- 2007: $333 million
- 2008: $344 million
- 2009: $567 million
Second Life's worldwide user base increased by 15% to 769 million, while the amount of time spent in the virtual world climbed even faster, by more than 21%, indicating increased engagement.
Number of unique Second Life users worldwide, 2007-2009:
- 2007: 536, 000
- 2008: 668,000
- 2009: 769,000
In 2009, Piper Jaffray predicted more than $2.2 billion in virtual goods revenues worldwide, including $621 million in the US. By 2013, more than $6 billion will be spent worldwide on virtual items. The research firm also predicted that virtual worlds such as Second Life would fall behind in the virtual-goods economy while social network players like Facebook become more involved in the space.
Cary Rosenzweig, CEO of IMVU, another virtual world with extensive user-to-user virtual item offerings, described that service as more like "an e-commerce company ... in the sense that we get our money from the purchase of these virtual credits that people use to buy virtual items". Virtual goods have value to people, according to Mr. Rosenzweig. People buy virtual goods usually for one of three reasons: to express themselves (so they're buying virtual goods to make their avatar look terrific) or to build relationships with other people in the form of gifts. And the third reason, especially in gaming environments, is that virtual goods enhance your power to effect change, to win, to do what you would like to do in that area. (eMarketer, January 2010)
