A second look at virtual worlds

I admit it. I was a Second Life naysayer a few years ago. But I am beginning to change my ways. I just read some very compelling numbers that show the strong growth of virtual worlds. 

For example, membership of virtual worlds grew by 39 percent in the second quarter of 2009 to an estimated 579 million, according to virtual worlds consultancy K Zero and reported by The Guardian. What's more, 39 percent of that growth came from children. And according to eMarketer, 54 percent of children will use virtual worlds by 2013. Numerous virtual worlds for kids, such as Poptropica, Neopets and Club Penguin, already have memberships in the millions, according to the report. 

Then there's the marketplace. From a virtual goods standpoint, roughly 12 percent of Americans have bought a virtual item at some point in the last 12 months, according toFrank N. Magid Associates and reported by Gigaom. The research also predicts that the virtual goods and currency market is estimated to reach $1.8 billion this year, with 15 percent of young males purchasing virtual items—but also 15 percent women between the ages of 35-44.

While these numbers are compelling, I'm not suggesting that we all run out and create a presence in virtual worlds. I do think the same rules apply here as they do with other social media. Identifying business needs and your user behaviors should dictate where you build a presence. 

What I am suggesting, is that we pay a bit more attention to virtual worlds. As core users get older and as technical capabilities grow (for example when users can move from one virtual world to another) we should all be ready to embrace this emerging media as a worthwhile connection point.