 free account. That way, you’d let more people in to see the game and prehaps they would join too. Trouble is with all this is, people have had their fingers burnt once already. How can they trust there.com again. You hurt an awful lot of people out there by closing it down the first time. I think the +18 is not a good idea. Never really had much trouble with kids on there. In fact, some of them were fun and mature and you’d never think they were young the way they talked to you.
#986 by Pilot_51 on 2011.04.09 - 2:03 am
Will Linux be supported?
I switched my main PC to Ubuntu mid last year after There closed and would rather run it natively instead of in Wine or reinstalling Windows.
I noticed the support for OSX which is based on Unix. Also There had OpenGL support all along. So, I wouldn’t expect Linux support to involve much more effort.
#987 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.09 - 3:59 am
No, Linux will not be supported.
#988 by Codrod on 2011.04.09 - 1:20 am
Few things:
1. Would you allow minors to use There if they had parental permission and permission to the bill payer?
2. I was banned for a reason I cannot remember being told, I wouldn’t do anything wrong in There would there be ways to get unbanned? Perhaps a fee?
3. Even if you did make it 18+, I’m sure many minors would just create an account older than they actually are…
4. If all goes well with a re-launch of There. (18+,No Free Accounts,Monthly Fee) Would you consider altering these? Such as allowing free accounts or lowering or removing monthly fee?
Thanks Michael
#989 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.09 - 3:58 am
1. No.
2. Ready the survey, it discusses who will be welcome and who will not.
3. I hope not! That would be lying!
4. Not sure.
#990 by Liam Moir on 2011.04.09 - 1:09 am
Hello Michael, I was wondering, I am 17, so I take it I will no longer have access to There until I am 18 anymore? (If it ever did open again)
#991 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.09 - 3:56 am
Correct.
#992 by There_Monitor on 2011.04.09 - 12:41 am
This sounds most interesting
‘tu
#993 by Rick caldas on 2011.04.09 - 12:22 am
so if you had about 1k people paying 10$ every month that would make like 10k i think wouldnt that be enough to keep there up n running?
#994 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.09 - 3:55 am
No, it’s not.
#995 by FantasyMan on 2011.04.09 - 12:04 am
I am 37 years old, I loved falling from the sky and getting in a buggy before it reached the ground.
I also love all my friends on there.com.
When there ended it was like the real world was ending! It was such a powerful simulation of what it would be like.
you may find my video of my last day on there.com.
The video shows me reflecting back to when there was new and to the moment when there went quiet.
my Youtube channel name is: FantasyMindedMan check out the video and please comment,
#996 by steven wright on 2011.04.08 - 10:38 pm
yes I would pay for there.com in a hart beet It was my first enternet love and I have tried every thing out there and nothing is even close to the love I felt on there the skilling and that feeling that you where never alone was what made it heaven.
#997 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.09 - 3:55 am
Do the survey please.
#998 by steven qright on 2011.04.08 - 10:36 pm
yes I would pay for there.com in a hart beet It was my first enternet love and I have tried every thing out there and nothing is even close to the love I felt on there the skilling and that feeling that you where never alone was what made it heaven. P.S 27
#999 by M on 2011.04.08 - 9:42 pm
To be honest I don’t think there.com should become 18+. It was the PG13 family values of There that separated it from the rest. Also I believe this is a foolish move for a game that closed due to financial issues. With my experience of vMTV, I know for a fact that there are a large number of people aged between 13 – 18 that are willing to pay monthly for a game.
#1000 by brojoe44 on 2011.04.08 - 9:36 pm
hey Michael i got an question if how you said a couple times befor if even people paid monthly it’d still not be able to pay up to keep everything up and running but how would that happen now? thanks if you give an awnser 😀
#1001 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.09 - 3:54 am
Read the survey. We found cheaper ways to run things.
#1002 by Asadchick on 2011.04.08 - 9:14 pm
maybe you could change it.. The people with premium accounts, can get there account back but they half to pay 20$ or whatever you want, And Basics..(your choice) & New members that havent made one yet, Should go with the idea above ^^ Infamous. So practicly….Premiums from before it closed have a better deal cuz they still stick with there premium ( but half to pay to get there account back,) And then new commers (just do infamous”s idea) And then just keep it 13+ Becaues you will still be getting money And like 70% is uner 18 So you will beloosing costumrs and they will be loosinther hearts So i think its a good idea 🙂 hbu?.
#1003 by Cerenela on 2011.04.09 - 5:07 am
As you state there was a lot of ppl under 18 but that’s the point, it was expensive for There.com to keep the world safe for them, not to mention that a big % of those ppl weren’t used to spend money in game.
#1004 by Infamous on 2011.04.08 - 7:18 pm
Just a suggestion, to ponder about.
Second life has a very on-going economy, and they have a smart setup, i was thinking that you could do that with there, INSTEAD of a monthly fee, is offer a basic account (What the old new members had in the day , no voice / trade for free) then you got the Platinum Accounts (Voice, Trade, Tbux, pazs etc for 10, or 20$ or whatever.) And finally the Golds that pay monthly 10$, for (voice, trade, tbux, developer rights, Land ownership , Live Help (Zones) ) That way, you are still getting money from the gold members if they want to upgrade fully, Your STILL getting new people who like to play and are not sure if they are willing to spend 10$, and you have your basic members that do not develop or are interested in owning land or zones so, basic buggy racers / pbers. So really, with the gold you would get live help access, Being able to buy/rent zones, and being able to develop.
I believe this allows people who wish to have more, have more, and people who cannot afford 10$ or are willing to pay 10$ monthly have there fun to. Everyone wins hopefully this time. Just a thought, that i would love for you to look into so everyone has a chance to play.
#1005 by Infamous on 2011.04.08 - 7:28 pm
I also got to thinking, maybe for gold members allow more tools to be used, instead of templates if they know how to make For example HAIR, allow them to make hair,Hats, Glasses, etc so there not only developing the same exact item, or in the old there case, recoloring it, they would make a WHOLE new item in general, then just every update or so put it in-game.
#1006 by jimony on 2011.04.08 - 7:36 pm
“INSTEAD of a monthly fee, is offer a basic account (What the old new members had in the day , no voice / trade for free)”
I am pretty sure MW has stated, definitely, that supporting free accounts doesn’t pay and won’t be considered. I do like the idea of different tiers for more privileges though.
#1007 by Infamous on 2011.04.08 - 7:39 pm
Well, Maybe not free accounts, but Basic 10$ One time fee accounts like old days, should support what i said. ” (Voice, Trade, Tbux, pazs etc for 10, or 20$ or whatever.)” so your allowing people who do not want extra features, for monthly fees, and if you think about it ALOT of people would consider STILL paying monthly to become a developer to earn more Tbux, and have the ability to own zones and live help. I think this is a good idea because this is still allowing people there old ways and if they want more they have a choice to get more.
#1008 by Innie on 2011.04.09 - 10:18 am
Zones will not be payable with TBux anymore. MW stated that they will be real life money.
#1009 by Asadchick on 2011.04.08 - 7:15 pm
Wait.. Im not sure what you mean, When you say “you cant play if you dont pay” Does that mean you cant play if you dont pay per month like your acc will be closed till you pay, or like you just wont have your premium ship ? And is this going to be a for sure thing that its going to be 18+ Or you might change it ?
#1010 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.08 - 7:18 pm
If you don’t pay, you can’t log in.
#1011 by Asadchick on 2011.04.08 - 7:51 pm
Ohk.. Tats stupid… And the cheapest virtual wrld ill know 0.o… But anyways.. wat about 8+ Is it a for sure thing or you might change it ?
#1012 by RRTT on 2011.04.08 - 7:14 pm
My question seemed to be skipped over, or ignored. In my case, I am currently 17, and will be turning 18 in less than two months, If There were to re-open, Would I be able to keep the account I invested in while I was under age, or would I have to forget about my beautiful buggys.
Do you have a policy for those under age to put their pre-existing accounts “on hold” until that user turns 18? Or will that user be simply out of luck? I haven’t seen this question posed anywhere above, except for my post.
#1013 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.08 - 7:18 pm
You would retrieve your account in 2 months (if we were to open tomorrow).
We might have to make a provision for cases like yours.
#1014 by Doug on 2011.04.08 - 6:44 pm
I do not know if this was a rumor or not, but…
Could avatars go invisible? Staff avatars specifically?
Thanks in advance!
#1015 by Doug on 2011.04.08 - 6:42 pm
[continuation from previous post]
, who would be better off?
#1016 by Doug on 2011.04.08 - 6:41 pm
18 or over? That’s worst than Second Life. Just saying.
Most people moved to Second Life after There closed. It’s been about a year and one month. They have settled. Along with that, some of the best members in There are now trying to recreate a similar world to There. If there will be two worlds that are similar, but one has a 18+ age restriction and the other is PG-13.
#1017 by Brandyn_1 on 2011.04.08 - 6:12 pm
Okay I could of sworn I saw this but I may very much be mistaken. Now what will we have to put in to prove we are 18 or above? Will we need our Social Security Card? maybe a credit card? PayPal? ID? Drivers License? That is what is on my mind? I can surely do any except PayPal. So what will we need to have to verify?
#1018 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.08 - 6:21 pm
One last time.
You will have to be 18 or older to use There if it re-opens. Not “almost 18”, “18 in my heart of hearts”, “18 in dog years”, “18 if you look at me from my good side”. 18 or older.
Running a world for minors is expensive, and hard to do well, and, whereas in real life who’s responsible for who seems to sort itself out quite nicely, it’s a complete mess when it comes to online venues where it’s hard to tell who’s who. I’m sure there are people who will tell you it’s easy, and they have some super-secret-patent-pending-super-spy way to make it work, but we are not those people (not to mention that if you DID have a super-secret-patent-pending-super-spy way to do it, it would involve a HUGE invasion of everyone’s privacy, and a HUGE liability).
So, I’m not going to answer questions about this any more. 18 or over.
Over and out.
#1019 by jaybee on 2011.04.08 - 6:42 pm
I dont think she had a problem with that part, The way that i took it was she just wanted to know how you were going to verify it 🙂
#1020 by alexpja on 2011.04.12 - 12:19 pm
Onverse has almost 100k players (including alts) and I don’t see how it is hard for run a VW for minors…
#1021 by Lostbuddy1 on 2011.04.08 - 6:00 pm
I’m pretty sure you’ve seen what I’ve wrote in Thumdar’s forums and would like to be neutral about this whole thing just in case either happen so it isn’t as a surprise if doesn’t happen and a big hell yeah if it does.Just to throw this out here now…. when and IF it does return, please give Reddit a inquiry about ads and I’m theorizing a some people would come, at least in theory, it get’s a good amount of views a month and is pretty active when it comes to community. I’ll do my part and see who I can get interested on the site by submitting a link to There. As I’ve been there though, not too much of mention of virtual worlds, so who knows? Here’s the link to it: http://www.reddit.com/ad_inq/
I do wish to come back but It all depends on what cards are given, which will be told in time. Here’s hoping to a good year with a re-open to a legendary game.
#1022 by Austin B on 2011.04.08 - 6:56 pm
The tightness of the Reddit commuity is shocking. If they were to be integrated into a new There.com, well…!!!
Plus, Reddit is a small corporation, so it could be mutually beneficial for There and Reddit to partner. Just sayin’…
#1023 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.08 - 7:14 pm
Reddit is owned by Conde Nast. That is not a small company 🙂
#1024 by Lostbuddy1 on 2011.04.08 - 7:36 pm
One thing about Reddit is sometimes they’re elitists and tend to not care and are very vocal about it which is quite sad at times, I don’t think they will care too much about it and I know anything submitted about There will not reach front page but it could bring some folks. If we do a video to show what There has to offer that others don’t I’m sure we could hurdle in some fish, hell Reddit has some good engineers and creative people so you never know what might come up 😉
#1025 by Austin B on 2011.04.08 - 7:41 pm
Wow, thanks for the info Mike. By the way they talk about scraping by with the donations they make it sound like their on the verge. Atleast thats the impression I got. I guess that looming threat helps to sell memberships.
#1026 by Mimi06 on 2011.04.08 - 5:54 pm
rofl micheal, I’m old I duno bout such things..other the the therian FB and here.. is all I see.. but thanks for the reply.. oh and P.S. mimi don’t need censoring 🙂
#1027 by Syntech on 2011.04.08 - 5:51 pm
Hey Micheal I really enjoyed there.com and everything but here is an Idea instead of re hiring helpers and greeters (ASK) for Volunteers ;)! I know over a billion ppl would like to Volunteer. If it were to reopen it would spread all over the there.com Facebook community! If you need any investments let me know I may be able to donate. Paypal anything.
#1028 by alexpja on 2011.04.12 - 12:18 pm
Dylan o.o
#1029 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.12 - 12:19 pm
Please stop. There are lots of other places for this sort of thing.
#1030 by Mimi06 on 2011.04.08 - 5:46 pm
So much to say.. wish we had a forum ..
#1031 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.08 - 5:48 pm
There are many forums on the internet with topics dedicated to There.com, which we try to read. I’d suggest you use one of those (I’ll let them suggest themselves here) – you’ll probably find many of your friends there.
And you don’t have to worry about “us” “censoring” you :-).
#1032 by Brandyn_1 on 2011.04.08 - 6:06 pm
I would suggest http://www.thumdar.com for Forums 🙂
#1033 by Lostbuddy1 on 2011.04.08 - 6:05 pm
Here: http://www.thumdar.com/index.php?option=com_fireboard&Itemid=50&func=view&catid=31&id=9539#9539
Or Here: http://realifeplus.com/dashboard/forums/other-worlds/51701-therecom-survey-potential-re-open-chance.html
more but none that I check out frequently 😛
#1034 by Mimi06 on 2011.04.09 - 2:18 pm
thanks 🙂 already a member at Thums 🙂 and of course RLP.. Onverse, YOW, white out my last comment plz.. rofl.. and leave it at “so much to say”……
#1035 by V on 2011.04.09 - 1:31 am
Why dont you get it..There needs $$ to survive so why would it be free? Besides a few less PBallers in there would be nice,lol
#1036 by xSnoopy on 2011.04.08 - 5:23 pm
Hey MW,
How about making Paintball reloads free in There2 ?
#1037 by Aaron on 2011.04.08 - 5:17 pm
Will moderated accounts be open, are you willing to give those who were banned a second chance? After all, you did ban all the people who actually purchased tbux.
#1038 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.08 - 5:18 pm
Read the survey carefully.
#1039 by Aaron on 2011.04.08 - 5:28 pm
Well ok. I’m just so happy to hear this news about a possible return. I doubt you know how much this game meant to my friends and I. I have completed the survey and I’m willing to pay. Thank you and I hope everything goes well.
#1040 by Cory on 2011.04.08 - 5:14 pm
Back again , I just wanted to point this out. A lot of the people that were on There were under 18 , and they spent tons of ‘their’ money (parents money I am guessing) on the game. So even with all of that gone , would it still be cheaper to run 18+?
#1041 by Fxy on 2011.04.08 - 5:13 pm
Id love it if there came back and 10 dollars a month isnt much at all. Id be willing to pay it for sure. And to be able to get all our stuff back ohhh wow what a treat that would be. i had tons and tons of things.
#1042 by Cory on 2011.04.08 - 4:39 pm
Are you guys just taking the #’s from the survey , becuase I know people who are on vacation/have no internet atm / busy , and i know they would be willing to pay.
#1043 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.08 - 4:44 pm
The survey will be up for quite a long time (like 30 days). Hopefully everyone will see it.
#1044 by Cory on 2011.04.08 - 4:51 pm
Oh okay , I hope all will see it also , I have told everyone i know that played , and even people who didn’t play . Posted on a ton of forums where people from There are at.
#1045 by Truck on 2011.04.08 - 5:14 pm
If people use facebook, i think alot of them will pass the word.. i have the survey and this form on my Facebook, Just got off the phone with 5 old friends that use to help with the 21st floor. They will be taking the survey, now time to call other friends.. lol lets get THERE.com Back..
#1046 by Midbergen on 2011.04.10 - 11:05 am
OMG let it be known that you know nothing Never mind Mrwilson just worry abt your pedfiles and preditors that you allow in your game site Like Brad Mitchell which i am proud to say i had the pleasure of arresting him since you didnt do anything to protect the children REMEMBER
#1047 by jimony on 2011.04.11 - 7:35 am
And you call MW a liar? To be technically fair, MW never said There would “NEVER” close.
#1048 by Brandyn_1 on 2011.04.11 - 8:27 am
Ummm…. I was never attacked by a pedifile and I was in game since 2006.. Soo I know the was.. but what are you going to do? there are millions of those people everywhere.. even in G-rated kid games.. So MW tried his best to keep the world safe.. but that costs to much for There.com to keep going that is why if There.com returns it will be 18+ plus.
#1049 by Infamous on 2011.04.08 - 4:24 pm
Micheal, I think the email would be a bad idea, Alot of users probably do not remember there email they used (Me in general, i had many accounts and cannot remember any of the emails) so, would there maybe be a second option, of a security question, or just a password of the old account?
#1050 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.08 - 4:26 pm
Clearly we’d have to figure this out. At least we have the data. We just need to figure out how to get people’s inventories back into the hands of it’s rightful owners.
#1051 by Synystyr on 2011.04.09 - 11:23 pm
Email would have been good…I happened to find out about this forum by chance of another mentioning it. I have done the survey and I would like to see THERE com back. I was a member of the Vonira “1st Fifty”. My account was closed with no reason given. As for the statement from Quazar. There is a lot talk about “TROLLS” in Vonira… I see he has become one… LOL. And yes MV…as you said it is a Forum and that is it. Promises were made and not kept. So… IF you get it up and running I’m sure most will return. I know of quite a few.
#1052 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.10 - 7:04 am
All I know is there’s a referrer to my Blog over there that looks like this:
forums.vonira.net/showthread.php?1576-Permanently-Removing-These-People
What is going ON over there? Sheesh.
#1053 by Midbergen on 2011.04.10 - 10:41 am
wow syn sorry that you think where trolls but i am proud of being a troll insted of a liar.. and at least YowNow doesnt allow griefers and Pedifiles and preditors Like a some one that thinks he knows how to run a company and closes the door wwhen other tryed to offer so yeah you can stay with a make believe liar and thief .. so good luck to you and your wanna be gaming site.. dont hate me because i speak the truth unlike someone else so best of luck to you and others who join in with a possble grifing liar thief site .. we all know what MW done so you all got to think what he done and if you think he is going to keep the site open .. What did he say at a community meeting THERE>COM will never close Ummmmm How come i cant get in the site if it never closed … Think outside the box .. read what he is saying he is liaring again so you want to waste your money for too make him look good by all means i rather join SL or RLC or YowNow … hell with there2.com IF it ever opens another wet dream of MW
#1054 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.10 - 10:48 am
U n33d a spill chick & punctuashun.
#1055 by Midbergen on 2011.04.10 - 10:48 am
Just too enlighting your stupity MW the reason of the banning is what they call a spam IP addy sooooo why dont you learn how to run a company insted of worring abt things that doesnt apply to you are you really that afraid of what you may learn
#1056 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.10 - 10:49 am
What ARE you talking about?
#1057 by Brandyn_1 on 2011.04.11 - 3:26 am
Well I don’t think your the only one that can’t understand him rofl! I can’t really make out what hes saying.. And about the Yow Now thing.. They are banning any that stands up for There.com Or You. So I hope this was worth being banned.. although.. I don’t think I would of wants to go to a world that is going to ban someone over that.
OH! By the way! Midbergen If you really want to improve your internet spelling I suggest FireFox web browser.. It kinda helped mine. lol 🙂
#1058 by Secrets of Vonira on 2011.04.11 - 10:54 am
Midbergen, or should I call you Evolast? He never said There.com would not close. He said he didn’t see it closing in the near forseeable future. But it is completely fine with Secrets of Vonira if you want to support Henry Galt who feeds a bunch of lies with nothing to show for except a video that doesn’t move. Why do you think no avatars were shown? They don’t even have an avatar creator. It is also cool with Secrets of Vonira if you’d rather support an arrogant fool who portrays himself as a God and inventor of everything in the world.
#1059 by Secrets of Vonira on 2011.04.11 - 3:21 pm
Sorry Midbergen, or DJWALT, we did not mean to offend you by calling you Evolast.
#1060 by Cory on 2011.04.08 - 4:22 pm
Hey Michael , Lets say this survey thing doesn’t work , and there aren’t enough people willing to pay. Would you guys be able to throw up different servers for certain things like (Paint ball , Buggy racing , things like that) And have that a pay by month type of deal?
#1061 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.08 - 4:25 pm
I don’t know. Let’s take this one step at a time.
#1062 by Brandyn_1 on 2011.04.08 - 4:28 pm
Wheres a like button for this comment when you need one.. ‘lol
#1063 by superdale on 2011.04.08 - 4:04 pm
i had called on my buddie to do the survey. they all said yes 20 bucks is np . but would like to see land a lil cheaper and if there was a way to advertise in rl for more ppls to know about there.com and use in a business way.
#1064 by Jinxed_Karma on 2011.04.08 - 4:02 pm
I’ll preface by saying, I have a beta (lifetime) account, and I’d still happily pay up to $15 a month just to be able to play There again. I didn’t take that “lifetime” status lightly 🙂
I’m sure you’ll eventually release more details, but this concerns me a little…
“So, when you want your Zone/Real Estate to be “up”, we would spin up a virtual server for you, and, in the end, you’d help pay for it”
I’ll try to keep my questions short.
Still pay for it in Tbux? More than what we paid before (potentially), or will there be a cap?
Pay is determined by usage? I understand the sentiment, but those with popular funzones end up paying more for something that helps maintain member’s interest in There, no?
I have 10’s of questions, but I’ll leave it at that for now. Thank you Michael for keeping the hope alive. I just hope it works out. We miss There tremendously.
#1065 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.08 - 4:07 pm
We’re not sure if you’d pay for it in Tbux or real $. If we made a truly leak-proof economy, we could accept Tbux.
We’d charge you what Amazon/Rackspace/etc charges us, plus some % (yes, some % to help pay for things like salaries, etc, etc).
If we really had a Funzone which was occupied a lot of the time (and we now have ways to measure and show that publicly), and it did cost the owners a significant amount of money, we’d have to figure that out.
#1066 by Jinxed_Karma on 2011.04.08 - 7:54 pm
You’ve missed your true calling as a politician :p I don’t know if your answers make me happy or upset, but I feel you answer honestly, and I’m appreciative of that. I’d vote for you, but I’d feel uncertain in my decision. Regardless, I would still pay for There.
You can’t make a leak-proof economy. You can only track transactions from your side, and from that, speculate. Some people just like giving away Tbux… I did. Just to be clear, I have sold tbux in the past, but I would not do it again if I knew it was something that was detrimental to the greater good of having There open and available.
As far as the cloud, I’m unfamiliar with how that works, so please forgive my naivety in the following question(s)…
Would the payment be based off of when the zone is active by the owner, or a visitor? Would it cost more based on the amount of traffic at one time? What if, for 30 days, I had 1 person come into my zone for 30 minutes out of every hour for 24 hours in one day? Would I have to pay for 2 weeks of usage per month? And if a train left Chicago at 10AM CST travelling towards Los Angeles at 40MPH, and another train left from…. Okay, nevermind this last question.
It seems to me that someone could jack up someone’s expense by hanging out in their zone. Perhaps someone that wants to purchase the zone, or simply screw with the owner…. aka, griefer potential. That doesn’t seem right, does it? I’d hate to have to close my zone when I’m not online just to prevent this sort of thing from happening… that would deter a lot of potential visitors from ever being able or wanting to experience my zone.
And when do you plan on re-opening up the There forums? If you’re really serious about this, I think the sooner, the better.
Thank you again Michael.
#1067 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.08 - 8:11 pm
Like I said, the details of the charge-back will have to be worked out. One thing is clear: for someone to be in a zone, it’s sector has to have a server. If it has a server, we’re getting charged for it, and someone has to pay for it. We need to pass on the costs as accurately as we can, and if there are social issues, handle them.
I don’t know about the forums yet. Opening the forums means we’d have to monitor them. On the other hand, if we subsidize one or more other operators to run forums which may happen to talk about There, then we’re “not responsible”, and don’t have to spend money moderating them.
Every $.02 counts.
#1068 by Matt on 2011.04.08 - 10:31 pm
Why Amazon/Rackspace? Those are probably some of the most expensive. Also by any chance are these actual VPS servers you’d be renting or would you run the VPS systems on your own dedicated/colo? If you’re renting VPS for each sector instead of running them yourself, I’d say check linode.com for cheaper and better performance. It’s xen virtualization technology.
#1069 by dandaroo77 on 2011.04.08 - 3:54 pm
Mr. wilson, I hope for one that you can get things worked out. I would for sure pay to have the fun and friendships back in my life. Would I still have my island I bought? I also hope as you stated that you are putting this out to as many different places that you can to get input. Credit Card is ready and waiting on you lol. I am very pleased to see that it would be a 18 and over site. I will be emailling the link to all I know.
#1070 by Jill Rick on 2011.04.08 - 3:49 pm
Michael – I’ll pay for 5 years in advance – where do I send the check!
#1071 by Marquetta1985 on 2011.04.08 - 3:32 pm
So there will not be ‘free accounts’? Only premium members in the world? Only people who pays per month can play and the rest of the people who can’t pay won’t have the chance to play There2?
#1072 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.08 - 3:57 pm
Correct. Or, more properly speaking, There can’t afford to support Free accounts.
#1073 by DavyRocket on 2011.04.15 - 3:57 am
‘clap well said Anon, Marianne, lol for someone “trying” to run a business he sure seems to be running it to the ground. So I have to say also to DJWALT, go back to your little G Rated kiddy land you call.. Oh I wont even say the name, and let a Real man like MW run his how he see’s fit. Buh bye now, and Good luck to ya
#1074 by Midbergen on 2011.04.10 - 5:12 pm
Mr Wilson this isnt abt the banning of people in a Virtual world … This abt you personally .. Yor made promises and Lied and you nevver protcted anyone from preditors or pedofiles you allowed it and sat back and did nothing abt it.. I really dont understand how a suppose to be man sits back and allows children to be harmed after numerous complaints and screen shots i hope you sleep well at nite knopowing that you endangered children adults by allowing so pedofile loose in a virtual world after being notified .. you didnt even atempted to contact local police or state NOOOO .. you let the person do what he wanted it took a sting operation to arrest this person now your opening another game For what the hurt more innocent ppl with you lies come on grow up and face the fact it not abt a virtual world its abt you not protecting ppl rights and you are worst the the pedofile because you was told and did nothing this will be the last post in this forum for me because you sicking me to all levels on man hood… Good luck in your future gaming site and bless you all who will aloow this man take you money and run off with it or have someone get killed because he doesnt care about you he cares abt the money and no common sense
#1075 by Marianne (JoyofLife) on 2011.04.11 - 4:11 am
What an awful post. How can you be so accusatory and negative. If simply for legal and practical reasons MW and Makena would (and did) take every measure to insure safety to their subscribers. Your conspiracy theory is insulting and clearly the thought process of a juvenile. Please stay oof the posts if all you have is bitterness and ugliness. The virtual world does not need your horror input.
#1076 by Anon on 2011.04.12 - 9:43 pm
Dear Bergen or shall I say DJWALT, please go back to Yownow and stay there, we do not appreciate your harassment and would like you to tell everyone at Yownow if they’re gonna come here and belittle Mr Wilson, please spare us the general typo’s and annoyances and don’t bother posting. Leave it to your biased censored forums. People want There back because there is no other game like it out there as of yet and would like to throw in ideas and our concerns because we care about the game. You are entitled to your opinion but do not bring personal attacks into a blog against another person, it is low class and rude and we do not stand for it.
– Anon
#1077 by Cerenela on 2011.04.08 - 3:23 pm
I definitely would pay for it!
It will be awesome to see my amazing virtual world back again ^^
#1078 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.08 - 3:27 pm
Make sure you fill out the survey!!!!
#1079 by Cerenela on 2011.04.08 - 7:44 pm
I did =)
#1080 by Midbergen on 2011.04.09 - 10:48 am
MW YowNow might wannbe a ther.com but at least its a stable site and not having the site closed because they dont know how to run a buissness and leave ppl hang and lose money .. You do the ttalk how abt doing the walk because you talk alot and nothing hasnt been provened except you stealing from designers and taking peoples inventory so why dont you staop that talk and do the walk i have no respect for liers and thiefs
#1081 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.09 - 11:09 am
Umm, hmm.
1. I never said anything about HowNow, or Vonira, or PoddyWorld, or whatever it’s called. Others who have commented have expressed their views, which they have a right to.
2. Of course it’s “Stable”. It’s a forum site, for goodness sake (though it can’t seem to make up it’s mind if it’s YowNow, Vonira.net, or some IP address).
3. I never stole anything from any designer, or anyone. In fact, any designer who asked got their T$ back in good old US $. As for the inventory, I’m not sure what you expected us to do? Put it on a floppy disk and mail it to you? I’ve explained many times the money spent by members went to pay salaries, electricity bills, etc, and we couldn’t go back to them and ask for the money back. In any case, all of the inventory which existed when we closed is still there, and if we re-open, it will still be there.
4. Finally, I got myself a nice account, and visited the site, and I have to say, the forums seem to spend a lot of time talking about There and slandering people and parts of it it didn’t like. Seems like a weak foundation to build a business on, but there you go.
Thanks for visiting.
P.S. Should I take it you won’t be filling out the survey?
#1082 by Truck on 2011.04.08 - 4:21 pm
MW think he’s talking about the guy making a VW for his daughter, sorry “not my world” (not the real name of the VW) lol.
There.com is my home and always will be. I’d rather pay for a place i know and love! not a wanabe VW! DavyRocket i see ur posts about B.M.
I see other VW are charging now if im going to pay to play it will be THERE!
#1083 by Truck on 2011.04.08 - 4:22 pm
woops that comment was for the responce above this 1 sorry
#1084 by Midbergen on 2011.04.10 - 10:06 am
Ok you say you havent stole from thereians LOL … Ok lets start off first where you said that there.com will never close ok thats a LIE…. Then then you act like your it not your fault that there.com closed LIAR… then isnt it true that all thereians beg and pleaded with you not to close the site that will will pay monthly fees and you had companys wanting to buy it from you and you declined come on MR wilson .. stop .. you are a liar and if there2 p[ens thats fine i have alot of friends who was in there and i respect there decussions on where they go .. but as far as i am concern i would never trust you because you lied to a community.. and all i can say is Welcome to YowNow.com.. please keep up with the forums and make sure you post your comments .. i have nothing bad to say abt there.com i love the site and the people who i met there BUT!!!!!!!!!! you are Not liked by me and yes please send me a floopy disk of my inventory its better to have then you because i respect my stuff unlike you and respects others
#1085 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.10 - 10:08 am
Sigh.
Well, at least there’s one person who hasn’t been banned from YooNoo, or WhoNow, or whatever it is.
#1086 by Midbergen on 2011.04.10 - 10:58 am
LOL Mr Wilson wow that must have been very hard to think of for you come on now be real you know what name it is your a member of it and your not banned so it seems like you think you know all when the only thing that you know is how to ripp ppl off and lie get real wilson you know your wrong and to point your fingers at other people LOL.. you so funny mr wilson pll sould remember what you done to all thereians i am real honest and open so why dont you do what i do be honest with yourself and then to others because i see you taking peoples money and closing there2 down like you did there.com
#1087 by Brandyn_1 on 2011.04.11 - 4:13 am
Look Midbergen your getting ridiculous.. You need to calm your horses.. Have you not seen any of the 500+ Comments?? besides yours? A LOT of people said they wold go back.. And let me just maybe point this out for you like I have said to MANY people.. MW here.. he closed There.com yes. Did he want to do it? I’m guessing not since he wants to bring it back to the public again!. Didn’t he say There.com wasn’t going to close a month before There.com closed? Yes he did, BUT he did explain at the time he didn’t think it was closing time then. and let me just say.. If you don’t like MW.. Then why be on his blog? So you can bash him and try and get people to YowNow? Well How about this.. Why would “I” want to go to a them when I just got banned for sticking up for There.com? soo… I suggest you might want to rethink some things that you’ve said.. 🙂
#1088 by V on 2011.04.08 - 3:04 pm
Yes i would love for There to come back and would be willing to pay a monthly fee, Is there a target for the survey? just saying this would not be fair because alot of former There members do not know about this Survey..i say open regardless and give it a 6 month trial to give us a chance to get the word around…I tried other virtual worlds but OMG There rules in performance. I never could get involved with the others like i did with There…OPEN PLEASE!!!!
#1089 by DavyRocket on 2011.04.08 - 3:33 pm
I have to agree, though we are pretty well established in Blue Mars, but as it is, that place is failing faster than it is succeeding. I truely do hope There will re open, and from the few screenshots I’ve seen of the new There I am very impressed 🙂 Love the new look of the water ‘rtr
#1090 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.08 - 3:58 pm
New There? What are you talking about?
#1091 by jimony on 2011.04.08 - 4:24 pm
I think he is talking about a new VW world that mimics There but it is made on the SL platform. It isn’t a competitor of There, just a There wannabe.
#1092 by Brandyn_1 on 2011.04.08 - 4:25 pm
DavyRocket are you talking about Yow Now? If so that is not the “New There.com” If your not talking about that.. I am a bit confused.
#1093 by Matt on 2011.04.08 - 10:33 pm
I think he is referring to yownow which for some reason has people believing it is the new There.com run by the same company.
#1094 by DavyRocket on 2011.04.08 - 4:37 pm
I’m talking about the over all look, an NO way about me talking about that G rated place lol. I was asked to check that place out, I did, I was not impressed, so I left. Sorry didnt mean the new There lol There2 is what i meant my bad.
#1095 by jimony on 2011.04.08 - 5:09 pm
So where have you seen screenshots of There2? I am confused now too. If there were screenshots of new water or anything else, I am sure MW would have known what you’re talking about, and would have linked to them himself.
There is a new VW that I think calls itself NewThere that is a SL mimic of There. I know a few people on it that are excited about There coming back. No SL platform can replace There.
#1096 by DavyRocket on 2011.04.08 - 4:40 pm
Sorry I meant There2, the over all look of it. No way do I mean that G rated place lol.
#1097 by jimony on 2011.04.11 - 6:53 am
Davy, where are these screenshots?
#1098 by DavyRocket on 2011.04.12 - 9:22 am
I cant remember exactly where I found the screenshots. I just done a search for There.com re opening, and saw them. I will try to find the link again. Or perhaps I was half way out of it (Overworked) lol.
#1099 by Brandon on 2011.04.08 - 2:58 pm
You have a cool site! It’s amazing that you get over 200 comments!
#1100 by SapphireRose on 2011.04.08 - 2:55 pm
so micheal wilson , so if there.com does return i want to know is everything going to be the same for an example , the map the locations , and be able to drive you buggy all around the world , will this all be able to do again , thease little things made there.com amazing.
x sapphire
#1101 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.08 - 3:11 pm
Yes, we would use the same map and terrain. It may be a lot fewer sectors, but you should be able to still drive ’round the world.
#1102 by RRTT on 2011.04.08 - 2:49 pm
Mike,
I am currently 17 years old, turning 18 towards the end of May 2011. As you can see that my account had several hundred dollars invested, If there were to re open, would I be able to claim and re activate my account, but not enter the world until I turn 18? Can you clarify what the policy would be for that situation? I appreciate it, and am shocked yet amazingly excited about this potential
Garrett
#1103 by Marquetta1985 on 2011.04.08 - 4:47 pm
Well, I cannot pay per month that money, so I won’t be able to play it. Thought there would be free accounts but it seems there won’t be…I was so excited when I heard about this survey but then he said that there won’t be free accounts so, well, goodbye There…forever 😥
#1104 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.08 - 4:51 pm
I’m sorry. I’m sure we’ll be creating a way to gift accounts, so maybe that will help, some day.
#1105 by speedracer2 on 2011.04.08 - 2:48 pm
To be honest to all there.com users, Michael is doing a right thing if people dont want to pay then dont play! its like owning a website or shoutcast server… Who will pay for that? Even though we got premium only a small emount of money $10 if that could go to the up keep of there.com .. come on want to play sl? I dont and its already boring me.. There.com All the way!!!!!
#1106 by Infamous on 2011.04.08 - 2:42 pm
how would we get our accounts back? most people do not have valid Email’s anymore, so would you just make it so if they login they would get it back? or is it gonna Re-Register in that name, or you going to send emails to people to validate it?
#1107 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.08 - 3:10 pm
When you re-register you’d have to specify your old user name, password, and probably email address (even if it didn’t work any more).
It’s highly likely we’d required your new email address to be verified (like every other site on the planet). Having a system full of avatars where we couldn’t reliably contact a significant % of them due to bogus email addresses was a bad idea.
#1108 by EternalQuasar on 2011.04.08 - 2:37 pm
Oz … I mean Michael,
You have hurt so many people an so very callously I’m shocked you would even attempt to bring this “idea” to the public, do you seriously know how many live’s you put into turmoil and sorry your excuse of keeping it running as long as possible is simply a crap answer; you tried to milk the cow until it was dry an didn’t think truly of the core membership or rather Community that you could have sustained at the least ThereIM as a Beta tester that I know all you had to do was scale down the world earlier then how you just pulled the plug on the respirator of the community’s life to suffer so fast yet for so long (it was a under-handed psychological move – conscious or not). I only wish you luck because I’m a Lutheran but please don’t take that to mean I will ever support any endeavor of your’s again.
Sincerely,
Andrew R. Sertich
-EternalQuasar
–EnsignAndy
#1109 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.08 - 3:08 pm
As I’ve said many times before, scaling the world down wouldn’t have worked.
As for “milking the cow”, once again, There never made a profit since the company was founded in 1997. That meant that the investors put money into the business every month, every year, from 1997 to 2010. So I’m not sure where you get “milking the cow”.
I’m not sure why you think we’d run this survey for fun, but that’s your theory, so I’ll leave you to it.
At the end of the day, you should do what you feel is right.
#1110 by There_forever on 2011.04.08 - 7:19 pm
I think it was the investers who were the cows!!!! LoL
#1111 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.08 - 7:20 pm
Moo.
#1112 by Thereloverr:) on 2011.04.08 - 2:37 pm
If most of the people answer the survey question “would you still go on it if it was 18 ” to no. Would you keep it as 13 ?
#1113 by Wendy Stoll on 2011.04.08 - 2:29 pm
Yes, a large number of accounts came from under 18s…but they cost, what? $10 one time fee? That’s part of why There went under.
Jiminy, any more whining about this and Mr. Wilson might change his mind 🙂
#1114 by V on 2011.04.08 - 3:12 pm
ok maybe he can make an under 18 island and when you tried to leave it it would knock you out of game for a relog,lol..sounds fair.
#1115 by jimony on 2011.04.08 - 4:16 pm
Wendy Stoll: “Jiminy, any more whining about this and Mr. Wilson might change his mind”
LOL, I assume you are talking to me? If anything I have said sounded like whining, it was taken the wrong way! I am stoked about the slightest possibility of There coming back and all my posts were meant to be positive ideas about how to help it succeed.
#1116 by Codrod on 2011.04.08 - 1:56 pm
I think 18+ would be a bad idea.
A large amount of accounts before came from -18 users. I realise it Is probarly because of legal issues, but didn’t every member agree to the TOS at the account creation?
I am 15, and own my own debit card so I would not need my parents’ card.
#1117 by BringThereBack on 2011.04.08 - 1:53 pm
“6. At re-launch, “There2″ Community Support would not be provided” does that mean no tech support or no live help
#1118 by brojoe44 on 2011.04.08 - 1:47 pm
will our friends on our lists be saved or will i have to remember all like over 1000 of them? lol that’d be hard and also hell yeah $10 an month i did something like that for vmtv witch i think went fine then they went 2D witch i said peace out to xD
#1119 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.08 - 2:14 pm
Yes they will be saved.
#1120 by Vinny on 2011.04.08 - 1:34 pm
I will pay for There SL sucks hell they all do
#1121 by Infamous on 2011.04.08 - 1:14 pm
Oh, how would we get our accounts back? most people do not have valid Email’s anymore, so would you just make it so if they login they would get it back? or is it gonna Re-Register in that name, or you going to send emails to people to validate it?
#1122 by Rick caldas on 2011.04.08 - 1:04 pm
michael heres what id like to do with the paybycash option for example lets say wed have to pay 10$ month , with pbc wed get 30 days for 10$ and whenever wed want before those 30 days end wed be able to pay and add up the days wed have left to 30 more and maybe we could hve different payment options like 10$ = 30 days 20$ = 60 days 15$= 45 days sumthing like that?
#1123 by Pami from There.com on 2011.04.08 - 12:58 pm
It would be nice if There.com opened again. I would play again also. I will wait to see what happens. If and when there.com opens again I will check it out.
Pami
#1124 by AR1_DDawg on 2011.04.08 - 12:57 pm
I would consider paying a monthly fee IF There re-opened and we would regain the inventories that we lost when There closed. I had several thousand dollars invested in buggies (I was a collector of rare and limited buggies) and paz items. I also had several hundred thousand T-bux on hand at the closing. To say the least, I lost allot of money when There closed and was never offered any way to recover any of it. Please keep us posted.
#1125 by V on 2011.04.08 - 3:10 pm
Infamous it’s simple listen to micheal hes trying to re open there, $$$ per month/Year/hrs, Whatever is decided is a good place to start,I’m beta and would be still willing to pay.
#1126 by Infamous on 2011.04.08 - 12:53 pm
Okay, So far what i understand is that we get our old stuff back, but for people who payed for an account long ago, do we get our membership back, or do we have to pay also, if we have many alts, i saw you have to pay for each, Why do you make old members pay monthly, when we ALREADY payed, for our memberships, that doesn’t seem fair. The only reason we do not have these accounts now is because you shut us down and now we have to repay for them? i don’t get why old members have to pay for there old accounts.
Say, if we didn’t pay would we still have access to our accounts like, giving items, voice, etc?
Or do we have to pay monthly for all of these sorta like the old time, 10$ one time fee (I liked that better)
#1127 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.08 - 1:14 pm
It’s simple. At a $10 one time fee, There couldn’t succeed financially. The only way for it to possibly succeed is with a monthly fee: just like just about every other MMO.
#1128 by Hugh5 on 2011.04.12 - 9:12 pm
Funny–I was preaching just that before There.com closed. We needed to pay for it on a monthly basis. As a ledgendary paintballer, I know I up a lot of money into There.com. On some nights, I woiuld pay an average of 10K in Tbux–that’s a lot. I have a question. Did the money made from paintballers help to keep There.com viable longer than it would have otherwise? I’m guessing PAZs and neighborhoods contributed alot too, but they were too expensive for large portions of the membership. Have you considered the idea of someone being able to “buy” land permanently? I tried to keep PAZs out, but the costs killed me for anything larger than a 40×40.
#1129 by Alter on 2011.04.08 - 12:50 pm
Would be great to have There2 open and as a added bonus all of our stuff back. Got my racing gloves outta the closet and have them close by the desk, ready to jump back into a buggy and RACE…..Its sure gonna be nice to see you in my rear view mirror again Jessy269. ‘TU to you Mr Wison for thinking bout opening up There.com again.
#1130 by jessy269 on 2011.04.08 - 1:06 pm
COUGH!!!!!!!! you must of seen me steeling your bumper,,,,, Rear view mirror….lmao
#1131 by Santacroce on 2011.04.08 - 12:35 pm
Wow! There.com might come back!? Hope so, can’t wait! I’ll definitely pay any of those monthly fee’s to come back again.
#1132 by DetectedX on 2011.04.08 - 12:26 pm
Yo…i want There.com open again cuz it is the best and better game in the world and there is no game will be like it ….and i want there.com open again cuz i miss it…i miss the cars and mic chatting and chatting with my bff…and missing pb and all thing in there.com ….i miss there.com …and love soooooooooo….No end MUCH…PLZ Wilson Open it Agian all there.com player…want there.com to open agian cuz we all love there.com ..<3 There.com
#1133 by jaybee on 2011.04.08 - 11:40 am
Do we know approx how many would be needed to re open????
#1134 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.08 - 12:01 pm
I will discuss that in more detail later. It’s not right to just quote some number without explaining it.
#1135 by Xcal Urradio on 2011.04.08 - 11:25 am
This is Great News My friend ..I would be very happy to Pay a month. Now you said you saved our avies Please tell me this also can be given back …lol .. If there.com was to open I would be more then happy to help you in anyway.
Thanks
My friend
#1136 by _ShadY on 2011.04.08 - 11:21 am
PLEASE RE-OPEN THERE.COM, WE LOVE IT!
#1137 by Raik on 2011.04.08 - 11:12 am
michael il totally will pay every month if u do have the paybycash option for monthly fee hopefully ul figure it out i think imvu does that with vip so u should look there
#1138 by shelley haughie on 2011.04.08 - 10:58 am
OMG would love to see it reopen!
#1139 by Carlos mmm on 2011.04.08 - 10:54 am
Are you guys going to post this survey somewhere else to like the there.com site????????????????????
#1140 by INVU34 on 2011.04.19 - 1:39 pm
what is the ballpark figure of running there.com?
#1141 by jaybee on 2011.04.08 - 10:40 am
I remember MW saying something along the lines of even if u were all to pay x amt each month it still wouldnt cover the costs to keep the world open and do this this and this —sorry i forget the exact words…but why NOW is there talk of re opening ????
I’m very excited don’t get me wrong. I feel like part of ME was lost when there shut down….i’m just very skeptical now. I dont want to invest my heart and money again and have it shut down again.
I explained it to my bf like this—-” it seems like its all about money. and now theres screen shots for yownow….so its kinda like being in a long relationship and loving the guy then being dumped but wanting him back…….but then finding a new awesome guy…..and when ur about to date the new awesome guy , the love of ur life comes back and now your like do i wanna be with the love of my life and have him hurt me again and rip out my heart or do i want a new, more stable relationship lol ”
just saying 🙂
when will it be opening IF it works out?
#1142 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.08 - 11:09 am
“it seems like its all about money. and now theres screen shots for yownow”
Well, yes, it is about money, since that’s why There closed : The Investors were just not able to justify paying for it every month. Remember, There never turned a profit, ever, from 1997 right up to 2010 (just you know, so you know I wasn’t the only CEO who couldn’t make it work).
I’ve seen several references to those screenshots, which I actually hadn’t seen. I went and looked, and, frankly, a video of a static beach scene with reflective water (pretty standard fare these days if you want to pay the price graphically), a moving skydome (that’s what makes the clouds move), and a model of a buggy which doesn’t move is hardly something which would cause us to put up this survey.
The fact is, the math became knew once we got There to run “in the cloud”, which drastically cuts our costs. That, along with some work by SamSyn to manage a cloud-based set of sectors better, got us optimistic enough to test the waters.
Let’s be clear here: we need LOTS of people to say they’ll spend money each month to consider opening again. There are still hurdles here which we have to get over.
#1143 by MT on 2011.04.08 - 11:10 am
In response: Exactly which hurdles? Merely curious.
#1144 by MT on 2011.04.08 - 11:12 am
Accidentally hit send.. after clearing the hurdles you speak about, approximately in what time frame would you reopen the client?
#1145 by Brandyn_1 on 2011.04.08 - 3:33 pm
Well let me just say ROFLMAO MW I think I am there with you about Yow Now. Frankly that is nothing compared to There.com. and MT he will give usthe results on the survey which could lead to an answer for that question but for right now nobody knows at all.
#1146 by INVU34 on 2011.04.14 - 9:40 am
The scary part about all this buzz is what if we do start paying a 6 months in advanced for there.com, accumulate more inventory, then Michael Wilson says he can’t keep it running. There are a lot of therians that spent a lot of money for hoods, and inventory. We not only lost our homes, our inventory, and some of our friends. Some of us lost thousands of dollars! How are we to know this is not going to happen again. I hear you MW saying you need more people to say they will pay to play. I honestly can’t wait to see your numbers the cost of operation. I see your very first survey above and I see that 1003 people have said they would pay to play. A total of 1003 people responded. Let’s see here…if 1003 people would pay 10 dollars a month that is 10,030 a month income..(none of these numbers include what people pay for inventory, hoods or anything else in world.) 1003 people paying 15 a month 15,045 revenue, and at 20 dollars a month 20,060 revenue. I seriously can’t wait to see your numbers.
#1147 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.14 - 9:45 am
We can’t “count” on T$ revenue for just that reason.
Please also remember that the money you lost went partially to paying the bills to keep the world open. The other 1/2 of the money came from the investor’s pockets. So everyone lost, all around.
#1148 by jonathan5k2006 on 2011.04.08 - 10:32 am
533 people 🙂 is this enough to re open 😛
#1149 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.08 - 11:03 am
No.
#1150 by Mimi06 on 2011.04.08 - 10:21 am
Just tossing this in here.. as I have watched our therians in face book all day.. Michael, why not join us on Face Book.. maybe then you would see there are more then a few 100 that are watching this develope? This has spread like wild fire over night.. we are ALL there.. 🙂 waiting………..
#1151 by alexpja on 2011.04.12 - 12:16 pm
Mimi again
#1152 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.12 - 12:17 pm
That’s ENOUGH.
#1153 by jimony on 2011.04.08 - 9:55 am
I think a basic account in the future at 5.00 a month without voice would be a good way to begin attracting new members without having the problem of noob accounts created for griefing overrun the world again.
#1154 by Thereloverr:) on 2011.04.08 - 9:40 am
Ok ouch.. I just read the comments that you commented on… You HAVE to pay per month ? And if ur bellow 18 and you already have an account you cant go on it.. Ok both of those are tottally stupid. Thats like SL but worse… What are you doing to there.com this wont even be there.com this will be the complete oppisite.. Cmoon i wanna go on my there.com acc 😦 & i cant cuz im no 18.. Of course im still gonna make an acc and check it out but i wont play on it if its gonna be like this like please.. Thats just insane.. Wow. Im not even excited that there.com is reopening.. And i was like ur #1 fan,, wow.. Just.. Wooow.. 😦 is there aaaanyway you could change it to 13 again and yes you half to pay monthly for premium.. But you still get your acc
#1155 by LossAngeles on 2011.04.08 - 1:19 pm
Here is what you do: nag your parents and have them sign up. They’ll provide the credit card, supervise you and be responsible if you wind up in trouble later on. Trouble might be cacellation due to TOS violations. My point is in reality I’m sure if There is relaunched we’ll see under 18’s. The enforcement is in the real name / credit card for everyone model. I support it.
#1156 by Thereloverr:) on 2011.04.08 - 2:32 pm
Wait so if my parents sign up i could go on my regular acc or if my parents sign up i just go on there acc?
#1157 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.08 - 2:34 pm
Not if you’re under 18.
#1158 by Thereloverr:) on 2011.04.08 - 9:26 am
Oh and what about our accounts, will we beable to go on them or are they erased or gotta pay fir them ..?
#1159 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.08 - 11:01 am
Huh?
#1160 by Brandyn_1 on 2011.04.08 - 3:18 pm
I think I can help with this one MW. You will be able to go in your account but you HAVE to pay a monthly fee of what ever it will be to get any of your stuff back, if you do not pay the $10 monthly fee in possibly 6 months your account will be deleted and the name of your account will be thrown back into the pool of names.
#1161 by Soede on 2011.04.08 - 9:17 am
Just please dont actually call it There2 =P
I really liked the Peer2peer submission approval idea. Many of us checked up on the items in auctions already, so I think empowering users to take on that task officially is brilliant so long as their are all sorts of checks and balances. Status as a submission checker is contingent on good behavior, no favoritism, those who unfairly reject are considered griefers and are moderated accordingly, each submission requires several reviews, etc etc.
In regards to the subscription fees, the samples fees listed in the survey were on par with the MMOs. Would there be any perks that came a long with the monthly fee? A Tbux allowance? A certain amount of rent paid for? Other?
#1162 by jimony on 2011.04.08 - 10:00 am
How about Here.com this time? Or ThereAgain or ThereBack?
I am guessing There.com cannot come back as There.com again?
Because of the legal issues of changing the rules?
#1163 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.08 - 11:02 am
No, it will still be called There.com.
#1164 by Thereloverr:) on 2011.04.08 - 9:17 am
Well i did the survey, and i read all of the info, is it going to be a for sure thing that you half to pay monthly and 18
#1165 by Rick caldas on 2011.04.08 - 9:17 am
say we pay 10$ every month for premium would we get therebucks with it ? or there bucks would be bought separatly
#1166 by jonathan5k2006 on 2011.04.08 - 9:13 am
Michael Wilson – when would you expect this world to re open? I know me and you went at one another but your the best guy who knows a heck load more about virtual worlds… Your a great developer. I hope you accept it that i come back in world 🙂
#1167 by ElizabethClark on 2011.04.08 - 9:12 am
Hello!
I want to start by saying thank you so much for considering bringing There back. I played There for over five years and no other game has compared to it. I’ve been playing World of Warcraft for about five years as well. The monthly fee worries me because while that payment method works for games like World of Warcraft, I think that it would get a little bit expensive for There. Here’s why:
World of Warcraft costs $15 a month and that’s all you ever have to pay. In-game currency doesn’t cost any additional money and they’re always adding new content. This is what makes the monthly fee work for them. There, on the other hand, requires you to pay for all in-game items (clothes, paintball bullets, vehicles). Don’t get me wrong, I like the idea of a monthly fee. However, I think that therebucks should come with the monthly fee.
For example, monthly fees could go like this:
-$5 (No additional therebucks)
-$10 ($5 worth of additional therebucks)
-$15 ($10 worth of additional therebucks)
Obviously you’d probably want to change the numbers, but I think that this sort of payment would work better for most people. While many people would buy additional therebucks on top of these, this would allow people who don’t have much extra money (like college students!) to continue enjoying the game.
Overall, I’m really happy with your new design plan and I’m sure you’ve thought about the monthly fee, but I just wanted to put my 2 cents in! Thanks for all your hard work. 🙂
#1168 by Therians Fan on 2011.04.08 - 10:55 am
In IMVU, when you pay your monthly subscription you not only get 5,000cr , but you get many other features with free stuff as well. Not sure how you could do it with There, but it would be cool to do. Also, Would you still do the developers buy back program?
#1169 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.08 - 11:10 am
We would do something like the buyback program, yes, TBD.
#1170 by David Tassader Nhemachena on 2011.04.08 - 9:05 am
I pray that There comes back so I can have my life back. I miss There so much. I have taken the survey
#1171 by jonathan5k2006 on 2011.04.08 - 9:00 am
Another problem is, what about people on benifits who can only give so much a month? say like the UK – Job Seekers.
#1172 by MT on 2011.04.08 - 8:47 am
Ah MW,
Longtime reader and player of There, first time poster. I was intrigued to read this post and I did enter my choices on your 4 question poll. I would love to see a newer, fresher version of There as I have not really played any games since the closing (actually working two jobs now, so I have been mad busy to say the least!). I want to make this post one of constructive criticism and a tad of reality to a sense.
Let’s put it this way, when you closed up this world a year ago it truly was tough to say the very least. I have kept in contact with some of my Therian Brethren but there have been those that I haven’t seen in ages. I would love to see those people come back. But I have to keep it real and realize that there is a significant possibility that not everyone will come back and have moved on to bigger and better things. Now onto positives and negatives:
Positives:
Inventory is back and my account (I had 2) would return. That’s fine by me, I had a TON of buggies I loved to drive and race (mainly that).
If you are reopening this world, there are probably improvements to the client, which I feel were lacking (specifically lag, bandwidth, packet loss, etc). But that could also be my computer was on life support and burnt out. New computer, so let’s see.
Neutral:
The Age 18 rule. When I started in There, I was 17 years old. I think it is a bit unfair to lock out the younger demographic, however I can see why you would want to.
The amount you have to pay per month. I am going to take a wait and see on this. If the improvements are great, no problem I will pay the $20 per month, but I will hold my breath on it for now. I answered $10, by the way.
Negatives:
Frankly, I think the abrupt decision to close There was handled unprofessionally. How can there be a one week notice and no foreseen warning of the closure was very callous. Many people had invested time, energy, resources into this game, and for it to be gone within a week was rough. Maybe it’s just my opinion, but I would have loved a longer notice to get in touch with everyone, etc. But a year has passed. There are going to be many Therians who will make a choice: Do I want to come back and potentially risk again losing everything from friendships to finances? I know everyone has a choice, and it is going to be up to the person, but it is a severe negative.
All I am saying is, I am not going to hold my breath on any of these manners until there is more relative information. I guess we will find out within 30 days correct? I just hope there will not be more disappointed Therians. You’ve definitely gotten a lot of people’s hopes up MW, so let’s hope this poll evolves into something awesome. Good luck.
#1173 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.08 - 9:10 am
“If you are reopening this world, there are probably improvements to the client, which I feel were lacking (specifically lag, bandwidth, packet loss, etc). But that could also be my computer was on life support and burnt out. New computer, so let’s see.”
NOTHING we could do to the client will affect packet loss. That’s 100% a function of the connection between your client and There’s servers.
#1174 by Wildbilly on 2011.04.08 - 8:20 am
I want you to know Mr. Wilson, as I know I speak for all of us Thereians. Thank you so much for still working and pursuing to maybe reopening There. You have no I idea how much I loved There. I have been so world homeless!
I want you to know, that I would gladly pay to play! I spent a great deal of money on There. An I was so pleased to do so. I never felt like I was being ripped in any way. An I always…….bought my Tbucks from you!!! 7 years it was a lot $1000sssss. Even when the sun went down on our Dream World (“as I call it”). I was not mad, at all! Even with all the loss in the money, Funzone or neighborhood I owned. I was only so sad till this very day. To see our world gone!
By the way, this is for you folks who don’t know this. I gladly paid for my membership! When I joined it cost a lot! I don’t remember how the prices went! But I do know the total. I thank it was like this. $58 for membership, $20 explorer pack, music cost, voice cost. The total was $92 and I was so so pleased to pay it. An after reading all the above. NO I am not rich! My play & fun, fast food money went to what all should know by now! You PAY TO PLAY!
Once again Sir. thank you, thank you, Mr. Wilson It means so much to me to know that you still care about our world known as THERE! May you and yours be safe! I have a credit card, where do I pay!
#1175 by xSnoopy on 2011.04.08 - 4:05 pm
We knew Billy, all of us from Zephyr knew how much you loved There.
Hope to see you in Zephyr soon !
#1176 by onebigblank on 2011.04.08 - 8:07 am
What about “trust”? How can you trust a company with your money when they can, and have, just slammed the door in your face with only a weeks notice? Many of you will be waving your money and running to There2 but I think many more will refuse to pay money to someone who kept them in the dark and then gave a one week kick in the face notice. Good luck to those of you willing to spend money for this.
#1177 by scrapbug on 2011.04.08 - 12:09 pm
I for one was devastated when the letter was posted that There.com was closing. I had invested lots of time and money into the world, and swore I would not do it again, yet here I am spending money monthly in another game and would happily spend more in There2. There was my first virtual world, and home in my book. I will HAPPILY pay to play and be back at home where my heart is. I left it there with my hoverbikes a year ago, and I am sure by now they need a good polishing, so as soon as it is announced that we can get back in, I am there.
#1178 by DocD on 2011.04.08 - 6:59 pm
Trust? Do you trust your congress or banks, or wall street? They didn’t give you any notice. I am sure MW gave Therians more than he wanted to, he is an honest person who was in a business. You can only bleed revenue so long before you have no choice but to close the doors and I know he held out much longer than most would have.
As far as returning MW, you bet, and survey already completed 🙂
#1179 by beethros on 2011.04.08 - 7:49 am
From: beethros – born in there at the 5th of April of 2007 died at march of 2010…
I miss my friends, i miss my n/hood, i miss my buggies i miss my LIFE.
i miss making 1 dollar every day by selling buggies..
I miss helping all those kind noobs
I miss shooting all those rude noobs
but more of all i miss hanging arround with my buggy
and waiting for my next submission to be aproved 😀
Hello previous Therians , hello Mr. Wilson.
Im taking the chance to put my thoughts in this post just to remind you the following:
There.com was the best 3d world ever…. just because Mr. Wilson was paying his beautifull money to make things nobody else had… Remember PG? Buggies? card tables? you CANT find those anywhere! Even in SL with 70.000 daily users online there is no fun… I remember when we had a little bit of lagg cause of idkn what… and the next day Mr.Wilson was paying (again) to fix it with new servers or w/e just for to have all us happy! And i also remember those ppl who always was complaining and cursing about there.com stuff and Mr. Wilson him self… they just didnt know what was the prize to have that world runing… I really hope it will re-open -witch i know is impossible- but im sure it will not have success if it is for monthly payments… ppl want everything free or at least with the minimum of payment.. and not in a regular bases.
Thank you Mr. Wilson for making there.com the best 3d world ever!
I wish your next project will be the same or better!
But i know for sure it will not be the same… its like paintings… they never come up the same exactly…
#1180 by droopy on 2011.04.08 - 7:45 am
MW answered survey and re-shared on Facebook to other therians, as I hope those responding here have done as well.
I know this isnt a forum for ideas about the possible changes to the possibly future return of There, but I will throw my 2.5 t$ in as well anyway.
I used to discuss the t$ economy at great length with Baloo and despite some boos I may receive from other formers here are my thoughts.
1. going to a paid per month is not a bad move at all, a scaling price with fixed allowance of T$ option is not a bad way to go at all.
2. without a T$ exchange, the There economy will have to do a better job of destroying T$.
increasing rental rates is not going to cover the inflation nor promote community created theme areas. Instead consider real world sponsors offering gift cards or limited edition There promotional materials that can be exchanged for T$. Like the magazine sales competitions from our youth, the prizes dont have to match the value, but do aid in There destroying T$ without depressing inworld usage of event spaces.
3. If down the road There did consider allowing an exchange, There should own it. require sellers to have an account from a payment system (that wont shaft There in disputes) to receive payments from There but allow the sellers the facility to post an amount and rate to sell it at and institute a percentage fee. I know it is a pipe dream, but the problem with virtual item sales with real money does open up additional revenue streams for There as well as exposure and intrest to a wide market. It does add risk unless it is strict and planned. But if There never chooses to operate or endorse an exchange, it should not penalize any members that choose to take the risk and participate in an unofficial one, and reserve the right not to support or settle any disputes that result from inter avie t$ exchange.
I’m pulling for ya.
#1181 by jessy269 on 2011.04.08 - 7:35 am
well I did the survey ,,, and all i really have to say,,, is I have supported There.com to the best of my ability and means in the past,,, and would continue to do so in the future…. and my squandering of hard earned real life dollars can be proudly disposed of in THere 2,,as it was in There.com……. anyone up for racen!!!!!!!!!!we could work out all the details after a few laps:)
Good Luck Mr Wilson,,,
all the true Thereians and there gods are on your side!!!!!!
OHHHH !!!!! I can even enjoy on my MAC!!!!!!!
peace out
Jessy
#1182 by Tumble_Weed on 2011.04.08 - 9:53 am
Big Hugs (((((Jessy)))))
#1183 by MT on 2011.04.08 - 9:57 am
I’ll be spinnin’ laps right with ya bud. Would love another shot to race again.
#1184 by jimony on 2011.04.08 - 7:29 am
MW, two comments/questions;
Will it be possible for parents/grandparents to reactivate a minors account for their own use or to retrieve inventory? (I understand retrieving inventory from other accounts is a pending decision, this question is more about the inventory those minors had so it will probably be the same decision as alternate accounts inventory when that decision is made.) Or for those who had minor accounts in the past to prove they are now 18 or older to retrieve their past account/inventory?
And;
Has the possibility of having a second money system for purchasing and trading client developers items?
This way, one would always have to buy Tbucks from There to pay for land or items from There. They would have to buy “Dbucks?” to buy from developers? Dbucks could only be used to buy developer items. Just a thought that might help in the future to ensure that money is spent TO There to maintain property and avatar accounts.
#1185 by Adrian Witt on 2011.04.08 - 7:21 am
All I can say man is “FREAKING YEAH” Knighthawk101 and Ravenmagic is definately onboard.
#1186 by Majandi on 2011.04.08 - 7:20 am
So, lifetime free membership does not apply for There2 any more.
Correct?
Just a question. I’d pay, of course. Was just wondering.
#1187 by Dolphin on 2011.04.08 - 7:11 am
What about using something like Google Checkout it’d be alot easier so many payment options to choose from. I’ve always used my debit card to pay for monthly in the game im in now. I don’t have paypal. :O
#1188 by Ned_1 on 2011.04.08 - 7:10 am
I agree with the no free accounts, because users would just create another account when the free ones time limit is up. And monitoring by IP/MAC address would be an additional cost.
Community Support would be just that maybe…when ONLINE it would be a internship type, do it because you want to.
A pre pay is good, however maybe as the site grows in revenue THERE2 could make it where the more months you prepay there would
be maybe a free month type deal because you did the prepay and so on…Up to two years.
The pay by the hour/minute rate would depend on buying bulk and how much the discount would be. Not only are we all trying to
get THERE2 running but of course you understand we have to have a symbiotic relationship.
#1189 by brainstew on 2011.04.08 - 11:57 am
LOSSANGELES!!! I MISS YOU!
#1190 by LossAngeles on 2011.04.08 - 6:46 am
The There.com physics engine is unique. To date I’ve still found nothing that comes close and don’t use or play in virtual environments since There closed. With such a unique technology Makena should be able to find a way to make it sustain itself financially ; even in hard economic times. Just a few nights ago I told a friend I’d gladly pay per hour to spend a few hours in Tyr with friends, building ramps and blasting each other with paintball guns =)
#1191 by ltbigdog on 2011.04.08 - 8:45 pm
I also miss building the ramps and not being able to do that had been slowly driveing me mad over the last year.
#1192 by Hugh5 on 2011.04.12 - 8:18 pm
I agree Greg. Although I think I’d still own you on both pack and ground. You up for the challenge old friend? I didn’t agree to a per hour charge. That never works. A monthly payment method is better. Your ramps were the best by the way.
#1193 by Ned_1 on 2011.04.08 - 6:45 am
Well, of course there is a HUGE following Michael Wilson? Unless you know something we don’t?
Lets cut through the RED tape and get on with the show…we Therians are spreading the word like WILD FIRE…
#1194 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.08 - 9:12 am
We’ll see if it shows in the numbers. We need to see more than a few hundred indicate they’d pay (I’ll post numbers as they become available).
#1195 by Winston on 2011.04.08 - 6:40 am
Mr. Wilson,
Are you thinking about utilizing cards with Tbux? Right now I can go to Kroger and buy credits at IMVU and various other game currencies. Would There@ consider doing something like this for Tbux?
#1196 by DD on 2011.04.08 - 6:19 am
There was nothing like There (or Virtual Laguna/MTV which was a customized version of There). The capability to socially interact with virtual expressions and avatar movement is amazing. And the world is beautiful. It is more than a product of a corporation but a wonderful environment for people to create, participate, and socialize. Sure, there is room for improvement – but such a platform can improve. Even without improvements, the platform provides a wonderful way to interact. I truly hope it is resurrected.
#1197 by Noah Brown on 2011.04.08 - 6:10 am
I tried Second Life and other sites like There.com but none compare or even come close 😦 So I have given up PC games/social sites like There permanently…Plz bring it back I wanna become a There addict again 😀
#1198 by 20000Dollers on 2011.04.08 - 6:08 am
and MW would our name tags be the same in different colours with the talk icons and would we be able to talk on voice on there2 Mr MW and would there be Helpers and Greeters and Island guides Mr MW
#1199 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.08 - 9:05 am
Your name tags should be the same, and if you had voice before, you’ll have it now.
No word on Helpers and IGs at this time.
#1200 by jonathan5k2006 on 2011.04.08 - 9:06 am
Im sure they could do that MIKE!
#1201 by 20000Dollers on 2011.04.08 - 6:02 am
hey MW i got a question plzzz answere back MW ok if my e-mail adress got hacked and i cont get it back are u able to change the e-mail adress on my account on there i was 20000Dollers in there.com and change to a newer e-mail adress .. ? plzz anwsere my question MW so can u plzz tell me u can
#1202 by 20000Dollers on 2011.04.08 - 6:01 am
hey MW i got a question plzzz answere back MW ok if my e-mail adress got hacked and i cont get it back are u able to change the e-mail adress on my account on there i was 20000Dollers in there.com and change to a newer e-mail adress .. ? plzz anwsere my question MW
#1203 by Kiva and Marie on 2011.04.08 - 5:35 am
After taking the survey, I thought it best to clarify a few things and ask for clarification on some things:
For us it’s not a matter of how much we would be willing to pay per avatar, it’s a matter of what we would have to pay for the entire household. Five different users of There live under our roof and are all supported by the same resources. What we have available to spend on entertainment must cover all of us – Otherwise none of us can afford it.
“we’d restore your Avatar and it’s possessions to whatever it was when There closed.”
“There would be an 18+ world. Sorry.”
The two preceding statements are not mutually exclusive. Of the There users in our household, one was not 18 then (she is now) and had an account. She is/was a full user and member of There, would her account and the accounts of other “minor” users be suspended and protected until they turn 18 so that the first quoted statement is true? Two of the There users under our roof were (and still are) under 13, but had permission on file from their parents to be on There. Again, the question must be asked, in saying avatars and possessions would be restored, how does this relate to them?
The answers to these questions are tremendous factors as to whether or not we would patronize There2. On There we controlled our environment (a neighborhood) and decided who was allowed to be in our space. Regardless of company policies, we could control what the children were exposed to and we had the time of our lives playing together There. I know that our situation is not unique and there are/were other families that safely played with their children on There.com. If this possibility is not present in There2, I am not sure if we would be present either.
There are other issues and questions I could ask, but these are the most important to us that have not been addressed even indirectly. I will not waste time recounting what has happened or future probabilities. I only ask for specific answers to specific questions.
#1204 by Mimi06 on 2011.04.08 - 5:31 am
Michael? will eventually there be another guide program? Being as it may go to 18 plus.. would think that mod’s will be needed.. and if so.. Will the walkway still exist? so many questions rofl.. maybe I missed this one..
#1205 by NathanAvis on 2011.04.11 - 7:34 pm
My take on this, Mimi06 🙂
The Island guide program was a way to help younger or less informed new starters as well as recruit volunteers into getting people to fully subscribe to and invest in There.Com. Seeing as everyone would HAVE to pay should There.Com reopen, there would be no need for the Island Guide program. Not to mention all the drama involved with the staff as well as the amount of time, resources, excess recruitment involved for Makena.
However, something like the Mentor program from the days of old could still work, to assist people who have joined There.Com out of curiosity or recommendation, but do not know the ropes. Instead of having most of this done in world though, it could be done via a knowledge forum with volunteers being expected to compose accurate and well written articles to answer common questions. End users could report against any inaccuracies or unprofessional articles. This would be something cheap and self sustaining, eliminating the problems of the IG program.
#1206 by alexpja on 2011.04.12 - 12:16 pm
Mimi 😀
#1207 by rick caldas on 2011.04.08 - 5:25 am
i filled the survey michael im 19 and i dont own a credit card, used to buy therebucks using paybycash so im wondering will there be paybycash option or only paypal? il 100% will be able to pay if theres a paybycash option like paysafe card or ultimate gaming card thank you.
#1208 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.08 - 5:52 am
Yes, we’d try and get paybycash going again.
#1209 by There_forever on 2011.04.08 - 6:10 am
would it be possible to age verify any other ways apart from credit card? i have a verified paypal account for example which has the same name as my There name. would that work?
#1210 by Therians Fan on 2011.04.08 - 7:03 am
As for some other payment, would you still accept Ultimate Game Cards again?
#1211 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.08 - 9:07 am
Yes once we get going. But I’m not sure how that will work for the monthly fees.
#1212 by Therians Fan on 2011.04.08 - 10:20 am
I know in IMVU, you have the ability to pay monthly for your VIP subscription with their IMVU Game Cards. Also, what might be effective is to pay via your phone. But, I do hope it would be much easier if we could pay our monthly subscription with the ultimate game cards.
#1213 by SassyBeMe on 2011.04.08 - 5:22 am
I was just thinking…..It would be more fair to the company if only paid members could cash in their t-bucks. I’m sure if beta stays free some one would cry about this later. It would seem fair only cause your keeping records and providing service. Even if we let a membership laps. And would you limit buybacks to developer sales, or to allow for all?
#1214 by Wendy Stoll on 2011.04.08 - 5:21 am
I would be SO HAPPY. I put on the survey that I’d pay $15 but, as FaunaRose pointed out, I’d pay whatever I had to, no doubt. I know a lot of folks have gone to SL, but those I know would come back in a New York minute!
#1215 by Di Corliss (mimi) on 2011.04.08 - 5:06 am
sigh……. Dont even know what to say here.. being an island guide for all those years.. then Sr guide, then perpetual.. I kept that cycle going and NOW am a SR guide in another world.. I gave my all in THERE as a guide.. it’s what I love to do..help people.. The day it was announced..I cried with greeters.. and stayed until th final darkness came.. I so miss everyone.. I am so lost for words.. and the word hope, just doesnt seem to fit here.. The world I am in is nothing compared to what THERE was.. BUT the people I work for are warm and compassionate people.. Lordy.. all I can say is Ques Sera Sera!
#1216 by Dolphin on 2011.04.08 - 5:40 am
I still miss There alot. And when it closed it didn’t really take long to find another world I could call home…but as mimi said the world that we are in right now is nothing compared to what There was. I miss my buggies :O. I too am a SR guide in the world I am in now…and mimi is right we do work with some awesome people and not even sure if I can just give up and go just like that 😥
It’s totally awesome though to get all of our inventory back ‘tu to that. :D. And paying a monthly fee is nothing to major as I do that now and have been for a over a year now :D. Just that I did have ALOT of alts in There. So I’m not really getting my hopes up to high at the moment until it is definite that There will be back :P.
#1217 by alexpja on 2011.04.12 - 12:12 pm
Mimi. ^_^
#1218 by SueZ on 2011.04.08 - 5:03 am
Wow this would be wonderful! Most Therians are using Facebook to keep in touch as to where we are and it sure is hopping today with this news and the survey. Therians are still a very active community, might be spread out in other worlds, but we’re all waiting to come home. When There2 opens I’ll be there, plunking down whatever money I can to do my part and get my hood going again, designing some new stuff, plus volunteering to help out in any way needed! I would pay 20, but will be buying lots of Tbucks on top of the monthly fee so I put in for the 10.00 a month per avatar. It would be nice to have the option to be able to gift a membership to friends too.
#1219 by Tumble_Weed on 2011.04.08 - 5:02 am
Mr. Wilsonnnnnnnnn!!!! all I can say is WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOT
#1220 by DLMcKenzie2004 on 2011.04.08 - 4:45 am
You meantioned that around 6 months of you mass mailing the avatars you would release their names back. I had 3 alt accounts, Would there be any way to have their inventory merged with that of my main account or would I have to pay for atleast one month just to get those accounts reactivated then just spend that whole month trading things to my main account? The last thing I would want would be to pay subscription for my main account and not be able to pay to get my old alts reinstated and have all their inventory lost.
Maybe doing a minimum storage fee to preserve the alt accounts inventory? Idk.
#1221 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.08 - 4:53 am
Yes, we would look into retrieving inventory from other accounts.
#1222 by Truck on 2011.04.08 - 3:32 pm
MW i have 2 other names with designer items will they be able to transfer their items to 1 name? and what if we deleted the e-mail accounts for them names?
#1223 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.08 - 3:57 pm
That sounds like something we would have to work out.
#1224 by Rebecca McArthur on 2011.04.08 - 4:44 am
So thrilled to read this today! I shared it on Facebook, guessing nearly everyone has lol. I’m a beta lifetime member, but I’d be HAPPY to pay a fee to bring back Marcy. Although I hadn’t played There in so long when I left, I can’t even really explain the sadness and grief I felt when it closed. We went back and spent the last week in There. We, my husband & I who met and fell in love There, went back and actually married. I’ve never mourned a game before, and I game a lot, but There was not just a game for me. Marcy was not just an avatar. It was home and she’s my alter ego. There closing felt like burying a part of myself. I vow to NOT take There for granted again. Bring us home MW… bring us home!
#1225 by CHELIARG on 2011.04.08 - 4:29 am
I am excited with the idea of There2!!!!
#1226 by v on 2011.04.08 - 4:22 am
Sounds encouraging, will be interesting seeing how this develops. ‘waves at aquafresh 🙂
#1227 by scrapbug on 2011.04.08 - 4:18 am
MW,
OMG!! I am soooo excited at the thought of returning home to There. I have found a place to call home in second life, kinda feel bad because I was in voice with a friend (not from there) when I got an IM with the link to the survey and got terribly excited. When she asked what was up and I told her that There might be reopening, she says..”You would go back?” Without hesitation I said YES!!! This is my new hobby…checking this blog for comments and responses LOL.
Will be great to be home with friends and family if this all works out. I can’t wait to hop on my hoverbike again!!!
scrapbug
#1228 by Marquetta1985 on 2011.04.08 - 3:53 am
OMG IM SO EXCITED!! I wouldn’t have money to pay per month but If I could play it again…we all want There back!!!
#1229 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.08 - 3:55 am
You HAVE to be able to pay per month to play. Really.
#1230 by Hugh5 on 2011.04.12 - 7:23 pm
I wanted to pay monthly BEFORE There.com closed. I thought it was a huge mistake when There.com opened its doors to any age at no cost. I only have one small suggestion when you reopen. Maintain this level of communications with your membership. In the old There.com, Makena did a poor job of communicating with us. Start up an online newsletter again and keep us informed of all goings-on. Doing such will kill rumors, lies and membership “drift”. Keep up the good work Michael. There.com is (was) one of the biggest democraticing things I ever saw and was part of. There.com was important. Let’s all work to make it such again!
#1231 by DavyRocket on 2011.04.08 - 3:44 am
This all sounds very nice, and I truely hope There does re open, but I really tuely hope this is not some sick joke. With that said. I would be willing to pay a monthly fee so long as I can continue to develope, and sell my Therebucks back, and I think that is a very wise choice to make it 18+ only, money wise, and IF, and only IF There re opens I really hope staff will focus more on us developers this time, but until I see action my hopes are the same as they were before I saw this page. Very little to none at all!
#1232 by jimony on 2011.04.08 - 7:01 am
Hi, Davy! Good to see you again! Look forward to seeing you There again! If neighborhoods are returned with inventory, and you want yours back, it is yours.
I am sure it isn’t a joke. MW never joked about There like that. I am also sure, after all this, that he has to be at least 99% sure it is going to at least try a comeback. Imagine the outrage if he doesn’t even attempt? Of course, there is the possibility that few follow through with the survey, so as MW keeps saying, make sure you get counted in the survey itself.
#1233 by Evolast on 2011.04.08 - 3:13 am
will the space hood still be out??? i miised what we had and nothing is close too here…i will love for it to come back…and pay again….. if i can get back in after the dlpiper stuff???? can i mr mw???:)
#1234 by James Rozee on 2011.04.08 - 3:04 am
As a banned member, I’ve laernt that you do something bad on There, you are banned for life. So you don’t even get the chance to learn from your mistakes, you get one chance.
Okay, I was young I made some bad choices on There and I got banned for them. I didn’t make these bad choices because I dislike or hate There.com, I was just an immature little brat.
However,
I would happily spend £30 p/m (thats £1 a day, not expensive!) ($50-60 USD conversion est) but not if I had the risk of getting permanently banned again – just for being me.
Just like if you where to come back as “There2”, people would be giving “There” a second chance, and I think you should do that to your members too. Fresh start!
A question:
Michael, You going to using the latest open data center setups? eg: OpenCompute, to make server costs cheaper and more efficient?
&
Looking for a web developer?
#1235 by Droopy on 2011.04.08 - 2:39 am
MW,
Simple answer, yes!
-droopy
#1236 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.08 - 3:48 am
Make sure you fill out the survey.
#1237 by Innie on 2011.04.09 - 4:15 pm
”’hugs droopy
#1238 by Studly From There on 2011.04.08 - 2:39 am
Mr Wilson,
Got a question for you.
You state in the survey that 1. “There2” would be a PAID service. There would be monthly charge for everyone, “except people with lifetime beta accounts”. Initially at least, there would be no free accounts, and no free trials.
Then you you have this part to:
4. All old There accounts were preserved when we closed. ,For former members, you’d be allowed to reclaim your old account after paying a subscription fee, your account contents will be restored after a brief period of time as the system retrieves appropriate backups. All premium options that were in your membership would be restored.
Would Beta member with lifetime have to pay a fee?
#1239 by jimony on 2011.04.08 - 6:53 am
The way I read what he says, is those who had the original lifetime beta accounts will still be valid, meaning all they have to do is sign back on their accounts when it is back up.
No free accounts and no free trials means that no basic accounts for free and no free trials for noobs.
“Initially” means this may change after it is back up. I believe keeping any possibilities open to adjust things as it goes is smart.
#1240 by Kenny Ken25 on 2011.04.29 - 6:56 am
I was a lifetime member and i would still pay a monthly fee just to support there…one big reason it went down was no monlthly fees.
#1241 by lionsheart on 2011.04.08 - 2:21 am
right micheal heres my problem
when there closed i had to find something to do with my spare time
so i emptied my wifes wallet and bought myself a new hobby which consisted of
a dslr camera
a ccd camera
3 telescopes
a forgive me gift for the misses for emptying her wallet.
but now it seems like there2 might open my doctor (the wife) says multiple addictions are a good thing well ithink she said addictions…………….lol
but the price of seeing jupiter up close was worth it
and the the price of returning home to planet there ( priceless )
#1242 by Hugh5 on 2011.04.12 - 6:57 pm
Agreed. The designers of There.com created a themed, stylized world. They did it to make it work under the web conditions of the time (2002), but they also designed There to have a “look”. I LOVE the look of There. Don’t change a thing Michael. We Thereians are part of a world that looks like no other. Thank God for that.
#1243 by AquaFresh on 2011.04.08 - 1:57 am
Hi all,
awsome news this is, that there is a servey, so things are really beeing worked on in the background, “I knew it” ‘TU
After There closed I moved to MMO games, like Star Trek Online and lately RIFT.
Therefor I allso compare what There2 would “give” me for my 10-20 bucks a month vs. RIFT
Startrek i head on bought lifetime membership, RIFT i pay 8.99Euro due to special offer with preorder. Now its 9.99 Euro witch equals to 14,27 Dollar a month on 6 months plan.
1 month a time is 18,55 Dollar just to give something to compare.
When buying from a non-EU contry, in Denmark we allso pay extra tax, so just add 25% ontop of whatever Makena decides would be the monthly subscribtion.
As There was until closing, There was the “platform” members brought most of the content, like quests, card turnaments, races, GPS-races, paintball and other clever thought out games, even the isalnd guide, though awsomely supported by great staff personel
We had the Makena suported events like ThereGames and Grandprix, and that, I in time would expect beeing supported since paying monthly fee There2 has to provide more content than they did in There. The supported events though would never take place unless extremely hard working volunter members worked as hosts and helpers during events.
I would allso like to see regular new addins like card games board games, new places not really, but additions to excisting places to “tune” places if needed.
In years we have been spoiled with 1000 upon 1000 of pixelated square miles of land to roam on.
Added maybee some themed quests to support the background for temples and ancient places.
There had a great idea with the sparkles that just went down the drain and reduced to no fun atall after only paying trinkets. Instead I would LOVE to see this changed into some point hunt.
On RIFT we can find something called artifacts, each artifact belongs into a selected series of artifacts of 3 to 7 and some larger groups of like 15 or so.
When you collected a series of artifact you turn them in to a vendor that gives you a prize or points you collect to buy ingame addons like a companion or a nice mount.
The great thing about this is when you find one you allready have you can sell it on the auction, so people not spending most of their time hunting artifacts can just go and buy them, and
sellers makes some gold. I dont say There2 should make the exact same thing but I see something good here. It makes people go about and explore, it keeps people busy hunting, and if
items only obtainable via those points it will keep at it people. 60T trinkets killed the excitement. Personally I often forget about killing ghosts and beasts while hunting artifacts for hours,
just to get that thrill of finding a new one I did not have.
I will be there when There2 opens for sure, but I will allso be carefull on paying and I wont be paying max amount pr. month as for how There was, maybee how There2 will be.
I would allso be expecting some kind of discount when accepting a 3 6 or 12 month plan, then I won’t accept paying same as just month by month.
Allso There2 has to think more of beeing world wide service, and not “just” US based. Josie and other employees did a great job durring season events to make them support worldwide timezoned.
A shame was, that the There movie awards and designer awards they all had to be US only again, There was worldwide virtual world but diden’t allways treat its hard working members that way.
Time cards would be a great idea too.
The problem I see in paying is to get new members to understand why after paying monthly subscription, they have to buy Tbucks, to buy ingame items.
On games like RIFT you pay the monthly, and all ingame money you need you grind ingame, wether its crafting, foraging, or auctioning.
You constantly get some armor and weapon upgrades from quests you are on + ingame gold. No need for using goldfarmers, they do spam chat, I wonder if they make sales.
The game develuper has full controll about lore, quests, world events, so all content is provided.
Startrek Online has just released player created missions, witch make people more involved, some see it like their calling of beeing listed as top quality mission creater.
I honestly hope that this is it, and we will see a blooming There2 rise and shine.
Thank you MW, I been visiting this blog ever since, to look for news like this, ‘hug ‘tu ‘toast
Aqua
#1244 by Innie on 2011.04.08 - 7:23 am
Comparing There2 to Rift (or any other mmorpg) seems very weird to me. Why would we want T2 to compare to those? There isnt questing, dungeons, guilds, etc. I wouldnt even want T2 to look like Rift. I would prefer it to look like There, just a bit better graphics eventually. If I want to quest, or things of that sort I can go to Rift/WoW/any other mmorpg. If i want to hang out and have a relaxing time I will go to T2. I just dont see why we would want them to be similar.
#1245 by Dante on 2011.04.08 - 1:04 am
I need to pay to use my old account? `sad i had everything in it =[ .
#1246 by Dante on 2011.04.08 - 1:14 am
Um sorry didn’t read the other comments rofl , so that means i get to use my old acc with all the stuff it had right? “`yay
#1247 by jonathan5k2006 on 2011.04.08 - 1:01 am
Woohoo I hope you open 😀 can we have our old accounts?? :)))
#1248 by Rick caldas on 2011.04.08 - 12:58 am
Also sir will the System requirements be the same if it does reopen? thats important cause i dont wanna waste money in something that my computer wont run pretty old pc
#1249 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.08 - 3:34 am
Yes.
#1250 by Ann Coathupe /Petal on 2011.04.08 - 12:55 am
I’m still missing There.com so much . I joined in 2003 and was a member until it closed ‘tears ”
I’ve tried SL but it does not have the happy atmosphere I found in There.com , I miss Petal ,my other self ,as my husband calls her , my many friends, the ability to explore and the card tables !!
#1251 by There_forever on 2011.04.08 - 12:52 am
Just one question: Will the be other pay options other than credit card? Paypal for example or paysafecard ect ect?
#1252 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.08 - 3:50 am
Yes. We will probably not handle credit cards any more, and will use something like PayPal to handle them.
#1253 by jimony on 2011.04.08 - 6:40 am
I really don’t like PayPal, but if we have to use it, hopefully we can pay for multiple accounts with one payment?
Also, it would be nice to be able to link two or more accounts to one email address, since each will be paid by subscription.
#1254 by Truck on 2011.04.08 - 9:47 am
PayPal bummer i closed out that account when THERE closed. My credit card never had a bounce back on it.
#1255 by Connie on 2011.04.08 - 12:51 am
I hope this is true and it does open, I am glad it will be 18+ one of my biggest gripes was that to many little noobs were running around griefing all of us that enjoyed our world!
#1256 by Rick caldas on 2011.04.08 - 12:45 am
Michael just wondering i had like 6 premium accounts with some stuff on them if it reopen would i just have to log on them and have my stuff or would i need to pay for all of them? reply please thank you
#1257 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.08 - 3:34 am
Right now, you’d have to pay for all 6. As I said below we may find a way to retrieve inventory from other accounts into one account. But right now: One Avatar == One monthly charge
#1258 by SassyBeMe on 2011.04.08 - 3:47 am
Would be some thing to think about, connecting accounts. Like few other games do with the secure log in’s. One main account with 3 sub accounts. Sub accounts have the avatars inventory. Unless you plan on improving inventory number limit? That was a fun bug. 🙂
#1259 by RK_Falagar on 2011.04.08 - 12:10 am
Even though im with and waiting for YowNow to open, even if There opens. I’m commited to YowNow but I will still go back to There. I mean I have all my inventory there.. why wouldnt I go back. yes I would definitly pay for there. One of the things I loved so much about There was being an Island Guide… but… I guess there will be no use for that anymore. I wonder id this is fake lol… i hope not.
#1260 by TgKhali on 2011.04.09 - 11:18 am
its not fake, this is michael wilsons real blog.
#1261 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.09 - 11:27 am
It is? OMG!!!
#1262 by Therians Fan on 2011.04.07 - 11:23 pm
When we pay our monthly membership, how would that work? Will it only pay only one account and all the alternative accounts we previously had would be linked together, or do we need to pay a separate monthly membership for each one?
#1263 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.08 - 3:32 am
You would pay monthly for EACH Avatar you’d like in the system. We’re not sure how we’d handle recovering multiple accounts. At some point in the future, we may allow multiple avatars per account (only one of which may be logged in at one time).
#1264 by jimony on 2011.04.08 - 6:32 am
I think it would be best leave it where we have to pay for each individual account. There was a lot of grief involved with multiple accounts.
If you do allow multiple avatars per account, I hope you set a limit of 2 or 3 per paid account.
I do hope you allow the consolidation of “mule” accounts inventory into one account when it is back up. Hopefully one of the improvements you have worked on is the inventory accessing features. It was not easy to figure out what category items were in when we went to retrieve items. It would be nice if we could arrange our own “folders” for retrieval. That way we wouldn’t need “mule” accounts to hold stuff we don’t need to use often.
Me and my wife are excited about the return. Would it be possible to do a one-time name change once our avatar has all our stuff back?
#1265 by Pressleigh on 2011.04.08 - 12:49 pm
I completely disagree with a pay for each account! I had a social avatar, an avatar that managed my island, an avatar that held my collectible vehicles, an avatar that designed, a yardsale avatar, and a paintballing avatar. Each avatar has inventory and that was all my stuff regardless of which avatar it was on… I paid for all of it out of one pocket… MINE. I was no griefer… so you are telling me that everyone on There.com should be held to that standard because of the many child, and even adult griefers that did create numerous accounts for griefing purposes?!
I certainly hope that you plan to implement a system of options that offers compromise… where by, if I choose to return, I can have all my inventory of all my avatars imported to the one I choose to reinstate. Like I said, regardless of which avatar my inventory resided on, it was all my inventory, and you certainly have record of who owns what by credit card records, real names, and so on.
#1266 by jimony on 2011.04.08 - 3:48 pm
Pressleigh: “I had a social avatar, an avatar that managed my island, an avatar that held my collectible vehicles, an avatar that designed, a yardsale avatar, and a paintballing avatar. Each avatar has inventory and that was all my stuff regardless of which avatar it was on”
Each of those avatars took resources from the server system that contributed to the reason There was closed, so having to pay for each avatar isn’t just for griefing purposes, but to insure that each avatar is paying their fair share.
If the inventory system is designed just like folders in Windows; so we can organize our own inventory for different purposes, mule accounts would be unnecessary. This would especially be important for dropping stuff. The location of items when scrolling through folders to find stuff to drop rarely made much sense.
#1267 by xSnoopy on 2011.04.08 - 3:51 pm
MW,
When you re-open and I pay for 6 months or more, how long will I have access to ALL my old avatars to move everything to one or 2 avies? I have quite a few avies and I would like to gather up all my STUFF in one place.
I could give There a list of those I really don’t want any longer so you could put the names back into circulation.
#1268 by jimony on 2011.04.08 - 3:57 pm
Maybe adding 5.00 per month per each avatar added to one account (but only one avatar can login at a time, as stated elsewhere) would be a good way to assure each alternate pays their share. Families on small incomes could save money this way, but only one family member could logon at a time. If there are levels of memberships, like with or without voice, each mule account inherits the same levels as the main account at just five additional per avie.
I like this idea, myself, hope MW does, cause it’s up to him.
#1269 by SMZ Greenie on 2011.04.13 - 12:18 pm
Survey taken. Lifetime Beta Member willing and able to continue support. I’d love to, and/or be on a team, to build new content, sacred areas, special builds… even the ideas you and I discussed Mr. Wilson.
I remember when THERE.com had trial memberships. It was great! A week or so to explore and figure out if you FIT with the world and it with YOU. Not so long that a non-paying member can milk the system or members, long enough to get a good grasp of what the possibilities are.
NOT giving everything away creates REASONS for members to sign on rather than trial. I so wanted to be able to save teleports that I paid for membership perks when eveyrthing was separate. Voice and music, additional fee… Explorer pack, additional fee…
Please do not limit multiple accounts. Having my Male mule account so that I could properly test things with both male and female avatar is so vital to making things work as properly as possible. It was vital to my partner and I being able to both access our mutually shared assets.
I’m guessing that you have access to our emails used to allow posting here. Mr. Wilson, I am tool awaiting…
#1270 by SMZ Greenie on 2011.04.13 - 12:25 pm
*mumbles about delayed typing showing up*
EDIT:
I am a tool awaiting…
#1271 by c5 on 2011.04.07 - 11:19 pm
Michael Wilson, make a pledge to all us Beta folk…
and we will make a pledge to you!
I pledge to preorder a There2.com paid subscription in good faith
…on the same day…
you turn on a working, bug-free ThereIM with our clothes and outfits.
We will ride out the There2 development process in ThereIM and celebrate the world over when it finally opens doors again.
Welcome home, Therians!
#1272 by Cory on 2011.04.07 - 10:52 pm
Hey MW. I had a question! please answer. Okay I joined There.com in 2003/2004 , something like that ( My sis told me about it , she found it randomly on yahoo) Anyways 2 my question. Did you guys ever advertise There.com??? From 2003/2004-Closing Day of There.com I only saw ONE ad ! ONE , what is the deal? It was on a youtube advertisement.
#1273 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.08 - 3:30 am
Yes, we did.
#1274 by rakja on 2011.04.08 - 5:42 pm
Yeah, it needs a Superbowl commercial with Ozzy Ozbourne!
#1275 by Matt on 2011.04.07 - 10:46 pm
Hey MW, one more question to you regarding our items returning. How long from the time of reopen would we be given to pay? As in, say this were to reopen tomorrow and I did not catch the message for say 3 months. Would I still be able to in 3 months pay and still get my stuff or do you have some sort of time limit of when we can reclaim our old accounts?
#1276 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.08 - 3:30 am
We think six months will be the limit. At that point, we’ll mass-mail the Avatars who have not returned (many times) and, if they still do not, we will be releasing their names back into the system. None of that is firm yet, of course.
#1277 by There_forever on 2011.04.07 - 10:46 pm
I agree with everything. I hope it all works out and There opens again.
#1278 by Joeydantonio on 2011.04.07 - 10:45 pm
Also, thanks for never giving up on There. Most of us know that There means just as much to you as it does to all of us as members, if not more. Best Wishes.
#1279 by Joeydantonio on 2011.04.07 - 10:43 pm
I have been waiting for news like this since I last heard the bad news over a year ago. I love the new idea’s for There2, I think a 18+ world would really keep things calmer and running as smoothly as possible … It’s awesome that you guys thought to back up everything before you shut the game down from being public, it’s really comforting to know if There2 is released that former members can have all there items back. I’m sure no one would mind paying monthly, I sure don’t.
This news has me all excited! I won’t be able to help myself from checking your blog everyday now for the next 30 days LOL you better add GoogleAds to your wordpress blog for the next 30 days, I’m sure you would make a lot of money to put towards There2! 😛
#1280 by Angel_EyEs on 2011.04.07 - 10:36 pm
my question would be .. as a designer in there will i have all my designs back to sell again .. also why would beta users be the only ones to get free membership when people like me that has a avatar from oct of 2003 would just be out of beta .
#1281 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.08 - 3:43 am
All your old designs would be there, just as they were before.
#1282 by ltbigdog on 2011.04.07 - 8:53 pm
Heres a coulple questions.
If There2 is the same (zone,areas,ect) as There.com, the zones we had will we still have our old zone/s or will we have to reaquire them some how.
Do you know if you would be useing a client that would use the same model files and builder files as the old client.
And can you go back in time and take a backup one day befor the announcement so I could get back some of the stuff I gave away or sold.
#1283 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.07 - 8:57 pm
We are not exactly sure about the disposition of Real Estate at this time. The backups still have all the state, models, etc, but it might not be possible to resurrect them all as if we had the complete complement of servers. I’m not saying you won’t have them, I’m saying “we don’t know yet”. If you do lose real estate of value, we’ll try and compute fair recompense in T$ and refund it to you.
And, now, we can’t go back one day in time.
#1284 by xSnoopy on 2011.04.08 - 3:42 pm
OMG c5, pay for one month, if you don’t like what you see, LEAVE!
No game, no matter what you will pay runs without some unexpected problems. Its a LOT of code.
In the past I have had questions about MW’s motives and honesty After reading his posts here, I believe him to be straight forward with what he has said about the closing and the reasons behind it.
A couple of days ago I asked him to throw all of us a bone about what he was thinking. This is the BEST answer any of could have received.
Don’t forget your gun when you venture into Zephyr Michael 🙂
#1285 by c5 on 2011.04.07 - 8:44 pm
Michael, I’m curious why you chose to do this as an obscure blog (and so close to 4/1/2011)? It’s all talk of money and fees and restrictions but nothing about what we’d get. Like asking sticker price for just the promise of car you can’t see. You could have emailed us all directly (I know you ave all our emails) and gave us real details for informed responses from those who still really care about There.com 😦 Frankly this whole thing confuses and worries me.
#1286 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.07 - 8:50 pm
We’ll be posting this in other places. This was just the most expedient for this moment, we’ll be putting on the There.com home page, etc.
We wouldn’t consider spamming old members – we’ve never believed in SPAM, and a huge % of the email addresses we had on file were invalid anyway.
The underlying assumption is that you would get what you had before in There, plus of course the extra development we’ve been doing since the public site closed. This includes any inventory you may have had when There closed. I’m sorry if that wasn’t clear.
As for “restrictions”, I thought that the only real new restriction was age, which many people, including myself have talked about. I didn’t see any more.
I hope this clears things up.
#1287 by Hugh5 on 2011.04.12 - 8:05 pm
Michael–Understood. However, sending targeted messages to existing members of There.com doesen’t fit the definition of spam in my book. It worries me as well if you see it as such. To me, it says “we want you back and we care”. Makena’s biggest shortcoming was it’s failure to communicate to us. Please don’t repeat that. When you re-launch, start up newsletters (not just forums) and keep us updated on everything “there”. I loved There.com but hated the poor communications. As for restructions, I say YES! We needed them then and it will keep There liquid. Go for it, but keep us informed. Don’t repeat Makena’s old bad habits of not telling us anything. As a beta-tester since 2002, I saw There.com start with enthusiasm, glee, lots of emails and newsletters. Then all that tapered off to sullenness, poor communications and a There-staff that seemed involved, but distant. Does anyone agree with me?
#1288 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.07 - 9:28 pm
And, oh, I didn’t think April 6th was “Close to 4/1/2011”, but when is it “not close” to “4/1/2011”? 4/15? 5/1?
#1289 by c5 on 2011.04.07 - 10:00 pm
That does clear up some things. Thank you. I still say the timing did seem odd and frankly worded a bit strangely as I was certain it was a joke at first. Such an endeavor to seek out interest in There again I thought would have been done differently. You even barely put such big news up without any requisite pomp and circumstance! I guess even an official email from There would still be met with skepticism but if it was echoed here and on the site, the old community would understand and oblige with an equally thunderous response.
Ok brass tacks time:
This sounds more like you are reopening doors to There as it was with a new pricetag
1)Old beta lifetimes would be honored for the time being, but with no guarantees?
2)Existing There1 bugs are still in effect? ie Broken?
3)The graphics will not be upscaled for next gen?
4) Developers will have access to their old catalogs?
5)There is no new content, buildings, islands, etc?
6)All old branded contract items and areas are gone?
7)There2 will/will not run mac and/or iPhones/iPads…
8)Will paid service come with tbux again?
Michael! I want my house and my beta mug back! (I drank it all to wash away the sorrow)
#1290 by c5 on 2011.04.07 - 10:13 pm
The bottom line for the user, I feel is this.
We are willing to pay for a good product and There was mostly a good product.
But we don’t want to pay for the same old product we had before.
If There2 is a pay product it should have new content and features worthy of that price.
Yet we do not want to pay for/invest in something that is temporary and will fail again.
Is there a strategy to reinvigorate There and re-target There2 to today’s free-to-play micro-transaction market?
What happens if the new strategy fails?
These are all real concerns. But the community still loves and misses There. We are a valuable resource in other VWs, and can be a valuable resource for There again.
But you ask us to lead with our wallets and that’s a scary thing to hear nowadays.
I truly want to believe and reinvest in There.com again.
But I don’t want to live in fear, that when painted into a corner again, are we going to have the lights turned out and be shown the door a 2nd time?
#1291 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.08 - 3:43 am
It sounds like you’ve answered your own questions. Thanks for reading!
#1292 by c5 on 2011.04.08 - 6:30 am
Actually I couldn’t see all the answers. Some real clarification would be nice, regardless ….
(I was able to get a copy of the survey again to go over)
1)Old beta lifetimes would be honored for the time being, but with no guarantees?
It seems paid service will be subject to change but does also apply to the lifetime beta accounts?
2)Existing There1 bugs are still in effect? ie Broken?
Really, will they? Have any of old issues been fixed?
3)The graphics will not be upscaled for next gen?
I did see a hi-res mode.
4) Developers will have access to their old catalogs?
I think you implied a yes in another persons response. We have our stuff yes, what are the new policies on selling our items? New submission fees? New auction fees? New Listing fees?
5)There is no new content, buildings, islands, etc?
“2 new activites”? Any details?
6)All old branded contract items and areas are gone?
I think you implied a yes to the items, but will branded areas exist in There2?
7)There2 will/will not run mac and/or iPhones/iPads…
There seems to be a There for OSX mentioned. Any plans for a portable There for mobiles?
8)Will paid service come with tbux again?
I didnt see any answer to this either.
I was mostly hoping you’d address the fears of an old beta about There’s vision in the new market…
We don’t want to see There close a second time.
(No word on that Beta Mug?)
#1293 by Mike Cesar on 2011.04.07 - 8:29 pm
Wow! A hope!
I think you should put a link on there.com to that survey.
MikeCesar
#1294 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.07 - 8:33 pm
Yes, we will be. Thanks.
#1295 by brainstew on 2011.04.07 - 8:07 pm
Question – if you were to reopen there.com, when do you think this start?
#1296 by pHluid13 on 2011.04.07 - 7:53 pm
I have bootcamp installed of course, but I anxiously await an OSX version as well.. and I am glad to hear of this upgrade in your notes..
#1297 by Brandyn_1 on 2011.04.07 - 7:35 pm
One quick question for you MW. In the Survey it says nothing about wether below 18 would get their accounts back. So my question is.. Will the people under 18 be able to get there accounts back?
I saw in the survey it said that “We would not be responsible for 18 and below.”
#1298 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.07 - 7:37 pm
No. There would be an 18+ world. Sorry.
#1299 by Brandyn_1 on 2011.04.08 - 3:13 am
So There2 would not benfit any 18 and below? Wasn’t 18 and below the most age group on There?
#1300 by Brandyn_1 on 2011.04.08 - 4:35 am
Would it be possible for you and the There Staff to reset everyone’s birth dates? I can see why you would want it 18+ because its cheaper.. and there was many immature greifers.. but it is horrible that others have to pay for their mistakes..
#1301 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.08 - 4:53 am
Reset birth dates? Why?
#1302 by Brandyn_1 on 2011.04.08 - 4:59 am
So it would be possible for under 18 to be in There. If the birth dates aren’t reset then those people cannot get they’re accounts back right?
#1303 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.08 - 5:15 am
Ummm, no. When you sign up again you will have to re-agree to the TOS, present a credit cars, and indicate you are 18 or older. Sorry.
#1304 by Antaios on 2011.04.11 - 11:49 am
Although it is true a good chunk of there was below 18 year of age 90% of those did not pay, could not pay.. and sucked on the resources of there.com in many fashions one that comes to mind was the begging and spamming members for stuff and money.. 80% of them never left the spawning areas and weren’t really using the system or the tools in which ate up alot of money.. so if your 18+ at-least there.com can be pretty sure you have a credit card have access or knowledge of getting money to pay for your membership.. I honestly wouldn’t want the freebie there.com it wasn’t a money maker and I said that many of times at staff meetings. so if there wants to take this road awesome.. one of many first steps they need to do, to restructure there.com…
#1305 by Panduh on 2011.04.18 - 8:53 am
@Antaios I think your “90% of them did not pay” statistic is a little off. Back when I was really into There, I was about 14 at the time. I did so many things to earn money to put into There. Chores for my parents, babysitting, cleaning for other people, etc. I would then ask my parents if I could charge X amount of money for the same amount I would give them in cash. They happily agreed. I never once charged their cards without permission. Most of my friends on There (who were mostly about 13-17) followed the same steps I did. Only about 1 or 2 of my friends on There (out of quite a few, I have a list of about 50 avatars I was friends with that I actually remember and there were probably more where that came from) never put a penny into There and only 1 of them charged their parents card without permission (and got banned a few hours later). I probably put about $30 a month into it. Maybe more, maybe less. I liked buying clothes, a few different styled houses, accessories for my house, and refills for my PAZ and paintball gun. But you’re right, a lot of kids don’t have access to anything to put money on a game. Maybe they could lower the 18+ restriction to 16+, kind of like what SecondLife did. I’ve found that most 16-17 year olds aren’t stupid enough to charge their parents card without permission, much less charge a ridiculous amount to overdraft something (by this age they should realize if they cause their parents to go broke, they’ll be broke too!). Hell, some 16-17 year olds even have their own card. Albeit it’s usually pre-paid but, it’s still money right? I should be 18 by the time There decides to re-open, if it re-opens, but a lot of my friends won’t be – not even close.
#1306 by Panduh on 2011.04.18 - 9:09 am
I also forgot to add… most 16-17 (even 15 in some places) year olds have a job too. And since their parents are (usually) still paying for their food and the roof over their head, etc., they tend to spend money on what they want. After There closed, I spent my money on an Xbox 360, some games for it, some new games for my Wii and ‘special’ food (as my parents would put it; basically things I didn’t really need) such as Red Bull since my parents still payed for all of my basic necessities since I’m not 18 quite yet.
#1307 by Carlos mmm on 2011.04.07 - 7:33 pm
This is so awsome i just found out about this i would love for there.com to open again 😀 ❤ i know alot of people will join back and even pay for it to re-open to they just want their virtual home back and to be
honest no other game could ever compare to there.com 🙂 the best plzzzzzzzzzzzz spread this survey tooooooooo all your fellow theirian soooooo we can get back there.com!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
#1308 by brainstew on 2011.04.07 - 7:32 pm
i want my paintball zone back. YEAH.
#1309 by LossAngeles on 2011.04.08 - 6:59 am
And lookie there, you are 18 now too lol. Isn’t that fitting !
#1310 by brainstew on 2011.04.09 - 3:31 pm
22* tyvm
#1311 by Hugh5 on 2011.04.12 - 7:55 pm
Greg! Just wanted to say hi. It’s been too long. One month after the closing, I decided to take on the task of creating my own There.com. I still plan on doing that even if Michael Wilson brings the old There.com back. If you’re curious, I have posted images on my FaceBook page charting the progress. See you in There?
#1312 by sam420 on 2011.04.07 - 7:30 pm
yes ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::( mw i miss there and love it i want to jump in a buggy and go there is the best i hope you do it :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::(
#1313 by daniel on 2011.04.19 - 5:46 pm
OMG SAM your the buggy bash dude right sat night live???? do you remember XjazzeyX or red_neckboy. at all?
#1314 by Zip on 2011.04.07 - 7:27 pm
Hi Michael,
Am I dreaming, someone slap me & wake me up!! This would be like a dream come true, I miss there so much & would be willing to pay top dollar for the privilege of using it again. Since There.com closed I have been wandering aimlessly around the virtual world communities, checking out all the virtual worlds & comparing them to There. Believe me when I say this, there is no virtual world out there that even comes close to There.com. And I’ve checked out a lot of them. There is the Best Virtual World ever!!! I miss everything about There & can’t wait to come home!! So please Michael, bring There back! It would be an honor to play again, thanks 🙂
Forever Therian,
Zip
#1315 by 70Leon on 2011.04.15 - 6:54 pm
Hey Zip, Make sure Gman is aware of this.. If you guys are still in touch.
#1316 by Richard Hallock on 2011.04.07 - 7:12 pm
I saw a link to this survey on Facebook. I read the information, then thought I would stop by here and jot you down a note about it. I was thinking it was a hoax. ‘doh! Then I saw your new post!
A very exciting posibility! This is the most hopeful thing I have heard in more than a year! I will keep my fingers crossed. It will be a tense 30 days though…
#1317 by Stone1 on 2011.04.07 - 6:54 pm
sorry, Michael, i don’t always read all there is to read about There, etc. Thanks for taking the time to clarify.
#1318 by jaybee on 2011.04.07 - 6:42 pm
I deleted most of my stuff when I thought we would get money back from auctions 😦 I would be glad to see there come back. I’d def pay. But part of me feels like why should we get our hearts and money invested to have it torn from us again. That was so hard to go through 😦 ………..hope if it comes back its put together better and not torn from us again.
#1319 by Susie Combest on 2011.04.07 - 6:37 pm
I am so happy to hear that you are thinking of reopening there.com. I will be so happy to give up all my other games that I am playing now. I was so sorry that THERE had to close. I will be so happy to play THERE again. And willing to pay. And am so glad you are keeping it to 18 or older.
#1320 by Nchanted on 2011.04.07 - 6:36 pm
Need you ask?! OF COURSE!
Unfortunately, many Therians won’t see this. But yes you should know that there isn’t a single Therian that I’ve spoken with that wouldn’t pay for the game to return!
#1321 by SassyBeMe on 2011.04.07 - 6:34 pm
Although my heart skipped a beat of excitement as I first read this post. I quickly crashed into mixed feelings. Most of the mission is upfront and sweet as I generally like. Yet a tinge of favoritism of the arrogant held in the breast pocket. Doubtful I could stop myself from trying it. I would have to say most games I have paid membership for has been average 90$ for 6 months. Paid for level boost with shop items. Gotta say though, what took ya so long? 🙂
#1322 by Truck on 2011.04.07 - 6:32 pm
ok here is a question.
8. “There2” Rental of Funzones and Real Estate would be reopened. However, rental fees and access for FunZone or Real Estate would be directly tied to your CPU resource/time use (ex. like a phone with 15 cents/hour charges).
So i would be running the 21st floor ( pazs) off my server? So if my server goes off-line due to a power outage the 21st floor poofs? and pops back when the system comes back on-line?
#1323 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.07 - 6:34 pm
No, not your server, but a server (or some realistic simulation of one) in the “Cloud”, which is a server farm maintained by someone like Amazon, or Rackspace, etc, and managed by There. So, when you want your Zone/Real Estate to be “up”, we would spin up a virtual server for you, and, in the end, you’d help pay for it.
#1324 by Truck on 2011.04.07 - 6:55 pm
good one “Cloud and up” like to have the 21st floor up in the clouds again..lol
Now help paying would be the payed paz time? or extra to the monthy subscription for the servers?
I remember dishing out about 88k to 120k a month for all the pazes even Charlena’s and Captk’s as well. most of the t-buxs were from Developer program sales or donations.
#1325 by Stone1 on 2011.04.07 - 6:28 pm
i’d pay … would love to get to use the bikes and hoverboats i’ve accumulated … and to see a few friends in There, again … or, would our accounts not be ‘restorable’ with all of our items? Guess i’d start over, yes. ‘tu bring it! Please. Thank you.
#1326 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.07 - 6:31 pm
As we’ve said many times before, we took a backup of the system after There closed, preserving everyone’s Avatars and possessions. IF There were to re-open, we’d restore your Avatar and it’s possessions to whatever it was when There closed. That’s what it actually says in the survey :-).
#1327 by Hugh5 on 2011.04.12 - 9:14 pm
My Hugh5 buddy lives. I have peculiar visions of Tron in my mind. I miss Hugh5. After 7 years, he was a literal extension of me.
#1328 by Ant on 2011.04.07 - 6:25 pm
I’ve been checking your blog here nearly everyday since there closed and this survey has made me so excited words can’t even describe.
#1329 by Brandyn_1 on 2011.04.07 - 6:22 pm
I just want to say this MW. Thank You. And If I was able to I would make this in BIG and I mean Big letters. ” Thank you”!!! So much for even doing this. I’m sure every member of There.com that has seen this Survey has millions of questions.. But let’s remember, That MW really really does care about There.com as much as all of us.. actually more maybe? But We should all be very thankful that MW would even think about this. 🙂
#1330 by debbilyn on 2011.04.07 - 6:18 pm
Yesss! Bring back there. Therians are scattered to the winds in games that just do not equal the quality, fun, and fellowship that There.com provided.
#1331 by LadyLeesha on 2011.04.07 - 6:11 pm
We were longtime members of there.com! We loved it there. We have now made so many friends in SL and would not leave them oir DJing there. However, if and only if all our items and I mean all our items were returned to us, we could split our time between There.Com and Sl. We miss our connections and would love it if the friends returned. Many miss There.com and the closeness we had there. The hole left cannot be filled. So Delthos and I would love for it to come back. We would so want to Steve and Ry of The Garage crowd and that gang and the Garage come back. Yes we both would pay a reasonable amount.
#1332 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.07 - 6:13 pm
Please take the survey, if you haven’t already. That’s how we will gauge interest.
#1333 by Roxannie on 2011.04.14 - 10:52 am
i would leave SL in a heart beat to go back to there.com whether i got my items back or not, i nearly have to force myself to log into SL
#1334 by Therians Fan on 2011.04.07 - 6:08 pm
I do hope There would return. Just out of curiosity, would there still be any sponsors events like we had before? There Games, CC Metro events, etc…? Will there be Helpers still or Greeters?
#1335 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.07 - 6:11 pm
The answer to all of those questions is “I don’t know yet.”.
#1336 by Therians Fan on 2011.04.07 - 6:16 pm
I do thank you again for taking in the time into consideration. I know we all need to take one day at a time. There has been our home and will still be…I would like to thank you again for making this survey in finding out how many people may join back.
#1337 by Therians Fan on 2011.04.07 - 6:22 pm
I did forget to ask, in regards to our FunZone, Neighborhoods, FrontierZones etc… How would that come along? Would we still be able to keep the property we currently own?
#1338 by Matt on 2011.04.07 - 6:08 pm
I honestly hope you do bring this back. However I fear what the result will be. With my OCD, it will most likely kill me since things will most likely be different but I’m willing to do my best to try and let that go. What I fear the most is that people’s hearts are already in other worlds or real life now and they have settled in and won’t come back. I certainly hope that if this is done that you will do it as soon as humanly possible while you still have most of our hearts with There.com that way we can get back as many of the members as possible. Also as I said in survey I’d be willing to pay anything less than $30 per month. I’d definitely say not to make it too high though so we still have some out of our monthly budget limits to buy therebucks. I loved being able to buy $100 therebucks monthly when there was no monthly fee.
To combat the issue of 3rd party therebuck resellers, should do some kind of exchange system controlled by There.com allowing members to exchange their therebucks for money to other members and There.com take a percentage of it as an administration fee. But of course unlike SL, there should also be that direct from there.com instead of always from the exchange market. I also honestly believe there would be some benefit to having a rating system in the card tables which could potentially bring some competitive players from places like Pogo.
Either way, please please, I beg you to do this and if you can, do it immediately within the next week. My health went to crap, I can’t sleep and eating has been crap since There.com shut down. MW, I would be happy to freely volunteer anything I can (including my programming knowledge in website development and c++, tech support, marketing, etc) to help you be able to bring this back with as little expense as possible. If this is something you would be interested in discussing my email chaosinc@sssnet.com
#1339 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.07 - 6:11 pm
Unfortunately, I can guarantee we will not be re-opening in the next week. It would take quite a bit more time to get things fired up again.
#1340 by Brandyn_1 on 2011.04.07 - 6:19 pm
For me the words from you MW of that There.com would return.. I could wait years for it.
#1341 by BigD26 on 2011.04.07 - 6:08 pm
Where do i sign and where do i enter my card details MW?
#1342 by Delthos on 2011.04.07 - 6:46 pm
amen
#1343 by Innie on 2011.04.07 - 9:12 pm
I am with BigD. Infact, being a beta……I would be willing to pay. Forget that lifetime member stuff. Just me some extras, but let me pay. 🙂 How about an unlimited beta mug, forever? I would take that 🙂
#1344 by Delthos on 2011.04.07 - 6:02 pm
are you kidding mike, you have no idea how many want to come back to there.com. i know of at least 150 people that i know who want it reopened, please we wish for you to reopen.
#1345 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.07 - 6:04 pm
I’m sure there are many people who would like to see There re-opened, and many who would pay. We’re hoping enough will indicate (honestly) that they’ll pay that we would be able to re-open it.
#1346 by Brandyn_1 on 2011.04.07 - 6:13 pm
Yes very very many people would Sign up for There.com once again. I would most likely do any of those payment options. 🙂
#1347 by Delthos on 2011.04.07 - 6:46 pm
yea i would come back, even if we had to pay we basicly were with all fo the submissions and paying in the rent on the pazzes, but even for the membership how much more could it be over what i was spending before, no worries i’ll comeback in a second if it were open today,
#1348 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.07 - 6:47 pm
Please take the survey, if you haven’t. We’re not going to count blog comments :-).
#1349 by Kevman95 on 2011.04.07 - 6:02 pm
Hello Micheal Wilson!
I have a question about my account, would i be able to return?
I had mistake chargeback happened to me, i always loved to play the game…and it was a mistake, i would glad to pay for reinstation.
Thanks, i was never a bad member in game…But this mistake your staff never would reinstate me.
I hope you can consider this.
Thanks
#1350 by blondy456 on 2011.04.07 - 5:51 pm
would love it there.come came back, especially if we gott things back too, all we can do is keep our fingers crossed,
#1351 by Josh on 2011.04.07 - 5:41 pm
So awesome! I only played There for the last week it was out. Probably 1/3 of my friends are Thereians so I will be able to play with them (If it comes out of course)
#1352 by Truck on 2011.04.07 - 5:37 pm
omg u mean i can get all my stuff back and the 21st floor???? i’ll pay the 10 a month fer starters
#1353 by Roxannie on 2011.04.14 - 10:46 am
omg yes i loved the 21st floor
#1354 by WikkedBliss on 2011.04.17 - 3:50 pm
HI Truck! and yay! the 21st floor!!! I am soooooooooooo sick of SL, I have a sim and friends and job and Im bored hahaha! I miss THERE!!!!!! I’ll PAY!!
Prays to the Therian Gods*
#1355 by BigD26 on 2011.04.07 - 5:36 pm
Oh please let this be true!!!
#1356 by brainstew on 2011.04.07 - 5:35 pm
DO IT!!!
#1357 by Amxscott on 2011.04.07 - 5:31 pm
All I can say is YES YES YES !!!!!
#1358 by Brandyn_1 on 2011.04.07 - 4:58 pm
Uh UH UH UH UH Wow! I never thought I would see this MW! 🙂
#1359 by Summer on 2011.04.07 - 4:36 pm
Is this where we check when we are looking for the final verdict?
#1360 by Winston on 2011.04.07 - 4:34 pm
MW,
!? I wish I had something more constructive to say.
#1361 by Cory on 2011.04.07 - 4:11 pm
Oh wow, interesting. Hope it opens 🙂
#1362 by Lisa on 2011.04.09 - 2:38 pm
This sounds Great, Being 21, It sounds Great. Carn’t wait too get My Home back 🙂
#1363 by Vanessa on 2011.04.10 - 12:14 pm
If it was looking to re-open when will we 100 percent no it going to re open?
#1364 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.10 - 12:18 pm
I’m sorry, I don’t understand the question?
#1365 by Vanessa on 2011.04.10 - 1:39 pm
Sorry about that Michael, If you decide you are going to open there.com when will we know it’s opening for sure?
#1366 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.10 - 1:48 pm
We need to let the survey run for a couple of weeks at least.
#1367 by Vanessa on 2011.04.10 - 1:54 pm
okay thanks!, If you do deciede that it will re open how long will it take to get up and running? And when there closed and we had there bucks on our account will we get that back? And we have more than one account and we just want to use one can we still log on quick to get our stuff to bring it to the other account we will use?
Thanks
I really hope you conisder to open there (:
#1368 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.10 - 2:06 pm
Not sure how long it will take to get it up and running.
It’s beginning to sound like we’re going to have to do some work to combine accounts, or handle multiple avatars under one account, before we open. The whole idea of “Let anyone log into an alt for a week…” sounds good but presents so many problems that we need a better solution.
The nice thing is since we’re starting with a nice, empty system (empty of avatars and inventory), we’ll only be restoring the folks that return and their inventories who return. We’ll also be able to “home” all of your posessions on your server which will automatically improve the performance of inventory.
#1369 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.10 - 2:07 pm
Not sure how long it will take to get it up and running.
It’s beginning to sound like we’re going to have to do some work to combine accounts, or handle multiple avatars under one account, before we open. The whole idea of “Let anyone log into an alt for a week…” sounds good but presents so many problems that we need a better solution.
The nice thing is since we’re starting with a nice, empty system (empty of avatars and inventory), we’ll only be restoring the folks that return and their inventories that return.
#1370 by Vanessa on 2011.04.10 - 2:16 pm
Will there still be the same with everything like the places? there games? paintball etc? or will you be changing it alot?
#1371 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.10 - 2:18 pm
Yes. It will be as close to the way you left it as possible. We were even talking about making sure your avatar re-spawns exactly where you left it (with the exception of those who will end up in “Carbonite Valley”, that is).
#1372 by Vanessa on 2011.04.10 - 2:22 pm
Do you think we will have a answer by june if it is or not?
#1373 by Michael Wilson on 2011.04.10 - 2:24 pm
Yes, we should know by june.
#1374 by Curt Sigler on 2011.04.20 - 11:58 am
Michael,
I am excited about the possibility of There II opening but I have a question I haven’t seen. I had several Paid Accounts for developing under 2 names and for chat under one.
In the new There.com would I be allowed to make all 3 paid accounts and their developer items and such into one so I wouldn’t have to pay the fee monthly for three accounts. I could and would of course prove through the email and developer textures etc that I was all 3…
Thanks for trying to get There back up, my life online has not been the same since!
#1375 by Marianne (JoyofLife) on 2011.04.10 - 3:07 pm
I posted this link on 40 “THERE” oriented facebook groups… everyone please keep passing the word to Thereians in SL, Utherverse, NEW WORLD etc. Let’s support this reopening!!! GO Micheal Wilson, and please ignore the silly and negative responses/questions. I can’t believe some folks are already naysaying. I AM THRILLED AND PRAY THIS COMES TRUE. I’m in for $100 and month right now.
#1376 by LOSER on 2011.04.10 - 11:54 pm
ME2 I CAN’T FRICKEN WAIT
#1377 by Kenny Ken25 on 2011.04.29 - 6:48 am
lol yeah i can see myself paying a monthly fee easy, plus 50 to 100 bucks just buying stuff, and making silly moivies.
#1378 by Simone on 2011.04.12 - 1:11 pm
Hi MW,
I read over much of the comments and answers from youI am howvever, still very confused. I owned a hood in There.com my hood was paid for in advance like 2 months in advance and no time used on it since I paid for the day before you made the announcement > I was also a beta member and I had multiple account which as long as I get my items back I would happy. My biggest question and concern is that I want my hood back. The hood you rode your hoverboard through the last night the hood I put my heart money and time into decorating the hood that was never empty. I would be willing to pay you a monthly fee to play a fee to buy t-bux from there.com like I had from the beginning but I would be reluctant to come back if I do not get my hood back . All of my residents are ready to come live in my hood again and I want to have a hood without being broke. I figure out is it is .25 per hour even it would be 165 per month for my hood since it hopped from the time you opened till the daily restart . 120. a month was fine with me and I would be willing to pay that again however I want my hood back the same hood and I want it paid for like it was not have it ripped from me like a mean kid would steal a lolli pop . BTW I took your survey but I am still left with this concern since I logged out for the last time standing in my hood.