OpenSim Sees Record User Growth Amidst Grid Closures
In a remarkable turn of events, OpenSim has reported an increase of 1,039 active users this month, reaching an all-time high of 48,234. This surge in user activity is accompanied by a growth in total land area, which expanded by 489 standard region equivalents. However, this positive trend is tempered by a significant decline in the total number of registered users across all public OpenSim grids, which has dropped by more than 10,000 since May.
The Impact of 3rd Rock Grid’s Closure
The closure of 3rd Rock Grid, one of the oldest and most established OpenSim grids, has been a major factor in this decline. Founded in 2008, 3rd Rock Grid had accumulated a substantial user base over the years, boasting 13,615 registered users as of last month. However, it only reported 250 active users, indicating a long-term trend of declining engagement. Following its closure, some of its communities have migrated to ZetaWorlds, but the overall loss of registered users is notable.
A Snapshot of Current OpenSim Grids
As of now, there are 2,663 public grids in total, with 309 active grids. Out of these, 253 grids published their statistics this month. Notably, several grids, including CandM World, did not report their stats this month, despite being active. CandM World had over 500 active users in May, highlighting the importance of consistent reporting for visibility and engagement.
If you manage a grid and have a stats page that we’re not tracking, please reach out to us at [email protected] to ensure your grid is included in future reports.
Leading Grids by Land Area and User Activity
This month, OSgrid emerged as the largest grid by land area, boasting 32,547 standard region equivalents. Meanwhile, Wolf Territories Grid took the lead in user activity, recording 6,232 unique logins over the past 30 days. This distinction underscores the competitive nature of OpenSim, where grids vie for both land and user engagement.
It’s important to note that our statistics do not include most grids running on DreamGrid, a free and user-friendly version of OpenSim, as these are typically private grids.
OpenSim: A Versatile Virtual World Platform
OpenSim is a free, open-source virtual world platform that allows users, regardless of technical skill, to create and explore virtual environments. For those with technical expertise, OpenSim can be run on personal servers using DreamGrid or the official OpenSim installer. Commercial hosting options are also available, starting at less than $5 per region.
For those looking to dive into OpenSim, a list of OpenSim hosting providers is available, along with recommendations for the Firestorm viewer and resources for acquiring content for your OpenSim world.
Monthly OpenSim Newsletter
To keep up with the latest developments in the OpenSim community, we are launching a monthly newsletter that will be sent out on the 15th of each month, right after the stats report is published. You can subscribe here to receive updates directly in your inbox.
Top 25 Grids by Active Users
In the realm of social grids, user activity is a crucial metric. Here are the top 25 grids for this month:
- Wolf Territories Grid: 6,232 active users
- OSgrid: 5,186 active users
- GBG World: 2,239 active users
- DigiWorldz: 2,156 active users
- Alternate Metaverse: 2,025 active users
- Vida Dupla: 1,750 active users
- Darkheart’s Playground: 1,694 active users
- WaterSplash: 1,650 active users
- Neverworld: 1,101 active users
- AviWorlds: 1,068 active users
- Trianon World: 1,023 active users
- Moonrose: 936 active users
- AvatarLife: 930 active users
- Littlefield: 899 active users
- Party Destination Grid: 839 active users
- Astralia: 836 active users
- Craft World: 791 active users
- Virtualife: 666 active users
- Kitely: 627 active users
- ZetaWorlds: 596 active users
- Eureka World: 583 active users
- Groovy Verse: 514 active users
- Herederos Grid: 511 active users
- Virtual Vista Metaverse: 507 active users
- Adreans-World: 503 active users
The addition of Virtual Vista Metaverse to this list marks a significant milestone, showcasing the ongoing growth and evolution of the OpenSim ecosystem.
Online Marketplaces for OpenSim Content
The Kitely Market continues to thrive, with 20,793 product listings and 40,862 product variations, of which 35,648 are exportable. This marketplace has delivered orders to 624 OpenSim grids, making it the largest collection of legal content available in the OpenSim universe.
Kitely has recently doubled the performance of its regions while maintaining competitive pricing, further enhancing its appeal to users.
New Grids and Suspensions
This month, two new grids were added to our database: Lady’s Dreamworld and Virtual Vista Metaverse.
Conversely, 18 grids were marked as suspended, including notable names like Admeja, Bubble Grid, and EducaSim. If these grids do not come back online soon, they will be marked as closed in future reports.
Conclusion
The OpenSim community is experiencing a dynamic phase of growth and change. While the closure of established grids like 3rd Rock presents challenges, the increase in active users and land area indicates a resilient and evolving ecosystem. As new grids emerge and existing ones adapt, the future of OpenSim looks promising. If you know of any public grids that are not yet in our database, please reach out to [email protected] to help us keep our records up to date.
Stay tuned for more updates and insights into the vibrant world of OpenSim!