Social networking on the Internet, a growing phenomenon in itself, is changing the way people spend their time. It is the strongest hook in measuring the success of a virtual world site, according to research.
"Over 350 million people visit virtual worlds now; 40 percent are kids (over 100 million.) It is a huge market. The under 16-age group is growing more than any other. There are several worlds for kids over 14, but the 8 to 12 year olds are underserved," says Spira.
According to market forecasts, the number of users logging into virtual worlds is expected to exceed one billion by 2012, with total revenue $3 billion.
