[MUD-Dev] Commercialization of virtual spaces

[Derek Licciardi]

From: Jessica Mulligan

> The question is, of course, where does the game stop and the
> advertising begin?  There is always a risk of the advertising
> subsuming the original purpose of the content, as it did with AOL
> and the Web in general.

I had always thought that there would be an increased point of
immersion in a game that is based in the near-present or future in
telling a friend to "Meet me at the Coke machine by the BP gas
station on 5th street."  If the numbers of subscriptions ever begin
to approach what's expected for TSO, WoW and SWG then it may be
possible to compute the "eye" numbers that advertisers want to see.
I'd suspect that there would be a decent value in that advertising.

Consider the E-Commerce applications that could be done as well.
Don't stop at advertising.  Why should I have to leave the game, get
on the phone, and order a pizza when my credit card and address are
already on the game server.  In a futuristic world, its not so out
of place to walk into a virtual Papa John's and order a virtual/real
pizza.  If Taco Bell could rule the world in Demolition Man then
even this outrageous claim could be possible.

Derek

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