Title: OpenSim Grids Report Record Growth in Active Users and Land Area
Introduction:
OpenSim, a free and open-source virtual world platform, is experiencing significant growth in active users and land area. In the month of June, the public OpenSim grids recorded over 2,600 new active users, the biggest increase since last fall. Additionally, the total land area reached a record high, with 125,841 standard region equivalents.
Hypergrid-Enabled Grids Drive Growth:
All the growth in OpenSim can be attributed to hypergrid-enabled grids. In contrast, non-hypergrid-enabled grids reported only 499 active users, 467 of which were from a single grid called DreamNation. While this is a slight increase from the previous month, it is significantly lower than the peak of 13,922 active users in 2014. The hypergrid-enabled grids accounted for 98.4 percent of all land area and 98.5 percent of all active users.
Number of OpenSim Grids:
There are currently 2,576 OpenSim grids being tracked, out of which 424 were active in June, and 282 published their statistics.
Largest Grids by Land Area:
The three largest grids by land area are OSgrid, Wolf Territories Grid, and Kitely, with Wolf Territories Grid being the fastest-growing grid in terms of land size, adding 4,000 new regions in the last month.
Marketplaces and Content:
Kitely Market, the largest online marketplace for OpenSim content, currently has 19,987 product listings with 39,671 product variations, out of which 34,581 are exportable. The marketplace has delivered orders to 587 OpenSim grids to date. The availability of legitimate content on Kitely Market reduces the need for pirated content and provides sales opportunities for content creators.
OpenSim on .Net 6 Platform:
OpenSim is shifting its development from Mono to the .Net 6 platform. Volunteers familiar with .Net or C# testing are called upon to join the developers’ efforts to test the transition. The move to .Net 6 simplifies the installation process and has led to minor bug fixes. However, automated testing for OpenSim is currently lacking, making volunteer participation crucial.
Closure and Suspension of Grids:
Several grids were marked as suspended or closed due to inactivity. Additionally, grids went through changes in loginURI and website addresses.
Conclusion:
OpenSim grids are seeing record growth in active users and land area, driven by hypergrid-enabled grids. The availability of online marketplaces like Kitely Market contributes to the legal distribution of content in the OpenSim metaverse. The platform is moving to the .Net 6 framework, and volunteer participation is crucial in ensuring a smooth transition. While some grids have seen closure or suspension, the overall growth in OpenSim remains strong.