Search BizReport
News by Topic
Marketing
- Advertising
- Search Marketing
- Email Marketing
- Loyalty Marketing
- Mobile Marketing
- Social Marketing
- Viral Marketing
- Trends & Ideas
Beyond Marketing
BizReport : Social Marketing : July 15, 2008
Virtual worlds continue to attract real world invesment
Venture firms and media companies continue to invest in virtual world-related businesses, reports Virtual Worlds Management, with Google being the most recent big name on the virtual scene.
Lively, Google’s recently released virtual world-esque offering, is the latest in what is becoming an increasingly competitive real life market – virtual worlds.
Virtual worlds trade media company, Virtual Worlds Management, recently released figures for Q2 2008 that show $161 million has been invested. This figure is down slightly from Q1 which saw $184 million.
That brings the total year to date investment figure to a healthy $345 million.
The lion’s share of the investments went to two massively multiplayer online games companies. Realtime Worlds, whose virtual world set in a large city is due to be launched later this year, received $50 million and Turbine Inc. received $40 million. A full listing is available online.
It wasn’t just virtual world creators that received investment. In a nod to the future of online worlds an investment of $200k was made in Metaverse Mod Squad which provides support and staff for virtual events.
Tags: online games, virtual worlds
Subscribe to BizReport
Latest Headlines
- DMA: Catalogs are still solid publications
- Tight budgets push Americans online for travel information
- Broadband video: It's all about content
- U.S. business-to-business marketers boosting overseas budgets
- CheckFree: Security no longer main barrier to online banking
- ANA: Marketers being asked to reduce marketing costs
- How to get more from email list generation
- Study: Advertising networks can accelerate online sales
Featured White Papers:

Search Engine Optimization and Pay-Per-Click: A Holistic Approach
Learn how pay-per-click (PPC) and natural search engine optimization (SEO) can work hand in hand to help your business better connect with new customers. >>

12 SEO Campaign Killers
Learn what not to do when launching a Search Engine Optimization (SEO) campaign to attract more visitors, leads and sales. >>

Social Media Marketing: 12 Essential Tips for Success
Learn how to effectively engage customer communities with a new, social marketing mix. >>
Featured Magazines:

Featured Research
- NEW! B-to-B Lead Generation Handbook
Special $200.00 discount for BizReport readers only!
Improve your results and the quality of your leads - download the full report right now.