Virtual prostitutes make real cash

by Jennie Lees { Apr 10th 2006 at 1:57PM }

Sex sells in Second Life, as it does in real life, and this article by Computer Gaming World delves into the story of prostitution within Linden Labs' virtual world. While Second Life prides itself on being driven by user-created content, including user-driven entertainments at nightclubs and gaming plazas, it's no secret that cybersex is amongst the entertainments on offer for the discerning punter.

According to the article, escorts can earn up to L$10,000 a week from a few hours' work -- approximately $30, although the exchange rate fluctuates. It's not something that a brand-new character would be able to pull off, though; an expensive wardrobe of realistic avatar clothing, skins and animations is an asset, as are gender verification and a location in which to practice. The industry supporting the sale of these items, and arrranging escort encounters, seems more profitable than actual on-the-street work.

Does this render sex-based MMOs redundant? No; there's room in the market for more than the offerings from Second Life residents. But as the recent suspension of Spend the Night shows, creating an erotic MMOs isn't plain sailing; Second Life's exploration of the genre, with or without endorsement from its creators, is a useful first for any developers that wish to follow.

[via /.]

Tags: 1up, call girls, CallGirls, cybersex, cyberspace, escorts, metaverse, prostitution, second life, SecondLife, sex, sl, slashdot, virtual sex, virtual world, VirtualSex, VirtualWorld

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Artimus @ Apr 10th 2006 2:03PM

It's stuff like this that gives games a bad name. If you want to make an online prostitution whatever, that's fine. But don't try and call it a normal video game and sell it as such. Sell it as what it is: porn.

Tom Hayden @ Apr 10th 2006 2:04PM

WTF? I'm sorry, I don't understand Second Life at all.

Snake @ Apr 10th 2006 2:09PM

I hate porn, strippers, and prostitutes.

Hey, Joystiq why can you post something like:

DSL 149,371
DS 59,903
PS2 33,301
PSP 36,943
GBASP 6,732
360 3,258
GBM 2,992
GC 1,492
GBA 151
Xbox 68

This are sales In JAPAN for March 27 - April 2, 2006

Kevin @ Apr 10th 2006 2:23PM

This is so pathetic. I swear. Honestly, I don't know what to say to this, other than it just confirms how stupid people are these days.

sgt manji @ Apr 10th 2006 2:32PM

Snake .. you hate porn and strippers?
Man, I feel sorry for you ...

Jesse @ Apr 10th 2006 2:42PM

There will always be a demand for this type of thing and I say go for it. Who are we to make judgments for the johns and hos of Second Life? Japan's economic market has already embraced the desire for what is essentially interactive porn. The rest of the world is only lagging behind in my opinion.

jennie @ Apr 10th 2006 2:59PM

#1 - There are dedicated games that revolve around cybersex and dating, and they're billed as such. What's interesting is that this is entirely an emergent property of Second Life as a player-created world. No game designers have sat down and said "let's make cybersex a selling feature of SL". The players have created the entire industry, and all its accroutements, from realistic genital attachments to photorealistic breasts, themselves.