Avatarnomics: Is Regulation a Solution in MMO Economies as Well?
October 27th, 2008
As recently reported by Massively, while in-game economies can make MMOs more vibrant places to play – lending depth to these games that generally isn’t found in regular PC or console titles – the perceived value attributed to virtual currency and items can lead to a slew of problems, some of which could possibly be […]
Read more »Avatarnomics: A Bustling Virtual Escape from Dismal Economic Reality
October 15th, 2008
Via Forbes, an interesting report pointing out that — despite the recent market travails and the worldwide economic slowdown – virtual markets are holidng steady. As the article notes: “…one tiny sector is offering a glimmer of hope: virtual worlds. Companies such as Gaia Interactive and Habbo are expecting a boost as consumers reduce spending […]
Read more »Avatarnomics: Subscription Based Models vs. RMT
October 4th, 2008
From The Economics of Virtual Worlds blog, an interesting look about the contest between subscription based models (a la World of Warcraft) and RMT business models. As the article notes RMT allows for the greatest extraction of value from an MMO by allowing customized levels of commerce: “… traditional subscription models and even advertising are […]
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