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socialtimes介绍社交游戏虚拟经济的相关概念

发布时间:2011-02-07 23:55:43 Tags:,,,,

本文主要为企业经营者或准企业家介绍虚拟经济、虚拟商品、虚拟商品交易等游戏领域的相关概念,以便各位从中找到与公司业务相关的切入点。

Virtual gift

Virtual gift

什么是虚拟经济?

根据维基百科的解释,虚拟经济是一种虚拟世界中的经济系统,它的存在和发展主要依靠网页游戏中的虚拟商品交易(A virtual economy is an emergent economy existing in a virtual persistent world, usually exchanging virtual goods in the context of an Internet game)。

企业管理者将虚拟经济视为一种吸金工具,而用户却更情愿把它当成逃离现实的避风港。如果想在虚拟经济中成功淘金,企业高管就必须了解如何有效利用这种经济形式推动业务发展,必须清楚为何去年购买虚拟商品的互联网用户多达13%,他们平均消费90美元背后的刺激因素是什么。

关于虚拟经济,最为典型的例子当属Facebook游戏,玩家为了晋升到更高级别,搜集更多钱或金币、获取道具或礼物,就必须支付一定的虚拟货币。

什么是虚拟货币?

在美国经济社会中,人们用美元买东西,但在虚拟经济体系中,用户只能用虚拟货币消费。用户可以通过积累一定的游戏经验值,或者直接用真钱换取虚拟货币。虽然在外行人看来,这种用真钱买“假”钱的行为有点不可思议,但这就是虚拟经济体系的运行法则,所以不用怀疑这些用户的理财能力。

随着Facebook游戏的流行,不少人都将虚拟货币视为一种新现象,但实际上,最早采用这种运营方式的是大型多人在线游戏。这类游戏鼓励玩家通过eBay支付购买虚拟货币的费用,如果他们愿意,还可以付费购买更高级的角色形象和稀有道具。

据游戏邦了解,Facebook已强制该平台上的游戏开发商在2011年7月前采用Facebook Credits作为游戏计费系统,这一举动激起了社交游戏开发界的强烈反弹。因为Facebook将从游戏营收中抽成30%,这点钱对大型开发商来说并不算什么,但对小型开发商而言可是一笔大数目。

什么是虚拟商品?

虚拟商品就是在虚拟世界中,用虚拟货币购买的虚拟物品。这些商品可以是用户的虚拟形象,也可以是一件数字礼物。据游戏邦所知,约56%的用户曾经多次购买虚拟商品。如果你想在虚拟经济中获得成功,最好拥有能够刺激用户购买欲的虚拟商品,并想想他们为什么要买你的东西

虚拟商品真能盈利吗?

据Clean Cut Media的数据显示,社交游戏在2010年的营收已达8.56亿美元,预计用户今年在虚拟商品上的消费将达6.53美元。目前已有60%的社交游戏营收来自虚拟商品交易,这种现象仍将成为今年的发展趋势。

全球虚拟产品交易营收约为70亿美元,美国市场就占据了其中20亿美元。从这一点上看,如果一个行业想实现数十亿美元的产值,企业经营者最好紧跟时代的步伐,抓住这种难得的发展机遇。

虚拟商品为何利润丰厚?

只有那些具有一定价值的虚拟商品,才能成功打开游戏玩家的钱包。假如你创建了一款社交游戏,支持玩家在其中为晋级而相互对决,那么作为一个开发商,你就得站在玩家的角度考虑他们的需求。

这些用户在游戏中的化身就是那些虚拟形象,那么虚拟形象对玩家有什么帮助?它们会提高玩家的游戏经验吗?玩家是不是只有购买了虚拟形象才能玩游戏?这些都是开发公司高管们必须时刻惦记在心的问题。要让玩家购买虚拟商品,开发商就需要创造一些鼓励消费的因素。

虚拟商品的好处在于它是虚拟性的,不需要任何储藏东西的仓库,也不需要雇佣人员清点货物,它们都是虚拟世界中的数字内容,你可以根据用户需求创造商品。除此之外,你也不需要为了处理上个圣诞节的滞销品而清仓甩货。总之,在虚拟经济体系中,所有的东西都是非实物的内容(除了从银行ATM中提取出的钞票外)。(本文为游戏邦/gamerboom.com编译,转载请注明来源:游戏邦)

What Every Business Owner Needs To Know About Virtual Economies

If you’re a business owner who does not completely understand how much impact the virtual economy has on your business, this article piece will cover the important concepts every entrepreneur should be aware of. Whether you’re new to the business world or you own an established business, comprehending material on the virtual economy is imperative for your business to thrive in our current society. Although the information below is not everything a business owner should know, the strategies and ideas will provide you with a good educational start.

What is a Virtual Economy?

Since simplicity is the key to success, let’s start with a definition:

“A virtual economy is an emergent economy existing in a virtual persistent world, usually exchanging virtual goods in the context of an Internet game.” [1]

Business leaders view the virtual economy as a profit making tool, while consumers view it as a place of refuge. In order for any business to be successful in the virtual economy, its executives must understand how this type of economy can be beneficial to a business. As an executive, you need to understand why 13 percent of internet users purchased virtual goods last year. What were the incentives that induced them to spend an average of $90 on their purchases?

An excellent example of a virtual economy is with certain Facebook games. In order for gamers to achieve higher levels, collect more money or coins and obtain tools or gifts, gamers must use virtual currency.

What is Virtual Currency?

In the American economy, we use dollars to purchase goods. The virtual economy uses a different currency, known as virtual currency. One can acquire this currency by playing a certain game or purchasing currency with real money. It’s crazy when you think about it, right? Why would anyone in their right mind purchase fake money with real money? Don’t worry it, it’s not your problem. If people want to throw money away to purchase virtual currency, don’t go questioning their money management skills.

With the growing popularity of Facebook games, people believe that virtual currency is a recent phenomenon, but this is not the case. Massively multiplayer online games (MMOG) have suckered addicted gaming into purchasing their currency on sites like eBay. Not only would these users purchase game currency, but they would also purchase higher leveled characters and rare items.

As most of you have heard, Facebook is mandating all developers to convert to their currency by July 2011 – a decision that has the gaming development community up in arms. Unfortunately for the smaller developers, like Terence McGhee, Facebook takes a 30 percent cut of a developer’s credits. 30 percent may not seem like a lot for larger developers, but this rake may have smaller developers drowning in an ocean of a never ending depth.

What are Virtual Goods?

Virtual goods are virtual objects (hence the term “virtual goods”) that can be bought with virtual currency in virtual a economy (see how I put everything all together there?). These goods can be something as simple as an avatar or a digital gift. If you want to be successful in the virtual economy, you better have goods consumers want to buy. Why should consumers buy your goods?

56 percent of people purchasing virtual goods are repeat customers, will your products bring consumers back for more?

Can Virtual Goods Be Profitable?

In 2010, social gaming revenues reached $856 million. Consumers, in the upcoming year, will spend $653 million on virtual goods[2]. More than half of social gaming revenue – 60 percent to give a more accurate figure – is generated by virtual goods. As of now, that percentage seems to be holding steady for this year as well.

Global revenue from virtual goods has reached around $7 billion dollars – $2 billion of that was generated by consumers of the United State alone. With an industry that is soaring into the billions, your business better be able to hop on for the ride.

What Makes a Profitable Virtual Good?

Gamers will only buy virtual goods that have some sort of value. For example, let’s say you’ve created a social game. In your product, gamers need compete against each other for rank. The way these users compete is through virtual battles with each other. As a developer, you need to come up with something that would be worth the gamers while.

Sure, consumers may be avatars, but what does an avatar do for them? Does it advance them in the game somehow? Is an avatar required to purchase in order to play the game? Questions like these should  always be bouncing around in any executive’s head. Why would a gamer go out of his or her way to purchase my product? There needs to be an incentive for the consumer.

What’s great about a virtual good is that it’s virtual. You don’t need to have a warehouse of some sort to hold all of these items, nor do you have to hire staff to place them into inventory. They are all digital and only exist in the virtual economy. You are able to create these goods based on demand! How great of a concept is that? No more trying to sell left over items from this past Christmas sale because you need to get rid of them. In a virtual economy, there is nothing physical (besides the profit of course when making a withdrawal from the ATM).

Works Cited

1. Wikpedia, . “Virtual Economy.” Wikipedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Jan 2011. .

2. Clean Cut Media, $1B Social Gaming Market plus w/ $653M in Virtual Good Spend!. Clean Cut Media. 13 January 2011, n.d. Web. 31 Jan 2011. .(source:socialtimes)


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