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Posts Tagged ‘World Currency’

Is the Real Revenue in Printing Money and Trading Sheep?

While many large communities continue to chase ad revenue and subscription models, I can’t help thinking the real money is in virtual currency and goods. Yesterday we featured an article about Beijing and the fact that TenCent (one of the country’s most successful social networks) makes 90% of its revenue from virtual goods. With China alone representing a $4 billion dollar market, many are looking to gaming and virtual goods as the next emerging space.

Sponsor

Few investors know the gaming space as well as Benchmark Capital’s General Partner Mitch Lasky. In addition to sitting on the board of Riot Games, Lasky’s firm invested in both Gaia and Linden Lab. Linden in particular has built an incredibly lucrative economy. The company’s in-world currency trades at about $250 Lindens to the US dollar with 2009’s revenue estimated to be $100 million dollars. With last Spring’s rumors that Facebook was considering a virtual currency, we asked Lasky to imagine what a Facebook dollar would do to casual gaming.

He explains, “I actually think Facebook could be good for Zynga and other casual gaming groups. Having the Facebook brand behind this type of monetization could help dispel any Scamville-related issues and create some certification of quality. There would likely be some attacks, but rallying behind a central currency could definitely be beneficial.”

While a Facebook dollar feels like a far off dream, how can startups profit from the emergence of new virtual economies? Let us know your ideas in the comments below.

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Newsmy A11HD portable media player tries hard to be special
Newsmy (or Newman, as it were) may not be a household name here in the States, but it’s good for pumping out new portable media players at a decent clip over in the Far East. Thankfully, there’s this amazing invention called the “internet,” which essentially enables folks all over the world to trade currency for product. For those interested in the ho hum player shown above — which features a 4.3-inch display (480 x 272), 720p TV output, an absurd list of supported file formats and 16GB of internal storage — it can be shipped your way for the intriguing price of $129.86. Oh, and did we mention that this thing can play “64 games?” Look out, iPod touch!

[Via PMP Today]

Filed under: Handhelds, Portable Audio, Portable Video

Newsmy A11HD portable media player tries hard to be special originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 20 Oct 2009 03:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kid-friendly MMO MyMiniPeeps gets $300,000 (in real-world currency)

World of Warcraft aficionados will tell you that, despite the game’s reputation for being more addictive than drugs, it has redeeming value in team building and the pursuit of goals. But it’s hard to justify that when everyone’s killing each other.

Enter MyMiniPeeps, a Massive Multiplayer Online game intended specifically for children ages 6 through 13. Masher Media, the game’s developers, just received $300,000 in angel funding from Tech Coast Angels to keep working towards a pre-alpha release. The company had previously raised $175,000 in a seed round and hopes to get another $200,000 for this round.

There’s no shortage of venues for kids to get their gaming kicks these days, but Masher Media chief executive Sherry Gunther said she knows of no existing game that combines the deep play of an MMO with a friendly, positive atmosphere.

“I think we’re unique in the sense that we have all of the same attributes of a true massive multiplayer online game … but most of those are fairly violent and have to do with shooting things and people,” she said.

A typical objective in MyMiniPeeps might entail rescuing a cat from a tree, or going on a scavenger hunt. These quests could lead to new missions, but they also give the player in-game currency and good will points. These are used to build up the player’s character and unlock new abilities.

Parents will want to keep an eye on their kids, and the game allows them to limit time, approve of buddy list additions and sign off on uploads for user-created content. The game also prohibits the sharing of personal information.

To keep players from misbehaving, MyMiniPeeps has filters and human moderators to prevent bullying and foul language. MyMiniPeeps will also work on positive attitudes by having kids to work together on quests, and by giving them objectives that mirror real-world goals, like recycling and planting trees. Additionally, players can vote for a real charity to receive some of their in-game currency, and Masher Media will pay actual money to the winning charity.

The business model will be subscription-based, at a price of $5.95 per month with discounts for long-term subscriptions, but Gunther said microtransactions and branded virtual merchandise will also help the site monetize. Masher Media currently employs 5 full-time employees for the game, and uses contractors for programming and art.

As with any game, the biggest factor in its success will be how fun it is. We’ll see if MyMiniPeeps can lure children to more positive gaming pastures when it launches in Fall 2010.

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