Slashed T-shirts To Pay For Metaverse?

Rezzable slashme <3 prim - prim feels violated

by Pixeleen Mistral, National Affairs desk

My iMojo 3G phone delivered an odd bit of email this morning -  a survey from metaverse development company Rezzable focused on online sales of real life t-shirts - a vital fashion accessory for basement-dwellers virtual world residents worldwide.

Strictly speaking, this was not exactly spam - Rezzable and I had some sort of virtual relationship in the distant past, and the mail was careful to point this out. Still, the faint whiff of a certain canned meat product actually piqued my interest. I clicked through the survey and was quickly directed to a page where -  surprise - Rezzable is selling real life t-shirts.

Does this mean that the micro-payment economy of Second Life is not keeping up with the macro-payment tier tithes to the game gods?

While Rezzable’s Greenies sim is an enjoyable diversion from the serious business of the Second Life, questions about the long term funding of the venture have lingered.  Some fanboys have even suggested in-world clothing sales as a viable business model. Either that suggestion was garbled by the time it reached Rezzable, or someone did the math.

So the real business model for the virtual realm is now clear - clothing sales. This is not such a bad approach. It is widely believed that some classic bands kept themselves afloat with real-life merchandise sales - the Ramones come to mind - and rares in the t-shirt realm fetch surprising fees at Christies.

Will t-shirt sex and violence save Second Life?

Rezzable is promising an alternative to  the slash me tee - a forthcoming shirt will illustrate SL’s core values with a classic SL tableau -- a noob and an escort considering the merits of the pink and blue sex balls. I understand where Rezzable is going with their new clothing line, but do these sorts of fashion statements fit in with the Lab’s new immersive business meeting marketing message?

Comments

[Pappy Enoch]

All I gots tu say am:

"Jump on that-thar blue ball, boy, afore she runs off an' yu ends up wif two blue-balls!"

Hoo-whee. Am I knotty o' whut?

PS: Anysohow, I aims tu buy mee wun o' them Rezzmerbull shurts soon's I gits sum munny (don't hold yo' breaths a-waitin'). If'n it wurked fo' the Ramone famberly, shurt-sales mite save this-hear kump'ny.

PPS: Dee-Dee Ramone am a Hillbilly name if'n evur they was wun, and Uncle Festus used to holler "Gabba Gabba Hey!" when his hawgs got loose from the pen.

PPPS: That Greenie thang am plumb awful: They shood bee klosed rite down...I dun bin abducted by wun o' them Greenie Flyin' Saucers an' probed in the wurst sort o' way by an outer-space Greenie proctolygist. I still ain't walkin' rite.

PPPPS: I'm dun filosofizin'...let's git drunk.

[Sigmund Leominster]

The clever thing about the marketing is that the Greenies folks stay clear of any branding issues by not using any Linden Lab(R) trademarks, yet at the same time catch the attention of the SL(TM) resident who is familiar with the "/me" form and can understand pictures.

Whether they catch on is a different thing. The reason people wear T-shirts with slogans or logos is to identify themselves as belonging to some group/tribe/clique, and wearing the "ME HEART BOX" would be somewhat cryptic to the majority of your colleagues.

Still, another example of Capitalism at its best - if they buy it, cash will come.

[cube3]

Weve been selling StarbaseC3 T-shirts, mugs etc etc via cafepress. like thousands of other original content studios on the web since 1999.

slow news day i guess.
:)

[Marine Sniper]

How much are those shirts? There nothing I would wear in real so was hoping there cheaper the TP!

[Archie]

yes they do flog them to the public,
trouble is -the basic shirt is not that inspiring
and consists mostly of white space.

Pity I'd love something a bit more Rezzable kooky styled.

[rightasrain]

we will be releasing more designs, the slashmeloves prim was just the first one. It actually is a little harder to make a nice real shirt than a virtual one :0... We are sourcing 100% organic shirts and using a range of printing techniques including inkjet. So check it out over time and hopefully there will be something at least somewhat interesting for everyone who wants to wear some thing about the virtual in the real world.

[mootykips]

i too am a huge fan of boxes on the internet.

[Cube]

Would anyone actually ware a T shirt advertising to the world that you are a SL resident, let alone one displaying sex animation balls with a some clip art?

[Pappy Enoch]

Cube dun writ:

"Would anyone actually ware a T shirt advertising to the world that you are a SL resident, let alone one displaying sex animation balls with a some clip art?"

Ol' Son, lemme tell yu sum'fin: If'n they pade me enuf, sho as hell I wood! I'd ware that shurt (an' nuffin' else) in a heavy-luvin' corn-test.

Ain't gonna hurt me in the wimmin departmunt. I gots so many purty gals aftur me in that fake wirld I NEEDS sum sort o' discouragermunt tu keep 'em off.

[samlowry]

These tee shirts appeared looking so nice, so i bought one the 1st february... At this day, nothing arrived.. Let me show you the message i recieved lately and since then, i have no news...
24 février 2009 11:44:36 HNEC meral.crifasi@rezzable.com
"Hello,
Due to unforeseen circumstances we are experiencing some delay on shipment of our first batch of T shirts from Turkey to our London Offices.
We still have your order details and do apologize for this delay. We are doing everything we can to get you the t shirts on time as promised.
We will be offering you some wonderful discounts and presents to show our appreciation of your support and patience as we start on this new project.
I will give you the update as soon as I personally mail you the t shirt =)
www.rezzable.com/tshirts
Many Thanks,
Meral Crifasi"
Voila! 1 month and half after i have no news more and i begin to do a report for cheating with paypal. Please take care about this, it seems not to be the way it seems. Don't make the same mistake as me, avoid to order this products, they can't follow your command. Hoping it will help.
yours
Sam

[samlowry]

So private it is: Hope it is because you re not in front of your cp. I want to believe you didn't put my comment on your site because that... Journalism means too to go in reverse when it needs, for information.Really hope that it is not because rezzable is a friendship website that you accept that..
Even i could understand troubles , i want to believe that you "report" beside friendships i know important in here.
Yours
Sam