Virtual worlds built on OpenSim and Kitely platforms provide users with access to a variety of free digital assets. These assets include clothing, furniture, vehicles, and other virtual goods designed for avatar customization and environment building. Users can access these items through specific destinations known as "freebie stores" or "shopping areas" located within various grids. The availability and licensing of these items vary by location, with a general preference for original content or properly licensed CC0 works over excessive reliance on Linda Kellie content, which is already widely available. The ecosystems offer a robust network of destinations, ranging from extensive malls to specialized regions. Users are advised to verify licensing terms, particularly regarding CC0 usage and the avoidance of unauthorized content, when utilizing these resources.
Major Freebie Destinations and Grids
Several grids and regions within the OpenSim and Kitely ecosystems are dedicated to hosting free content. These destinations serve as hubs for users looking to customize their avatars or virtual environments without cost.
Kitely Platform
Kitely is a prominent platform hosting multiple freebie destinations. - Seanchai Mall: This location is a significant hub for free items. - Avatari: Located on Kitely, Avatari offers an extensive collection of freebies for avatars, including clothing. The hypergrid address is grid.kitely.com:8002:SEANCHAI MALL. - La Tortuga: Another freebie destination mentioned on the Kitely platform. - Ratsdam: Kitely forums mention resident-owned worlds offering free parcels for shop owners, such as "Ratsdam" in a megaword with an old Dutch city theme. Merchants can claim these parcels to offer free items or direct sales to the Kitely Marketplace.
Logicamp Grid
The Logicamp grid hosts several shopping centers based on classic Linda Kellie OAR files. All content at these locations is CC0 licensed, allowing use in any way, on any grid, including for commercial builds and products. - Boardwalk Park: A shopping center based on the classic Linda Kellie Freebie Mall OAR file. It includes beach supplies, clothing, and accessories. Hypergrid address: logicamp.org:8002:boardwalk park. - Bot7: Based on the classic Linda Kellie Boardwalk Amusement Park OAR file. It includes avatars and avatar accessories, clothing and jewelry, furniture, animations, sculpts and textures, gardening supplies, and prefab buildings. Hypergrid address: logicamp.org:8002:Bot7. - City: Based on the classic Linda Kellie City OAR file. It includes avatars and avatar accessories, clothing and jewelry, furniture, animations, sculpts and textures, gardening supplies, and prefab buildings. Hypergrid address: logicamp.org:8002:city.
Xmir Grid
- Andwest Bay: This region features free, original mesh content by Xmir grid owner Geir Nøklebye. This content is located on the second floor of the Xmir Mesh store on the Andwest Bay region. There are also some free items on the first floor, under the stairs. The store also contains products that can be purchased and delivered via the Kitely Market’s Xmir Mesh store. Hypergrid address: grid.xmir.org:8002:andwest Bay.
Continuum Grid
- Bastion: A region on the Continuum grid owned by jewelry designer Marianna Monentes. It is home to several stores with free content from OpenSim designers.
- Shabby Seas: Offers free shabby chic furniture.
- Seaside Gift Shop: Offers free nautical items.
- R & R Refined: Offers free items for the Ruth and Roth mesh avatar bodies.
- Monentes Jewelry: Offers both free and commercial items available for Gloebits.
- Hypergrid address: continuum.outworldz.net:8002:Bastion.
3rdLife Grid
- 3rdLife Stores 3 and 4: These locations offer free shops available for merchants, both local grid members and those based on other grids. Contact DJTommy Seetan in-world or at [email protected] for more information.
- Hypergrid address for Stores 3: 3rdlifegrid.com:8002:3rdLife Stores 3
- Hypergrid address for Stores 4: 3rdlifegrid.com:8002:3rdLife Stores 4
Britgrid
- Britgrid Welcome: Includes a number of shops full of current freebies, including male and female mesh avatars, clothing, shoes, furniture, jewelry, soft furnishings, hair, and houses. The location’s listing on OpenSimWorld provides further information. Hypergrid address: Britgrid.com:8002:Britgrid Welcome.
The Kaz Grid
- Ginza: Offers mesh clothing and garden items, mixing free content and items for sale (Gloebits).
- TheKazLand: Another freebie location on this grid.
Social Mouse Grid
- Mall: Features a mall with furniture, landscaping items, textures, and baby furniture.
DigiWorldz
- Power Angels Paradise: A beach-themed shopping area. While most content is for sale, there is a freebie section in the center.
GBG World (GreekLife Breath Grid)
- The Mall: Hosts a mall for clothing, hair, and shoes.
NextLife World
- Plaza 1: Offers female and male clothing and mesh bodies.
OSGrid
OSGrid is described as the biggest, fast-growing virtual world based on OpenSim technology. It serves as a main development and testing ground for OpenSim software. The grid offers a populated environment where users can meet, create content, shop, and start their own shops or dance clubs. Nearly all contents offered at shops on OSGrid are freebies, some of high quality. Users can rent private OSGrid regions or standalone OpenSim regions independent of any grid.
Content Types and Licensing
The freebies available in these virtual worlds range from basic avatar clothing to complex mesh items and full virtual homes. Specific types of content mentioned across the destinations include: - Avatar Customization: Mesh avatars (male and female), clothing, shoes, hair, jewelry, skins, and avatar accessories. - Environment Building: Furniture, landscaping items, gardening supplies, prefab buildings, and textures. - Specialized Items: Vehicles, nautical items, shabby chic furniture, and items for specific mesh avatar bodies like Ruth and Roth. - Digital Assets: Scripts, animations, sculpts, and OAR files (entire regions) available for download.
Licensing is a critical aspect of utilizing these freebies. Many destinations, particularly those on the Logicamp grid and the Clutterfly Redux region, explicitly state that content is CC0 licensed. CC0 licensing means the content can be used for any purpose, on any grid, including for commercial builds and products. OutWorldz also provides a collection of free stuff, including scripts, animations, skins, mesh objects, and sculpts, which are described as legal and properly licensed, with much of the content being CC0. However, users are advised to verify licensing terms at each specific destination, as some locations may mix free content with items for sale (e.g., using Gloebits currency). There is also a noted preference for original content or properly licensed CC0 works over Linda Kellie content, which is widely available.
Access Methods
Users can access these free items primarily through two methods: downloading online or visiting in-world. - Downloading Online: Platforms like OutWorldz offer collections of free content that can be downloaded. This includes scripts, animations, skins, mesh objects, sculpts, and entire regions in the form of OAR files. - In-World Visits: To obtain items directly within the virtual worlds, users need to be on a hypergrid-enabled grid. The hypergrid allows users to travel to other grids, collect items, and bring them back to their home grid. Each destination has a specific hypergrid address used for teleportation.
Merchant Opportunities
Several grids offer opportunities for merchants to distribute free items. - Kitely: Offers free parcels for shop owners in specific worlds, such as Ratsdam. Merchants can claim these parcels to offer free items or direct sales. - 3rdLife Grid: Provides free shops available for merchants, both local and those from other grids. Interested merchants can contact DJTommy Seetan for access.
Conclusion
The OpenSim and Kitely ecosystems provide a diverse and extensive network of freebie destinations for users seeking virtual goods. From large shopping areas like Seanchai Mall and Wright Plaza to specialized regions like Bastion and Andwest Bay, there are numerous options for avatar customization and environment building. The availability of CC0-licensed content allows for flexible use, including commercial applications, though users must remain diligent in verifying specific licensing terms and avoiding unauthorized content. The hypergrid functionality facilitates easy access to these resources across different grids, creating a decentralized but interconnected marketplace for free digital assets.