Farmville Gift Collector

Big bucks in virtual goods

Intrigued by the willingness of millions of customers to pay real money for things that do not exist, some large companies are testing whether they can can raise awareness of their brands- and sell more actual goods – by creating and offering their own pretend merchandise. Volvo cars of North America, clothing retailer H&M and MTV Networks are among the diverse brands entering the market for virtual goods- the make-believe items offered on social-networking games, smartphone apps or fantasy Internet sites. It’s all about constant connectivity. People live in real time and established brands have to find ways to keep in touch. Brands are beginning to dabble in reaching out, especially to the under-40 crowd. So far, the virtual goods market largely consists of micro-purchases. Consumers pay US$1 ( S$1.35 ) to US$3 while playing games like FarmVille and Mafia Wars, both created by the social-gaming company zynga get a jump-start on game rivals. Users can also give a gift, like flowers, or build a collection of items, just as collectors do in real life. Those impulses will be worth nearly US$2 billion in revenue or more this year. Social- game creators like Zynga , which said it made US$100 million last year mostly from purchases of its virtual goods and game currency, are cashing in on a phenomenon that has flourished in Asia and is growing in South America and the Middle East. Initially, virtual goods buyers in the United States were typically playing in online fantasy worlds like Second Life and IMVU, which generate nearly US$1 billion annually from player purchases of furniture, homes, clothing and accessories for their online avatars.

In addition, teenagers are avid buyers of branded goods offered by music performers like hip-hop artist Snoop Dogg, who has made about US$250,000 since mid- 2008 selling items like virtual Dobermans. MTV has a different goal. The network wants to drum up viewership for its 2010 Video Music Awards this month by giving away virtual replicas of celebrity accessories and fashion items, like singer Beyonce’s diamond ring in Mall World, a fashion-oriented Facebook application. Some 400,000 people visit the site monthly. Clothing retailer Hennes & Mauritz better known as H&M, is planning a virtual goods campaign to follow its foray in March to MyTown. That campaign showcased its collection of denim and blue garments, called the Blue, and encouraged users to visit an H&M store to buy pieces they liked. The company declined to talk about its new campaign, but during its first effort, some 700,000 MyTown players checked into game locations like hair salons and spas near H&M stores and earned points they could use to acquire branded items. To succeed, branded virtual goods have to be identifiable and have  a real world relevance.

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Farmville Gift Collector – Simple Demo