Comments on: Virtual Goods Summit http://forge.ironrealms.com/2007/06/21/virtual-goods-summit/ A blog on virtual worlds, games, and digital content, from Matt Mihaly Sat, 06 Sep 2008 03:47:11 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.3 by: Matt http://forge.ironrealms.com/2007/06/21/virtual-goods-summit/#comment-20237 Thu, 28 Jun 2007 00:56:29 +0000 http://forge.ironrealms.com/2007/06/21/virtual-goods-summit/#comment-20237 I'm almost positive it had been happening since at least 1991, as that's the first time I recall hearing of it happening (someone buying something from an admin who wasn't supposed to be doing that) but the details are too fuzzy for me to really recall. I’m almost positive it had been happening since at least 1991, as that’s the first time I recall hearing of it happening (someone buying something from an admin who wasn’t supposed to be doing that) but the details are too fuzzy for me to really recall.

]]> by: Morgan Hardy http://forge.ironrealms.com/2007/06/21/virtual-goods-summit/#comment-20232 Thu, 28 Jun 2007 00:37:30 +0000 http://forge.ironrealms.com/2007/06/21/virtual-goods-summit/#comment-20232 Just as an interesting point, the first time I'm aware of that a virtual good in a game was sold for actual cash was in 1993 in the game Neverwinter Nights on AOL, when someone at a convention for the game bought a cloak of elvenkind from another player for $500. Obviously it could have happened earlier, that's just the first I'm aware of. Just as an interesting point, the first time I’m aware of that a virtual good in a game was sold for actual cash was in 1993 in the game Neverwinter Nights on AOL, when someone at a convention for the game bought a cloak of elvenkind from another player for $500.

Obviously it could have happened earlier, that’s just the first I’m aware of.

]]> by: Joseph Monk http://forge.ironrealms.com/2007/06/21/virtual-goods-summit/#comment-19467 Sat, 23 Jun 2007 05:37:09 +0000 http://forge.ironrealms.com/2007/06/21/virtual-goods-summit/#comment-19467 What makes it less practical to have paid subscriptions in Asia? Are you trying to claim that people here in Korea, or in Japan, cannot afford to pay monthly? What makes it less practical to have paid subscriptions in Asia? Are you trying to claim that people here in Korea, or in Japan, cannot afford to pay monthly?

]]> by: Peter S Magnusson http://forge.ironrealms.com/2007/06/21/virtual-goods-summit/#comment-19373 Fri, 22 Jun 2007 18:26:26 +0000 http://forge.ironrealms.com/2007/06/21/virtual-goods-summit/#comment-19373 Hope to bump into you Matt, I'm the guy who also looks a little tired, wearing a blue/gold WoW T-shirt (just to be a little anti). Well written, and indeed I think you were a genuine pioneer. "Real" money is mostly "virtual" in some sense (most money is just a number in a computer), but there is still something distinctly new about selling bits/pixels as part of an online community/game. My key question (which I just wrote briefly about on my blog) is whether virtual goods is just not a weaker form of paid subscription, hence it's mostly successful in Asia where paid subscriptions are less practical. But if we look at numbers like dollars per online user-year, it looks very weak. Thoughts/comments? Hope to bump into you Matt, I’m the guy who also looks a little tired, wearing a blue/gold WoW T-shirt (just to be a little anti). Well written, and indeed I think you were a genuine pioneer. “Real” money is mostly “virtual” in some sense (most money is just a number in a computer), but there is still something distinctly new about selling bits/pixels as part of an online community/game.

My key question (which I just wrote briefly about on my blog) is whether virtual goods is just not a weaker form of paid subscription, hence it’s mostly successful in Asia where paid subscriptions are less practical. But if we look at numbers like dollars per online user-year, it looks very weak. Thoughts/comments?

]]> by: Joseph Monk http://forge.ironrealms.com/2007/06/21/virtual-goods-summit/#comment-19258 Fri, 22 Jun 2007 07:28:48 +0000 http://forge.ironrealms.com/2007/06/21/virtual-goods-summit/#comment-19258 Cyworld, a flashy version of Myspace(Think it was actually out before Myspace... not sure though), uses "Acorns" for their revenue. Acorns are just another type of virtual currency, thought interestingly enough you can buy them at convenient stores all over Korea. How cool would it be to hear people saying, "I've gotten head down to the 7-11 to pick up some more credits". Cyworld, a flashy version of Myspace(Think it was actually out before Myspace… not sure though), uses “Acorns” for their revenue. Acorns are just another type of virtual currency, thought interestingly enough you can buy them at convenient stores all over Korea. How cool would it be to hear people saying, “I’ve gotten head down to the 7-11 to pick up some more credits”.

]]> by: JuJutsu http://forge.ironrealms.com/2007/06/21/virtual-goods-summit/#comment-19214 Fri, 22 Jun 2007 00:28:12 +0000 http://forge.ironrealms.com/2007/06/21/virtual-goods-summit/#comment-19214 Happy birthday Happy birthday

]]> by: Respectance.com » Neopets to Sell Virtual Items http://forge.ironrealms.com/2007/06/21/virtual-goods-summit/#comment-19188 Thu, 21 Jun 2007 21:49:15 +0000 http://forge.ironrealms.com/2007/06/21/virtual-goods-summit/#comment-19188 [...] The idea of selling virtual items on line is not new, in fact virtual world creator and gaming guru Matt Mihaly pioneered the sale of virtual goods on the internet with his game Achaea - Dreams of Divine Lands nearly 10 years ago. What is absolutely brilliant is the market that they are conditioning. Tweens, arguably one of the strongest determiners of spending, will come to think spending for virtual goods is normal. Given that Viacom owns Neopets, I can’t help wonder whether selling pretend things to real children for real money is ethical, and beyond that whether this is part of a grander scheme and excellent long term planning. [...] […] The idea of selling virtual items on line is not new, in fact virtual world creator and gaming guru Matt Mihaly pioneered the sale of virtual goods on the internet with his game Achaea - Dreams of Divine Lands nearly 10 years ago. What is absolutely brilliant is the market that they are conditioning. Tweens, arguably one of the strongest determiners of spending, will come to think spending for virtual goods is normal. Given that Viacom owns Neopets, I can’t help wonder whether selling pretend things to real children for real money is ethical, and beyond that whether this is part of a grander scheme and excellent long term planning. […]

]]> by: Tony Walsh http://forge.ironrealms.com/2007/06/21/virtual-goods-summit/#comment-19161 Thu, 21 Jun 2007 18:25:42 +0000 http://forge.ironrealms.com/2007/06/21/virtual-goods-summit/#comment-19161 Happy birthday, Matt! Happy birthday, Matt!

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