virtual worlds

Here are a couple of examples of how businesses are getting involved in virtual worlds as places to run their businesses - in Second Life. Firstly, a story concerning IBM and how a number of their employees are "routinely conducting company business inside Second Life". They do this using self-generated avatars that can interact with other avatars in this virtual environment, and saves massively on travel - money and time.

Secondly, a story about Pontiac selling virtual cars in the same virtual world, to characters who buy them with their Linden dollars.

There's also story about people with Asbergers who can access a virtual world in order to practice their social skills. Perhaps similar, in a sense, to the Bully game.

There is clearly a lot going on with new online virtual worlds as this story explains. It was probably Second Life that started it all in terms of making money from within these worlds. But the online games have been very successful and poplular too. Still not the same as having real people in a real place.