Tuesday, October 23, 2007

Virtual worlds not going down, but up?

While Second Life gets a lot of media attention, virtual worlds like IAC/InterActive-owned Zwinktopia and Ganz USA's Webkinz are attracting more users. Marketers are increasingly looking to establish footholds on these and other Web-based virtual worlds.
The Wall Street Journal

Digestif 's 2 cents

Well. I knew Webkinz was big. But these other things don't make too much sense. Just think about your user for a second (disregarding the kids using Webkinz):

  • Your audience needs a lot of spare time
  • They have to consistently be excited and able to interact with the elements of the virtual world
  • They need to maintain a continual presence.
  • They need to care about their virtual persona in order to maintain a connection with the virtual world

What kind of user are you after? If your product fits, great. And unless you have some real world/virtual world element like WebKinz, I wouldn't recommend using this vehicle.

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