Race to make money from the virtual world

In the face of the terrible attraction of Second Life online game, Reuters news agency has become the latest giant of the real world to jump into the "slot" in this virtual world.

Since Thursday, Reuters will begin posting news, photos and video clips about the outside world to members of Second Life. In contrast, the most active in Second Life world will also be "released" to the public at http://secondlife.reuters.com .

Created by Linden Laboratories in San Francisco, Second Life is like a shadow of reality on the Internet. It's a virtual, three-dimensional world where users can create characters, eat up, dress them up, shop for assets and interact with other players.

Source: Reuters More than 900,000 people are registered to be able to participate in that exciting world. They build houses, get to know their neighbors and do the things they like inside the virtual world without fear of criticism and laughing.

On average, players spend about US $ 350,000 per day on virtual money, equivalent to US $ 130 million a year. What do they use that money for? Buy and sell a variety of goods and services with a virtual currency called Linden Dollars.

An online market formed, allowing users to change Linden to a real dollar. This means that players can earn real fresh money from their in-game activities.

It's the same virtual

For its part, Reuters sent an aging journalist, Adam Pasick, to be the director of the "Virtual Information Bureau" on SecondLife. Adam's nickname in this game will be Adam Reuters. " It's not much different from being a reporter in real life. Once you get used to it, you'll find it very similar to the work I've been doing for years ," he said.

Before Reuters, many major brands, such as Toyota automaker, record label Sony BMG, computer maker Sun Microsystems and technology information network CNET, all jumped into Second Life. Adidas and American Appare sell "good-looking" clothes and accessories, because users like to dress their avatars. Starwood Hotels built a new virtual hotel system - which, as planned, will be deployed in the real world in 2008.

Reuters will have reporters specializing in news and cultural issues taking place in Second Life - this is a strategy of the news agency to conquer new public objects by The most "hot" digital technologies.

" In Second Life, we will make Reuters a part of the younger generation. We are playing an active role in this virtual community by bridging the outside world with Second Life and vice versa. " , CEO Tom Glocer said.

Second Life citizens can update the latest news through a service called Reuters News Center - a mobile device that you can carry around with you in a virtual environment. The news will focus primarily on the booming economy and culture of Second Life.

If interested, interested in any news, they can also visit a forum called Reuters Atrium to comment, share with others.

Trong Cam