据In-Stat最新调查显示，2010年社交网络及在线游戏（social networking and online worlds，统称SNOW）的用户注册帐号已超100亿个，但实际活跃帐号仅45亿个。

虚拟商品交易模式推动了免费游戏的发展，在过去几年，用户在每款游戏中的花费是30至50美元，或者20美元的月费，但虚拟商品交易模式的兴起，为用户创造了免费玩游戏的机会。

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In-Stat分析师Vahid Dejwakh表示，“虚拟商品交易模式是SNOW游戏的主要营收来源之一，它支持用户先创建一个帐号，免费体验游戏，然后让他们自主选择是否购买虚拟道具以加速游戏进程，或者提高游戏体验。”

这一新兴模式还可以通过条幅广告、品牌植入商品等广告赞助渠道成功创收。

Facebook等社交网站以及以iPhone为代表的智能手机用户的膨胀，刺激了SNOW游戏收益的增长。游戏邦获悉In-Stat的报告还指出，全球虚拟商品交易前10强的公司，占据了73%的营收份额。美国和EMEA（区洲、中东和非洲）地区的虚拟商品交易占全球市场的四分之一左右，而亚太地区仍占据最大的市场份额。

SNOW游戏在2010年的虚拟商品交易营收超过了70亿美元；仅社交网站及手机平台的休闲游戏、社交游戏，就催生出了一个产值超过20亿美元的2D虚拟商品交易市场。

In-Stat还预测，2014年全球虚拟商品交易营收将双倍增长。

除此之外，住宅网关市场在家庭网络基础设备市场中仍将占据重要地位，网络服务供应商的网关出货量将持续增长，预计将在2011年突破5000万个。（本文为游戏邦/gamerboom.com编译，转载请注明来源：游戏邦）

Nearly 4.5 Billion Active Users in Social Networking and Online World (SNOW): In-Stat

The social networking and online worlds (SNOW) has more than 10 billion registered accounts in 2010. However, the active accounts are nearly 4.5 billion, according to an In-Stat’s survey.

Virtual goods model from SNOW is driving several new things including the availability of free games. In the past, users paid about $30-50 for a game or $20/month for a subscription, but now users can play them for free, thanks to the rise of the virtual goods model.

“The virtual goods revenue model is one of several mediums that SNOWs use to generate revenue,” said Vahid Dejwakh, analyst at In-Stat (News – Alert), in a statement. “The basic premise is to allow everyone to create an account and play for free and then offer users the option of purchasing virtual goods to be able to move up and advance in the game or just to have more fun.”

The new and emerging model can generate a substantial amount of revenue through advertising deals, from banners to branded goods to offers.

Social networking sites such as Facebook, and the increasing penetration of smartphones such as the iPhone (News – Alert) are fueling the growth of the new revenue making models, In-Stat said in its survey called “Virtual Goods in Social Networking and Online Gaming.”

According to the In-Stat survey, top 10 virtual goods companies earn 73 percent of current worldwide revenues. The Americas and EMEA regions have grown to account for over a quarter of virtual goods sales. However, the Asia Pacific region still dominates the global market.

Online gaming and social networking will trigger virtual goods revenue over $7 billion in 2010. The emergence of social and casual games on social networking sites and phones created 2D virtual goods market worth more than $2 billion.

In-Stat forecasts total virtual goods revenues will more than double by 2014.

In other news, driven primarily by service providers, the residential gateway market continues to gain in importance in the home networking infrastructure market. Service providers have embraced the gateway concept, and gateway vendors have enjoyed success in shipping gateways. As a result, In-Stat forecasts that residential gateway shipments will surpass 50 million units in 2011.（source:tmcnet）