News.blog: Second Life delays price hikes

It seems that customer outcry can make a difference, contrary to conventional wisdom that companies operate by their own set of rules, users be damned.

This is true at least in the case of the virtual world Second Life, as its publisher, Linden Lab, announced on Wednesday that it was delaying price increases for its private islands until 15 November.

The company had announced in a blog entry that it was imposing hefty rate hikes as of Wednesday -- from $1,250 to $1,675 (£880) in upfront costs and from $195 to $295 (£155) in monthly maintenance fees.

But many community members were upset because they felt that they did not have enough time to react to the pricing change. Also, some were unhappy that Linden Lab had given advance notice of the change to a select group of developers.

So in a blog entry on Wednesday afternoon, the company said it had heard the vociferous complaints from the Second Life community upon word of the initial announcement getting out and had decided to hold off on increasing the rates for two weeks.

"After listening to the community, we recognise that we did not give you enough time to react to the pricing changes," the company wrote.

It's not clear how many Second Life residents will avail themselves of the opportunity to buy an island between now and 15 November, but it's interesting that Linden Lab decided to respond with the delay when they didn't have to.