Anodyne
Thursday, June 02, 2005
 
Own Your Own Virtual Island!

Second Life, a privately owned virtual world you can play in for a monthly subscription fee. The Polar Express-style graphics mean I won't be signing up any time soon, but I'm captivated by the idea of buying and developing virtual real estate, as outlined in this recent NYT article about folks who've turned such speculation into a booming part- or full-time job.

From the NYT:

"Mr. Ainsworth, 36, was not a fan of online games until his 10-year-old daughter became interested in The Sims Online. He then noticed that a large number of simoleans were for sale on eBay. 'I started hearing about players leaving the game who were selling their assets,' he said, 'so I figured, buy low, sell high.'

But Mr. Ainsworth found his moneymaking options in The Sims 'very limited'; he switched to Second Life, a virtual world that is less a game than a three-dimensional environment in which players can do whatever they choose. There, he has leveraged his real-life experience - he is a developer and contractor - into an online business. In 14 locations in Second Life's virtual world, he owns enough 'land' to rent space to nearly 50 retailers, who in turn earn virtual money selling everything from jewelry to clothing to art (all nonexistent, of course). Mr. Ainsworth converts his game profits into real money on sites like eBay, Ige and gamingopenmarket, which charge a small fee, and he includes that income on his tax returns."

Grist for the science fiction novel writing mill? You bet!
- posted by cjb @ 9:38 AM


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