Maverick Designs becomes The Aether Emporium

<!– /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:”"; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:”Times New Roman”; mso-fareast-font-family:”Times New Roman”;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} –>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:”Table Normal”;
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-parent:”";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:”Times New Roman”;
mso-ansi-language:#0400;
mso-fareast-language:#0400;
mso-bidi-language:#0400;}

Hey there!

Maverick Designs is now *insert loud trumpets* The Aether Emporium. We have a new look and a bunch of new products. To celebrate the re-branding of the store we are offering three different crypts and a handful of items for decorating your ghoulish graveyard. Each crypt is mod/copy and bits n pieces include 5 single prim sculpted grave stones, one stone with a skull on it, an obelisk gravestone, an odd tentacle plant thing and a potted shrubbery. All of the bits n pieces are copy/no mod. This is the perfect pack for creating graveyard or adding to an existing location. Normally buying this stuff from The Aether Emporium would be over 1000L but from now until midnight on October 31st you can get the whole package for 500L.

We have also lowered prices on some of the old products and started adding new builds, new props and new set dressing for RP environments. We have also installed a new vendor to rezz examples of the various builds. The dust is still clearing but come over and check out the changes!

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Desperation%20West/83/211/399

peddle peddle peddle

Interesting few weeks in the ‘ol LL forums.  So various arguments in the SLX forums have reinforced my belief that too many people do not understand that the words “some” “few” “many” have no place in a discussion involving fact and proof.  When someone states that they know that “most” of the free textures in SL are pirated because that person had to ask “many” merchants to remove product then that person is operating on a massive assumption.  Unless said person can show that they visited every single texture seller in SL and spoke to those merchants, preferably with a chat log then I am inclined to call shenanigans on them.  Frankly I see this as a fine example of a minor witch hunt.  I was so glad that someone got some press/blog attention drawn to the fact that TRU artists (and more than a few non TRU artists) often sell things they should not, but it became an excuse for one party to then start flinging accusations of piracy in all directions.  Worse still, the various exchanges in the forums show that the TRU owner is either not in the know regarding copyright law and fair use or worse THINKS they are in the know.  There are a lot of misconceptions and misrepresentations on both sides.  Unfortunately the person who got up in LBF’s grill obviously doesn’t know as much as they think they do either.  It is a business which could use more checks and balances

It looks like LL is peddling, backwards that is.  The SL5B thing is such a freaking train wreck.  Then again it could just be brilliant anti scandal marketing on their part.  By making a stink regarding the mingling of child and adult AV’s and stressing the PG nature of the event they have guaranteed some sort of press/blog coverage.  Any press is good press right?  Well now I wonder if you are going to see more people looking for the “naughty” side of SL simply because LL made such a big stink to cover it up.  Too, why does sex need to have a stigma attached to it.  Yes I know that SL is full of strippers and escorts and cam girls and tons of sex workers.  Yes it is a digital deviant’s wet dream play ground but there are sex positive groups and educational groups that wont be able to participate because they simply cannot be totally PG with their content.  It isn’t a family show and all the work to present a positive face to the media with regards to the company in general is a lot of effort for very little return.  Critics are going to find something negative no matter what.  That is that a critic does no matter how good a face you try to put on the project.  It seems like 90% of the responses to the LL blog posts are negative too.  It makes me wonder why those users don’t spend their time elsewhere since they are so unhappy with what LL does (or does not) do.  Now everyone is freaked out about the “big announcement”.  So where do you go if you are tired of SL but want to find similar community, content creation and frolics without things that everyone is bitching about?

love

I love it when people who don’t own the copyright to an image or piece of art clap a copyright symbol on that image take it into SL and sell it telling anyone who buys it that they can’t sell it.  Anyone else catching the irony here?  There is a reason why some animals eat their young.

pointless endeavor

It occurs to me that to refute critics of SL is a pointless exercise.  Every single time I make the attempt I am either answered with hyperbole or a stubborn mulish response where in said person sticks to their guns.  While that is commendable, the latest instance just proves that the reviewer was actually a complete moron.  How anyone can spend four weeks on the grid and not find concerts, art shows, lectures and classes is beyond me.  How someone once hearing of these things can go on about how they are not “real” is truly beyond me.  When I go listen to a musician playing and that musician is in Dublin, Ireland how is that not real?  It is live music, yes via my computer, but still live.  If I sit in on a lecture some where is the information being passes to me less valid or less real than if I were sitting in a lecture hall?

Please Mr. Reviewer forgive me for stepping foot into your very closed minded space.  I am certain that you will get along nicely with all of the other bean counters out there.  I wash my hands of you.

In other news . . .

The store is chugging right along.  My traffic averages about 30 hits a day which isn’t stupendous by any stretch but it is better than a poke in the eye.  I am putting the finishing touches on a larger (well ok its over 100 prims so for me it is large) castle keep.  It is really tough for me to get into producing content at the moment since I am currently packing everything Rai and I own because we are moving to WA in a fairly short time.  I really want to get going on the clothing and weaponry aspect of things but that is a time intensive path compared to buildings which go up pretty quick.

I am half tempted to look for compatible business partners with complimentary skills.  This hasn’t worked out terribly well in the past but I am not sour on the idea yet.  Too, it looks like Ella is going to get back to jewelry making which is groovy cause she rocked at it.

content

I really do not understand why someone would think it is ok to go to a site that provides free 3D resources, take those resources, package them and sell them in SL. It’s bad enough that you find people selling the art work of various famous and professional artists, obviously without the artists permission. But profiting off of either scenario just turns my stomach. One such in world merchant maintains the USC Department store. Now I know that any press is good press and I do recommend people go there and poke around. There is not better way to show as many people as possible what a crooked establishment it is. Just don’t buy anything unless you know it isn’t stolen from someone else.

verbosity

Ok, using a bunch of 10 cent words does not make up for the fact that a reviewer obviously didn’t spend any real amount of time in SL.  It just bugs me that people focus on the “negative”aspects without ever truly spending enough time to find the redeeming aspects of the grid.

Somedays . . .

I admit I am an ass about something.  People selling crap is a big issue with me.  So I dropped the guy selling the japanese building for way too much money a note letting him know that if he is going to charge that much, he really needs to not use crap textures.  So he tracks me down in SL.  Here is the conversation that ensued.

[20:12]  Jonny Dusk: Sup there   Andrew MacEwen
[20:13]  Jonny Dusk: Next time you have a problem with someones price of a building no need to go get an alt to do so, be a man say what you have to say and go about your business
[20:14]  Mace Maverick: i haven’t used an alt for anything. you should know what you are talking about before you get in someones grill
[20:14]  Jonny Dusk: happens to be a to scale recreation, its a novelty item, if someone doesn’t want it there’s nothing making them buy it
[20:14]  Jonny Dusk: well you probably need to check this guy then
[20:15]  Jonny Dusk: see he sent me a message on SL Exchange, complaining about pricing, and was brilliant enought to leave a SLUrl to Maverick Designs
[20:15]  Mace Maverick: yeah thats me, that is my name. other wise it wouldn’t be on my profile
[20:15]  Jonny Dusk: and you my friend happen to ironically be complaining about the exact same thing on your WordPress blog
[20:16]  Mace Maverick: i think you are charging too much for crap textures and primmy builds so i said something about it
[20:16]  Jonny Dusk: yeah i know, I’m not new bro, I do mostly poses anyway, i could care less to be perfectly honsest
[20:17]  Jonny Dusk: no adays to many spineless people hide behind the internet, see no isn’t that a lot easier
[20:17]  Jonny Dusk: ok fine sorry ya feel that way, plenty of SL to go around
[20:18]  Jonny Dusk: I been here long enough little phases me, grow up dude, do you, and quit worrying about other people so much, maybe you’ll find a little more solice in that then cowardlyly leaving messages and stuff like that
[20:19]  Jonny Dusk: best of luck to you, now you know your just not quite as slick as you thought you were, reread your TOS by the way, and you have a good one
[20:19]  Jonny Dusk: Dog out ~1!
[20:19]  Mace Maverick: who’s cowardly? you have your wires crossed.
[20:20]  Mace Maverick: you should specify which TOS you mean and frankly you need a dictionary in the worst way.
[20:22]  Mace Maverick: When I see people selling crap i tend to call them on it, i am also an activist for IP rights and copy/trademark protection.  Your insinuation is as insulting as it is unwarranted.  Thanks for taking the time to track me down and provide this enlightening conversation though.  I really appreciate your time and efforts.
[20:22]  Mace Maverick: oh my watch the mute button work.

So I don’t know he thought maybe because I use a different name on SLX that I was hiding from something?  Not certain there.  I do use my own name on the SLX just in case any significant gain ever comes from sales there.  If I put Mace Maverick on my tax forms the IRS might get a bit tetchy.

Not as slick as I thought I was?  I wasn’t trying to be slick.  I had a gripe, I made my gripe and this bone head thinks I was trying to hide behind an alt?  Tell you what champ, why don’t you take the criticism in the light it was meant to be taken and maybe think about not trying to push crap on people for outrageous prices.  Now don’t get me wrong.  If some goombah wants to pay that price there is nothing I can do to stop them and just maybe they should get taken like that.  Maybe I should mind my own business and just accept that there are people out there who charge too much for crap builds.  But then maybe I just want to try and do my part to maintain a level of quality in SL content.  I guess that will show me.

Maybe I will just stop expressing opinions to other content creators.  I mean it does make me look petty right?  So to Jonny Dusk, sorry dude, lower your price.  The rest of your product seems groovy.  To the guy selling WoW based stuff, it’s a bad idea but more power to you.  I look forward to reading about the litigation.  To the fellow selling his product for TWICE the amount listed on the product slides . . . sorry man got nothing positive for you.  Now that I know how easy it is to make DCS2 compatible melee weapons I cannot in good conscience pay 1600L for a cheap ass Norman broad sword that sells for 250L for the SpellFire system which requires a lot more work to script.

Maybe I need a break from SL.  Maybe I just need to take pains to be less critical of other people.

Pricing?

How do some people arrive at their prices?  I mean seriously who thought it was a good idea to sell a crap build for 2k L$?  Worse still, who decided to build a massive post modern monstrosity with a huge number of prims and then sell it for 10k L$?  People must buy the stuff right or else these guys would stop building and selling this crap.  Worse even than that, have you guys seen the ACS 10L line of buildings?  Most of them are 100L.  Yeah I know, what happened to 10L?  They are also about as basic as you can get, built with crap ass textures and zero bells and whistles.

Too!  If you use freebie, non tiling textures you really should not charge 2k L$ for a simple boxy traditional japanese building with WAY too many prims and zero gadgets/features.  There are some awesome buildings out there you can get for free, or better still look for creators like myself who try to balance build quality (prim levels) and use good textures and charge a reasonable amount for the product.

It just really bugs me that people selling junk are able to sell it.

trip out

Ok so a while ago I started selling on the SLX again, despite my general dislike of how they run their show.  I really needed to weigh the dislike against improved sales.  So far I get a lot of traffic, not so much on the sales.  But while perusing the marketplace to see what other things are selling well I keep seeing these massive ultra modern housing nightmares that are selling for 80 or 90 USD.  Do people buy these monstrosities?  I mean hundreds of prims worth of house.  Stock textures or freebie textures.  A few gadgets.  Ok my builds don’t have many gadgets but I am trying to include a few, most notably more use friendly locking doors and some privacy windows. Why I am obsessed with that I do not know. Anyone who wants to see in your pad just has to cam in and getting beyond a locked door it dramatically easy if you have any furniture in your house.

I mean is it a size thing? I can build big although it just happens much of my work is smaller and very budget friendly. I am working on a tower right now (think wizards tower) and so far the base is only 18 prims. I doubt it will be more than 30 total and the whole mess should end up well under 100. So once I have my massive building do I turn around and sell it for a ton of L$? I think I really need to re read my marketing books. I have been trying to provide affordable product to encourage repeat business but it may be time to up the stakes and create some pricey product.

SLX

So despite my general distrust of the organization I have re listed my product on the SLX.  All of my products in all of my vendors are now mod/copy no transfer in the hopes that this will drive up sales.  It was actually a pretty good week with about 2k in sales.  I think as long as I manage to create somewhat unique builds then people will keep coming to the shop.