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| Ozimals |
On
May 17th ,2017 Ozimals closed
it's doors and shut down all services to Pufflings and Bunnies.
The closing is due to an ongoing legal
issue that has continued for seven years. A Cease and Desist Order was
delivered to Malkavyn Eldritch on May 15th, 2017. Malkavyn sent out a notice and offered free
eternal timepieces and other “goodies” so people could keep their bunnies with
them after the servers went down. The Pufflings
were not so lucky, there was nothing to save them.
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| Lanai consuling hysterical bunnies |
If you are not familiar with Ozimals, what
this means for the bunnies after the servers are down is; the bunnies will not
be able to eat and enter into a hibernation state, in other words shut down and
sleep forever. As stated ,Pufflings
ceased to function as soon as the servers went down. Bunnies who are
Everlasting will continue to function as usual. Bunnies with the Eternal
Timepieces will also be able to function without cost . The drawback is that
the Bunnies are now sterile. Bunnies who
are not Everlasting will cease to function and enter into hibernation.
While this effort was generous, it has still
left many owners, breeders and merchants with little consolation and very big
losses.
Touring around various locations where Ozimals
are sold, bred and more importantly, owned, one begins to understand the scope
of this action. This has effected a
large number of SL residents who have spent enormous amounts of money on stock,
food, accessories and housing for their Ozimals and countless time in caring
and monitoring them. The emotional cost cannot be measured in Lindens nor
money, just as in RL, our pets are not just dogs or cats to us , neither were
the Ozimal Pufflings and Bunnies to those who avidly cared for them.
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| Staicy Halsey |
One
visit I made was to Purple Rain Breedables owned and operated by Staicy
Halsey. It is a beautiful place and
Staicy has many animals all very well cared for. Staicy was kind enough to answer some questions
regarding her Ozimals, what follows is her answers to my questions;
How does this event affect Breeders,
Merchants and Owners on SL?
Staicy :” This effects us a lot mostly in
our hearts . When I got the news I cried and felt devastated and I still am. We all miss the
bunny/Puffling game a lot. Stores are empty and lands are gone.”
Has any long term solution been brought
forth or any indication that should legal issues be resolved in the future,
that all owners can "wake" or revive their bunnies .?
Staicy : Well, we all keep the nest in our inventory , so if this would
be resolved in the future I don't think it will be a problem to wake them up ,
but I'm not 100% sure of that.
And for now we got a big pack from Ozimals
with goodies to save the bunnies , you can make them a forever pet for free but
your bunny will not be able to breed anymore .
Is
there still a market for collectors or people who simply love their Ozimal
rabbits? Can they trade or sell what
they have to others ?
Staicy : “Yes there is a new group its
called For The Love Of Oz .
A group for the remaining lovers of Ozimals
Bunnies and Pufflings - intending to support each other and deal with the loss
of Ozimals as we move forward. ♥ “
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| Pixel Ghost |
The
losses from Ozimals are widespread and have left some people with more
questions than answers and they feel worried for other stock they have . As Pixel Ghost ( Pixel Pets Market)
explained there is little protection it
seems, for breedable owners in general.
“I am devastated by the loss of my bunnies
and my Pufflings™. I will never do any other breedable animal in the virtual
world of Second Life. I invested most of my SL with my bunnies and puffies. I
had friends in the community who bred both of these virtual pets. I have thousands
of nests and eggs that will now be placed in boxes just in case. But, I know
they won't ever be back. And, if they were, I wouldn't be involved in them
again.”
“I
am extremely angry with the coder who sued Ozimals as well as with the texture
artist who had attorneys issue the Cease and Desist order against Ozimals.
Those two people had no concern or consideration for how their actions affected
the community as a whole with regard to the end user. They care only about
their profit margin. The entire community plans to boycott them and anything
they touch in SL. I have contacted my Senator and Congressmen and encouraged
others to do so because the texture artist is from Canada and she is sometimes
paid by my USA government for 3D projects in SL. I'm sure we have wonderful 3D
artists in the United States so there is no need to go outside our country for
it.”
“While I will not do another breedable animal,
my friends are concerned about other breedables. If this could happen to
bunnies and pufflings, then it could happen to any breedable. What if
KittyCats' owner decides to close her servers. What if Fawns' owners tires of
their "game." Who protects their communities from financial and
emotional loss? No one protects the end user in any virtual game.”
“For
me, this new attitude extends to the VR World of SL and to everything on the
Internet. With the flip of a switch on a server it can all end in the blink of
an eye. It's not worth it anymore to even be in this world. I am kindling all
my bunnies and boxing them by fur type in case someone still wants to collect
them. But, absolutely nothing can be done to save our Pufflings™ even though we
paid L$1150 to perpetuate many of them. They are totally worthless.”
“The
bunnies will hibernate only if the owner did not make it to the shop to get the
free box of tools to save them".
I am incredibly sad. I got bunnies on my
Father's birthday one year after he died and 2 weeks after my only sister died.
The bunnies helped me heal emotionally from my grief while I finished nursing
school. I miss them. I am lost in SL. It's all I ever did for the past seven
years. They are just pixels to many but so much more to those who cared for
them.”
“I pay LL for a full sim tier because I
needed the prims for my bunnies/puffies. I no longer need it. I spent an
additional $100 USD a month on virtual food. This will hurt the SL Market in
addition to breeders. But, for the breeders it is an emotional loss; not just a
financial loss.”
for
a look at Pixel Ghost's Pufflings - https://www.flickr.com/photos/pixelghost
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| Giada |
Even
the most pragmatic of dealers in the Ozimal world acknowleges the real loss and
anger from the sudden end of breedables.
Giada Visconti owner of “ LIL BUNNY PATCH and PETS! “ ,
says when asked how merchants are dealing
with events
“ Cope....this
is not the end of the world or my life...my life existed outside of Ozimals and
it will continue to do so...I think it sucks that we have invested so much
money into it and now...all is wasted...You would think that someone that
starts a business would make sure to have all copyrights straight for a product
for which they are selling...it makes me mad is all.”
There have been other issues in the past
with some breedables . With the closing of Ozimals in SL, the fall out has far
reaching effects.,both in the real world and the virtual world. The people who bred, sold and owned Ozimals
are left wondering about the future of the stock they own at the moment and
where that will lead in the future . They don't know if there is a future. Some of these breeders and merchants have
stock from other companies and this issue with Ozimals is raising some real
questions about the future of breedables on SL. Pixel Ghost asked some important
questions about the financial losses and risks breedable groups face. There seems no protection for the customer
and no recourse in an event like this one.
The
fact that these people , Staicy Halsey, Pixel Ghost and Giada Visconti, still
reeling from the whirlwind of events, took the time to speak with this reporter
and answer my questions, says an enormous amount about the heart of the Ozimal
community.
For
information on the legal issues regarding Ozimals :
Inara
Pey's -Living in the Modern World
Press Release of the Legal Issues
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