26
2006
Second Life Takes Off, Gains Interest of Older Generation
Last week Reuters announced it opened a bureau inside the multiplayer game Second Life. This continues a trend of real-world companies joining Second Life – currently Adidas, Reebok, Toyota, Nissan, IBM and Starwood Hotels are among the companies that have set up shop within Second Life, along with dozens of other people who have created Second Life businesses and are actually making money from the game. Several advertising agencies have also set up locations in Second Life, and companies are beginning to use it to foster collaboration among geographically scattered workforces.
Hitwise data shows that last week the share of US Internet searches for ‘second life’ shot up 73% compared to the previous week (week ending 10/21/06 vs. week ending 10/14/06), and visits to the Second Life website more than doubled in the two weeks between the weeks ending 10/7/06 and 10/21/06. On a year-over-year basis, visits to SecondLife.com were up 219% from the week ending 10/22/05 compared to the week ending 10/21/06.
A very good article on the Popular Science website, Popsci.com, explains some of the intricacies of business in Second Life. One article I read in my research included a comment from a regular Second Lifer who said that it seemed like there were now more newbies and marketing people in Second Life who seemed like they were just checking it out for business potential. A perfect opportunity to demonstrate the concept of ‘dynamic demographics’ – that demographics of visitors to a website can change based upon news events and where links are placed.
Hitwise demographic data shows that the age range of visitors to SecondLife.com did indeed change due to all the press Second Life recently received. Note that this data is based on visitors to the Second Life website, not necessarily players of the game. You’ll see that for the four week period ending 9/23/06, 32.67% of visitors to SecondLife.com were between 18 and 24, and only 5.57% were over 55. Fast forward four weeks, to the period ending 10/21/06, and you’ll see a bit of a flip-flop: The over 55 group grew to 15.05% of SecondLife.com visitors, while the 18-24 group dropped 7 percentage points to 25.67%.
It will be interesting to see how many of these older visitors become players in Second Life – right now the appeal of Second Life skews to those under 45. An older, and potentially more moneyed, player set in Second Life could attract a different caliber of advertisers to the game.
Note: I have not been inside Second Life, so I would be interested to hear from players about what it’s like and why they like it.
So first MySpace, and now Second Life are boasting older than expected communities? Interesting.
Your piece was very well done. I very much enjoyed the statistics you provided.
I have been a resident of SL for 6 months. I write for the Metaverse Messenger (www.metaversemessenger.com) & SL Business Magazine (www.SLBusinessMag.com), run 3 small businesses, and have just pitched SL to a Fortune 500 company. You asked for feedback on why I like it.
SL is, by design, anonymous, and as such, it is a great place to try new things. I am not a writer. I have a degree in economics and have never written for anyone but myself. I have long wanted to try my hand at it, but would have never considered submitting a story to a Real Life publication. In SL I didn’t hesitate to submit my work. I guess the fear of my avatar getting rejected was far less grave than having Brian Meeks rejected.
With a degree in economics, I am fascinated by the commerce in SL. I have opened 2 businesses with partners, Lupo Drake Galleries and Gracie’s Cards, and a little skate shop and ice rink. I build furniture, buildings, textures, animations and recently started doing my own Machenima movies. I have spent the last 3 months teaching myself Photoshop, and have become competent, which strangely enough has become helpful in my RL job.
Lastly, I love the people. I have friends from Ohio, Florida, Canada, England, Australia, and Finland. They are all talented, interesting people, and we enjoy sharing the goings on in our lives, second and otherwise.
LeeAnn, if you should ever stop into SL, please look up Ecocandle Riel and I would love to show you around.
Sincerely,
Brian Meeks
Aka
Ecocandle Riel
SMart!
I’ve got to send this around the company!
Thanx for taking the time to write about us.
Fantastic information! I’ve been an SL resident for a few months now and I have absolutely noticed an influx of older players.
The appeal and addictive properties of a video game, combined the fact that SL runs its own mini-economy, and the simple fact that it’s built and managed by its players makes it a great marketing model.
As Brian stated, the ability to remain anonymous allows SL avatars to explore many things users would be too self conscious to try in RL.
Additionally, avatars are blessed with many gifts we’d all love to have in RL: the gift of flight, the ability to teleport to any location, and the anonymity to look and act any way they please (within reason of course) without repercussions.
Those looking for a video game experience will find that SL offers many sports to try, snowboarding, surfing, racing cars, you name it and if it doesn’t exist, it’s a niche you can create.
Those who prefer to use SL as a social site can make friends from all over the world, develop clubs and groups and even take classes!
Bottom line, SL is an exciting new adventure to try, whether you want to find personal or financial gain.
Feel free to look me up once you join! I’d be happy to give you tips to make your first few days productive, not to mention I know where to find the best shoes in SL.
Paige Wright
I have been in world for 10 months now — altho only actually active for about 7 months. I became active becuase of my kids — Tasha is a furry who has been in SL almost from the beginning, Madison and Corey are podcasters [Bucket] who found a way to grow her fan base by using SL
IMNSHO, it is all about creativity and socializing. You get to build things. You get to add value. You get to belong to different groups. Altho I am usually in human form, I have wrymling and hatchling and unicorn and tini pig and big bird and gargoyle avis too. You interact with different people. You shop, you dance, you go to lectures, you go to art gallery openings, you go to concerts, you see nightly firework displays. I have been partnered. I have worked as the manager of a club. I am an unofficial newbie greeter/helper.
it is not a “game”, it is my second life. After all, we only live twice!
Second Life Lures Big Brother, Older Traffic
By: Ilya Vedrashko The reality show Big Brother is coming to Second Life, writes Reuters. More details on the dedicated website. The show will select 15 contestants to spend at least eight hours in a transparent house for one month….
Thing about Second Life is when you join you are offered a choice of Avatars. All have nice smiley WHITE faces, unless you want to pose as a Racoon.
And in the adult Horizons Resort, one character, Palad, says whenever the issue arises, we wishes the “furries” would stick to their own “community”. He defends his views, but incites others to act. His girlfriend Felicity dismisses all Scots as “mean” and the few who have dared protest this RAMPANT RACISM have been arbitrarily thrown off the site by a defiant management
Hi LeeAnn,
Great stats thank you! Just wondering if this trend of the decreasing 18-24 age bracket has continued into the New Year?
Many thanks!
Rob
Hi Rob,
Visitors to the Second Life website continue to drop in age:
For the four weeks ending January 13, 2007, the age of visitors to Second Life broke down as follows:
18-24 – 16.66%
25-34 – 21.9%
25-44 – 21.71%
24-54 – 23.94%
55+ – 15.79%
LeeAnn
Second Life Lures Big Brother, Older Traffic
By: Ilya Vedrashko The reality show Big Brother is coming to Second Life, writes Reuters. More details on the dedicated website. The show will select 15 contestants to spend at least eight hours in a transparent house for one month….