Second Life citizens spend $1 billion in first life cash

by Richard Mitchell { Sep 23rd 2009 at 11:30PM }

Industry Gamers reports that Linden Lab, developer of Second Life, has announced that citizens of the virtual world have exchanged over $1 billion in digital goods and services with one another. Furthermore, said citizens have also logged over one billion hours of their first lives in Second Life. The creators elaborated that the game currently has "the largest virtual economy in the industry" generating $50 million per month in user-to-user transactions.

Linden Lab drops some other Second Life statistics, including the fact that over 250,000 virtual goods are created every day, 1,250 text messages are sent every second and that the world now occupies 2 billion square meters of virtual land. According to Linden Lab, that's roughly the size of Rhode Island.

It's not stopping there either, as CEO Mark Kingdon notes that the company is "positioned for reinvigorating [its] growth in 2010 with a range of strategic initiatives that will enhance the experience for existing Residents and propel [its] expansion with new users." We're not sure exactly what's planned for Second Life, though we hear cataclysms are all the rage these days.

Tags: business, linden-lab, mmo, second-life

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

WiiFTW @ Sep 23rd 2009 11:40PM

I read each of those [its] as tits.

"positioned for reinvigorating tits growth[...]"
"propel tits expansion with new users."

S. Tiger @ Sep 23rd 2009 11:40PM

Ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww...

Markez @ Sep 23rd 2009 11:40PM

Do people that use/play/whatever Second Life admit to doing so to others? I've never met anyone that is on Second Life...

ZaxCG2 @ Sep 24th 2009 12:52AM

I highly doubt it... because it's probably their dirty furry porn second life that they don't want you to know about.

Hardcore @ Sep 23rd 2009 11:42PM

There's a sucker born (or virtually appears in this case) every minute.

arkweld @ Sep 23rd 2009 11:44PM

Who want to buy a virtual Golden Gate Bridge?

I've got the deed right here, I just need a deposit of $10,000 to secure the permits for you first.

Destron @ Sep 23rd 2009 11:47PM

Anybody who's interested in the dark side of Second Life should listen to the segments of GFW Radio in which Shawn Elliott breaks down the nature of SL's New Amsterdam areas.

MystileArmor @ Sep 23rd 2009 11:50PM

You're telling me there is a bright side to this?

Destron @ Sep 23rd 2009 11:51PM

bah-dump-tsss

samfish [is sad there is no Gene in Tats v Cap =( ] @ Sep 23rd 2009 11:48PM

The best part about that picture up there is that every single one of those avatars belongs to a male.

Bradwart @ Sep 23rd 2009 11:51PM

These people are who Avatar clothing and Home accessories are targeted at. Looks like the market is bigger than I thought.

MystileArmor @ Sep 23rd 2009 11:53PM

I don't know, but to me this game seems like the type of game people play that really aren't too happy about their real life. Pretending to be someone they're not, online, so they can escape the reality that is their shitty life.

Just thinking aloud really.

[ArchiGamer] [Painstakingly Written Before A Live Audience] @ Sep 23rd 2009 11:55PM

All those avatars you see, yeah, all are probably males.....

Stevetrop @ Sep 23rd 2009 11:57PM

I'm betting there are folks who wish to escape the drama and turmoil they make up and go through in second life. They have their fingers crossed for the release of Third Life

Alton Brown [ XBL: LordToastington, Soon-To-Be-PSN: OrIsItAltonBrown] @ Sep 24th 2009 12:06AM

Dwight Schrute loves Second Second Life.

Josh @ Sep 24th 2009 12:05AM

I'm pretty sure EVE Online has a larger player economy than 1 billion dollars over the life of the game.. hell, most large ship cost many billions each.

Unless they meant real money... You can make real money in Second LIfe?

Stevetrop @ Sep 24th 2009 1:23AM

Yea there talking about real money. You can make the transaction from real life money to L$ (second life money) and vise versa.

I know a some friends who's real life job is making and selling second life stuff in their second life stores.

Dr Scientist @ Sep 24th 2009 12:18AM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3d_fqDcN1s

RKN @ Sep 24th 2009 12:52AM

Not like this doesn't effect console games, paying for virtual items on Playstation Home, for Xbox 360 Avatars, etc?

Enosoma @ Sep 24th 2009 1:11AM

Are there guns in Second Life? If so, can you blow people's faces off?

Stevetrop @ Sep 24th 2009 1:26AM

There are guns and weapons in second life. Guns, swords, lasers, what have you. You have to watch where you use them they have some regions where you can be free to use weapons.

If you try to go to some mall and kill everyone you can get suspended or banned.

Courtney @ Sep 24th 2009 3:01AM

I thought there had been some sort of international treaty where we all agreed that no one would care about Second Life anymore...guess I was wrong.

BigD145 @ Sep 24th 2009 3:27AM

SL is now Hong Kong's twin.

Mr.Mstislav @ Sep 24th 2009 5:07AM

Second Life: No fat chicks.

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