Second Life Acquires Two Virtual World Shopping Sites

Filed in archive Virtual Worlds on January 21, 2009

A number of sources (Second life: the Music..., Venture Beat, paidContent) are covering Linden Lab's acquisition of two virtual goods markets that sell items for the residents of its Second Life virtual world. This is the way paidContent put it:

Second Life parent company Linden Lab has acquired XStreet SL and OnRez, a pair of virtual goods trading sites. Terms of the deals were not disclosed, but the SF-based company plans to consolidate both sites under the XStreet SL brand.

It seems Second Life's creator, Linden Labs, isn't getting as big a cut of Second Life's economic activity as they'd like.

Residents of Second Life spent $360 million in 2008. So how expensive is it to be a Second Lifer? Technically, Second Life is a free game. But people make and spend money. In January 2008, Second Lifers spent about 28.3 million hours in the game. Assuming that's an average month, Second Lifers spend about a dollar an hour while they're there.


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