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Virtual Worlds

Report: In-Game Currency is Most Popular Virtual Item to Sell

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on October 28, 2009 - 11:16am.
Santa Clara, Calif. - Nearly one-third (31%) of those who purchased virtual goods over the past year also sold virtual goods, with in-game virtual currency being the most frequently sold item from player to player, according to a report from market research firm VGMarket and PlaySpan, an operator of virtual goods marketplaces.
tags: Games | Social Networking | Reports | Virtual Currency | Research | Virtual Worlds | Virtual Items | PlaySpan | VGMarket |

MySpace Integrates Meez Virtual World for Teens

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on October 21, 2009 - 10:55am.
Los Angeles - News Corp.'s (NYSE: NWS) MySpace has signed a deal with teen-focused virtual world Meez, to integrate the Java-based 3D environment into its own website. A large number of Meez' 13 million teenaged, predominantly female members are active MySpace users, according to the company. The integration will allow Meez users to import their 3D avatars, and play online games and congregate in a MySpace-based version of the virtual world. It will also allow Meez users to purchase virtual goods with the company's Coinz virtual currency.

tags: Social Networking | MySpace | News Corp. | Virtual Worlds | Meez |

Report: U.S. Virtual Goods Market to Hit $1 Billion This Year

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on October 14, 2009 - 11:06am.
San Francisco - The U.S. market for virtual goods -- including items in online games, virtual worlds and social network sites -- is expected to reach $1 billion this year, according to a report published by Inside Virtual Goods and the Virtual Goods Summit.
tags: Games | Social Networking | Reports | Research | Virtual Worlds | MMOG | Virtual Items | Inside Virtual Goods |

"Second Life" Parent Linden Lab Sued by Virtual Sex Items Maker

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on September 18, 2009 - 11:07am.
San Francisco - Linden Lab, operators of the "Second Life" virtual world, have been sued in federal court by a maker of adult-themed virtual items for copyright and trademark infringement, Wired.com reported.
tags: Law | Lawsuits | Linden Lab | DMCA | Copyright | Second Life | Virtual Worlds | Virtual Items | Eros LLC | Trakemarks | SexGen |

InXpo Raises $9 Million for Corporate Virtual Events

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on September 14, 2009 - 8:07am.
Chicago - InXpo, a provider of privately-branded virtual events and virtual business communities, has raised $9 million in its first round of funding, led by Highland Capital Partners.
tags: Deals | VC | Publishing | Virtual Worlds | Highland Capital Partners | InXpo |

Second Life Adds Real-World Trademark Law to Virtual World

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on August 12, 2009 - 8:25pm.
San Francisco - As real-world brands vie for a piece of its $450 million market for virtual goods, Linden Lab, the company that operates the "Second Life" online virtual world, has instituted new rules that prohibit the sale of counterfeit virtual items. "The goal of these guidelines is to provide clear guidance on listing practices that are not allowed because they can be misleading for shoppers and can lead to infringement of brand owners' intellectual property," wrote Pink Linden, Second Life's head of marketplaces.
tags: Law | Linden Lab | Second Life | Trademarks | Virtual Worlds |

Masher Media Lands $300K to Develop Kids' Virtual World

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on August 11, 2009 - 6:57am.
Calabasas, Calif. - Masher Media, the developer of a virtual world aimed at children, announced that it has raised $300,000 in seed funding from Tech Coast Angels, adding that the round will be held open for the next month with an eye toward raising a total of $500,000.
tags: Deals | VC | Virtual Worlds | Tech Coast Angels | Masher Media |

Habbo Parent Co. Sulake Names Mika Salmi as Chairman

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on August 6, 2009 - 10:41am.
Helsinki, Finland - Sulake, the parent company of teen social network and virtual world Habbo, announced on Thursday that it has named MTV global digital media head Mika Salmi as chairman of the company. Before his stint at MTV, Salmi founded Atom Entertainment, which was acquired by Viacom (NYSE: VIA) in 2006.

tags: Social Networking | Moves | Sulake | Mika Salmi | Habbo | Virtual Worlds |

Survey: 12% of Online Americans Buying Virtual Goods

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on July 31, 2009 - 4:36am.
New York - With the U.S. now accounting for nearly a quarter of the $1 billion market for virtual goods, 12% of online Americans say they have purchased virtual goods in the past year, for use in an online game, virtual world or social networks, according to a report from market research firm Frank N. Magid Associates and micropayments firm PlaySpan.
tags: Games | Social Networking | Reports | Research | Virtual Worlds | Frank N. Magid Associates | PlaySpan |

Mottola Company Teams With Planet Cazmo on Virtual Concerts

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on July 22, 2009 - 11:50am.
New York - Planet Cazmo, an online virtual world for 'tweens and teens, on Wednesday announced a partnership with record industry veteran Tommy Mottola's The Mottola Company, to support Cazmo's virtual concert series and other branded content initiatives. The companies will "work together to secure strategic partnerships with major music industry and branded properties which will bring celebrity content into the virtual world in the form of virtual goods via microtransactions." Cazmo, which has hosted virtual concerts featuring artists including Soulja Boy, Ciara and Jordin Sparks, also said that it has signed Island Def Jam and The Jive Label Group as new label partners for the concert series.

tags: Marketing | Music | Virtual Worlds | Island Def Jam | Planet Cazmo | Tommy Mottola | The Mottola Company | Jive Label Group |

ProtonMedia Gets $2.5 Million for Corporate Virtual Worlds

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on July 13, 2009 - 11:17am.
Lansdale, Penn. - ProtonMedia, a provider of virtual world technology for businesses, has raised $2.5 million in new venture capital financing, PaidContent reported, citing an SEC filing.
tags: Deals | VC | Virtual Worlds | ProtonMedia |

Twinity Lands $6.26 Million for Virtual City Recreations

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on July 7, 2009 - 5:58am.
Berlin - Metaversum, the operator of a virtual world called Twinity that recreates real-world cities and other locations, has raised $6.26 million in a new round of funding, TechCrunch reported.
tags: Deals | VC | Virtual Worlds | Balderton Capital | Metaversum | Twinity | Grazia Equity |

Report: Virtual Worlds to Grow at 23% Through 2015

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on June 16, 2009 - 10:19am.
Boston - Virtual worlds are expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 23% from 2009 through 20015, according to a report from market research firm Strategy Analytics.
tags: Reports | Metrics | Research | Strategy Analytics | Virtual Worlds |

"Second Life" Plans Separate 'Virtual Continent' for Adult Content

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on April 22, 2009 - 12:46pm.
San Francisco - Linden Lab plans later this year to introduce a separate "continent" within its virtual world, "Second Life," earmarked for adult content and adult-themed activities, CNET News.com reported. The site is already limited to those over the age of 18, but the new adult area will feature stricter age verification via credit card information, or Linden Labs' own filtering system.

tags: Linden Lab | Adult | Second Life | Virtual Worlds |

TASER Sues Over Virtual Stun Guns in "Second Life"

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on April 21, 2009 - 1:42pm.
Los Angeles - The makers of the TASER line of stun guns have filed a trademark infringement lawsuit against Linden Lab, operators of the virtual world "Second Life," over the sale of virtual stun guns, GamePolitics reported. The suit also alleges damage to the TASER brand from association with virtual item sellers that also trade in virtual explicit images and virtual drugs.

tags: Law | Lawsuits | Linden Lab | Second Life | Trademarks | Virtual Worlds | TASER |

PlaySpan Acquires Micropayments Firm Spare Change

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on April 21, 2009 - 7:48am.
San Francisco - PlaySpan, a provider of micropayment processing for online games, virtual worlds and social networks, announced on Tuesday that it has acquired Spare Change, a provider of micropayment services on social networks.
tags: Games | Deals | Acquisitions | Micropayments | Virtual Worlds | PlaySpan | Spare Change |

Tribal Nova Lands $2.5M for Virtual Worlds, Games for Kids

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on April 16, 2009 - 7:40am.
Montreal - Tribal Nova, a developer of family-friendly virtual worlds and educational games, announced on Thursday that it has raised $2.5 million in new financing, from iNovia Capital and ID Capital.
tags: Games | Deals | VC | Virtual Worlds | iNovia Capital | Tribal Nova | ID Capital |

Big Stage Raises $2.7 Million for 3D Avatar Software

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on April 14, 2009 - 8:06am.
Los Angeles - Big Stage Entertainment, a developer of 3D facial avatar creation technology, said on Tuesday that it has secured an additional $2.7 million in second round funding, from Mission Ventures, Selby Ventures and TechCoast Angels.
tags: Games | Deals | VC | 3D | Virtual Worlds | Mission Ventures | Big Stage Entertainment | Selby Venturues | TechCoast Angels |

Worlds.com to Sue Activision if Virtual World Patent Upheld

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on March 12, 2009 - 9:58am.
New York - Worlds.com, a developer of virtual worlds and holder of various patents on related technologies, said it plans to filed patent claims against "World of Warcraft" publisher Activision Blizzard (NASD: ATVI) and "Second Life" creator Linden Labs, should it succeed in a current case against NCsoft, Silicon Alley Insider reported.
tags: Law | Lawsuits | Linden Lab | Patents | Activision | Second Life | World of Warcraft | Virtual Worlds | Worlds.com | Thom Kidrin |

Report: 200 Virtual Worlds for Kids Are Live or In Development

Authored by Jay Baage on January 29, 2009 - 10:21am.
New York - There are now over 200 youth-oriented virtual worlds live, planned, or in active development, according to a new report by Show Initiative, LLC, a provider of trade events and media
tags: Games | Metrics | Virtual Worlds | Virtual Worlds Management | Business Models |
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