Source: SMI

Summary: The New York Times, quoting numbers from the third party analysts at Inside Network, reports that the market for social gaming and buying virtual goods on Facebook could top $835 million this year.

Well, the virtual currency has a way to go before it makes much of an impression on PayPal. The online payment system which eases eBay purchases has been around since 1998 and now has 87 million active accounts. The value of those accounts’ transactions?... [Read More]

Source: Gawker

tl;dr: Zynga, who makes Mafia Wars and Farmville, has a secret program. Minimum virtual goods purchase is $500 to join. You can only pay by bank transfer with means no chargebacks and you must abide by a special contract saying virtual currency is non-refundable.

My comments: It's like the American Express Black Card for social games!... [Read More]

Source: Internet Retailer

tl;dr: Peanut Labs, which processes payments from consumers who play online games, has introduced a text messaging service that warns players about suspicious transactions. Peanut Labs serves consumers who play virtual world, Facebook and other social media games, as well as helps developers set up virtual currency schemes in games. Players spend real money to purchase... [Read More]

Source: MMO Crunch

tl;dr: Luna Online is teaming up with MMOCrunch to bring you The Luna Back to School Giveaway! Beginning August 25th we will be giving away 1000 Back-to-School packs which include an adorable school outfit and powerful consumables! Redeeming this coupon code will automatically enter you into a raffle where we’re giving away three rare permanent costumes!

My comments: Anyone play this? Or for that matter Going back to school? MMO promoting back to school huh? Go b... [Read More]

Source: TGIF

Article talks specifically about Facebook credits. However 1 section of the article caught my interest.

tl;dr: Facebook Credits EVERYWHERE- Mashable wrote back in March that Facebook credits could overtake PayPal someday and I agree if that’s Facebook’s intention. You can already buy Facebook credit gift cards offline in Asia and with Facebooks new open graph model it is clear that they want to interact with other wedsites, perhaps through currency. However... [Read More]

Source: MMO Crunch

tl;dr: This is your official invitation to participate in the Kogamu Closed Beta test. You are just minutes away from playing the first true Massively Multiplayer Online Roleplaying Game (MMORPG) on Facebook!



There 2000 keys to give away.

My comments: Oohh... I'll try this out when I have time. This looks pretty good for facebook. Hope there are virtual goods to sell.... [Read More]

Source: Markeedragon Youtube

tl;dr: Erin talks about Oceanopolis. Your on an island, and trash washes up it. You have to recycle it to keep it clean. You want to collect trash and steal trash from others. In-game reward points can be redeemed for restaurant gift certificates. So apparently recycling in-game and real life is integrated on 1 website. If you take a coke can to a recycle kiosk, you get 5 cent receipt + in-game points. Still in beta and launch Aug 21.

My comments:... [Read More]

Source: blog.jambool.com

tl;dr: We define “whales” as big spenders who spend over $1,000 “in their favorite social games; “super whales” are even bigger spenders, shelling out $10,000 or more for virtual goods. To give that spending some context, the average social gamer spends around $60. By comparison, our biggest whale, in Saudi Arabia, spent $25,540 on virtual goods! Graphs included in link. While some people remain puzzled by the allure of buying virtual items, the trend is re... [Read More]

Source: Mashable / Business

- 7% of users that make a virtual goods purchase are still buying them after four months. Still, the vast majority of people never make a purchase in any game that they play. However, when it comes to users that make more than one purchase, Latin American users come out on top, spending an average of $300 in a four month period. Click the link to check out the graphs. Graphs display amount spent on virtual goods in social games by ethnicity and continent.... [Read More]