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Overview

This Virtual Worlds Management Industry Forecast 2008 brings together 45 virtual worlds industry leaders, including CEOs of developers, platforms, and agencies, analysts and thinkers, and lawyers and government representatives to offer their thoughts on and predictions for virtual worlds in 2008. Also examined in the report are the 2008 business goals for many of the leading companies in the industry. What follows are their essentially unedited responses. We've touched up here and there for formatting, but otherwise these are the thoughts of industry leaders in the words of industry leaders.

Questions Asked and Answered

We asked Virtual Worlds Management Industry Forecast 2008 participants the following questions:

1. What are your top 3 trend predictions for 2008?
2. What business goals have you set for 2008?
3. What challenges do you expect 2008 to bring for the virtual worlds industry?
4. A number of new platforms are launching in 2008. What are the biggest impacts this will have on the industry?
5. How will the above changes affect your specific segment of the industry in 2008?

Growth is Top of Mind

The single largest trend for 2008 is massive growth. When we asked for their trends for 2008, Nine participants predicted a boom in new worlds gaining significant parts of the market and 8 predicted that 2008 was the year for significant population growth and a mainstreaming of virtual worlds. When asked for their business goals for 2008, almost all participants listed specific products, platforms, or services that they planned to launch.

In particular, participants predicted a strong growth in kids and teens worlds as well as in platforms that bridge the gap between virtual worlds and the Web, social networks and mobile devices. Likewise, there are equally strong predictions for more real-world applications like serious games or business-to-business applications. The new users will promote a demand for better middleware for developers to create on as well as technology for end users.

Challenges Loom

However, 2008 is not without challenges. While the predicted trends ranged far and wide, participants are looking at 2008 with the same, almost universal concerns. The new users will be confused by an overcrowded space and unwilling to adapt to the "beta" technology prevalent in many platforms with unwieldy interfaces or high technology requirements. Likewise, the fragmentation of the space will present a requirement for standards and interoperability, though that's still a contentious belief.

Most importantly, though, is that it seems people are worried the bubble is about to pop. 2008 is a year to prove virtual worlds have value and convince managers, enterprise-level organizations, and media brands that there are highly specific and necessary use cases. Otherwise the backlash is coming.

The other major concern is that 2008 will bring increased government scrutiny in the form of regulations, privacy concerns, or simply taxes. However, there is still a somewhat common belief that 2008 will also bring government support for virtual worlds along with those regulations. Greater numbers and more business use of virtual worlds can't help to attract attention.

We thank all of our participants for their contributions. The value here is in the details - 36 pages worth - and we're certain that any one involved or thinking about getting involved with the virtual worlds industry will find them of value.

Joey Seiler
Staff Reporter
VirtualWorldsNews.com