Reuters opens in-game news bureau in Second Life
by Blake Snow 
{ Oct 16th 2006 at 1:20PM }
Reuters is launching its Second Life doppelganger this week joining the corporate race to reach new audiences by way of the game. Second Life currently boasts 900,000 registered users that spend an average of $13 million a year on digital goods and services. When money talks, corporations listen.From the press release: "Reuters will have journalists reporting and writing financial and cultural stories within and about Second Life as part of the London-based company's strategy to reach new audiences with the latest digital technologies ... Starting on Wednesday, Reuters plans to begin publishing text, photo and video news from the outside world for Second Life members and news of Second Life for real world readers who visit a Reuters news site."
See also: Second Life Insider
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Kevin @ Oct 16th 2006 1:29PM
Second life is overrated.
crono141 @ Oct 16th 2006 1:49PM
Let me know when the tech has advanced far enough for me to call this game "The Matrix". And then I might start caring.
LaughingTarget @ Oct 17th 2006 9:55AM
Only $13 million? That means the entire player base averages $14 per person a year. Using those numbers, a major business trying to get a foothold won't do very well. How much money is Reuters going to have to spend to keep this thing running?
WizarDru @ Oct 16th 2006 3:14PM
900,000 registered users? Bupkiss. From the Linden Labs Blog: "The number that is currently on our home page is a time-weighted average between “total number of signups ever” and “total number of logged in users over the last 60 days”. As of right now, those numbers are 493,563 and 225,028."
From the Second Life website: "Since opening to the public in 2003, it has grown explosively and today is inhabited by 386,280 people from around the globe."
Of those 386,280, only about 70,000 are subscribers. The rest are people who logged-in for free, and may or may not spend money for stuff in-game.
$13 million a year is not insignificant, but compared to what other services earn each year, that's still chickenfeed. WoW makes that in two months. Hell, even ToonTown Online makes about that in subscriptions annually.
Why are people so worked up over Second Life?
Scott @ Oct 16th 2006 3:16PM
Will Reuters be photochopping pictures for Second Life as well?
GoPodular @ Oct 16th 2006 4:18PM
"Will Reuters be photochopping pictures for Second Life as well?"
ROFL
AoE @ Oct 16th 2006 4:50PM
"Why are people so worked up over Second Life?"
Because it's not a game, but rather a virtual world, and the users are given incredible flexability to mold the world as they see fit.
That being said, personally I find it horribly boring, but I can see what the attraction is for players. As for the press, it should be obvious; it's a virtual world with a thriving economy based around original content created by the players.