Growth of the Virtual Worlds

Posted on November 8, 2007
Filed Under Metaverse |

The Metaversed people hosting another Metanomics look at the underlying structure and governance of Second Life portray some interesting thinking about the Lindens’ view of themselves as service providers rather than a government. As always, Robert Bloomfield’s thinking on the growing SL economy is fascinating.

“Their perspective is that everybody who uses online tools will eventually be in virtual worlds - possibly as many as a billion users. If that’s the case, while there will be many competing services, the market will have grown to the point where that won’t matter so much.

“Explosive growth, in this case, isn’t considered so much a problem as it is an assurance of future business.” - It’s Not an Economy, It’s a Product

Nick Wilson makes a great point about virtual worlds and Second Life: the learning curve can be tough. He’s right that the key to adoption of anything is simplicity.

How soon might those billion users appear in the virtual worlds? Speaking to the future explosive growth Nick supplies the great reminder that the key to adoption is simplicity:

Simplicity and the Virtual Tipping Point

Comments

2 Responses to “Growth of the Virtual Worlds”

  1. Chris Benevich on November 26th, 2007 3:11 pm

    Certainly one key to adoption is simplicity in functionality. Another is lifestyle integration. Another is learning/thinking style. Let me explain.

    Sometimes, the simplicity in function isn’t evident to a user who can’t wrap her brain around the application to *her* in daily life, how it will make her life easier, more simple, more connected, more prosperous, etc. Example: grandparents and blogs. Enter solution: http://www.grandparents.com/cgi-bin/iowa/corp/aboutus.html.

    Simplicity in function isn’t evident to a consumer with a different learning/thinking style than the industrial designer who created the product. Example: portable e-book readers. Enter solution: a portable e-book reader that mimics the visual and tactile methods of assessing information through a hardback or paperback book. (I would be surprised if Kindle’s ID team hadn’t used adult learner research to create its product, but it remains to be determined by consumers if Kindle solves the information assessment problems that prior portable e-book readers presented.)

    My point? Someone or some ones need to translate the simplicity for the user who might not get it the first go-round. What’s simple about it? Explain it. For example, *plug* enter a professional writer with experience in new media functionality, e-learning, and communicating with consumers.

  2. “How do I get into social marketing?” « Litterateur on November 26th, 2007 3:46 pm

    […] marketing, web 2.0, writing The more important question is how. I’ve been commenting on functionality and suggesting someone (or some ones, a team, a collective brain) needs to consider all the […]

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