virtual goods in context: digitalization of consumption
DESCRIPTION
Vili Lehdonvirta's presentation at Virtual Goods Conference, 23 September 2009, San Jose. Download my PhD dissertation "Virtual Consumption" at http://virtual-economy.org/blog/virtual_consumption_the_thesisTRANSCRIPT
Virtual goods in context:Digitalization of
consumptionVili Lehdonvirta, [email protected]
Helsinki Institute for Information Technology
Virtual Economy Research Network
Vili Lehdonvirta: Virtual goods in context
Virtual item purchase drivers
Functional attributes Hedonic attributes Social attributes
Performance Visual appearance Rarity
Features Sound Branding
Background fiction Provenance
Customizability Cultural references
Vili Lehdonvirta: "Virtual Item Sales as a Revenue Model: Identifying Attributes that Drive Purchase Decisions", Electronic Commerce Research, vol. 9, no. 1, pp. 97-113.
Vili Lehdonvirta: Virtual goods in context
Digitalization of consumption
• Virtual goods are bought for all the same reasons as material goods
• As life becomes increasingly computer-mediated, so does consumption
• How is the virtual goods market developing vs. other forms of computer-mediated consumption?
Vili Lehdonvirta: Virtual goods in context
Digitalization of consumption in Korea
Vili Lehdonvirta: Virtual goods in context
Digitalization of consumption in China
Vili Lehdonvirta: Virtual goods in context
Digitalization of consumption in U.S.
66 146 228
Vili Lehdonvirta: Virtual goods in context
Future prospects
• Total U.S. retail: 4400 Bn USD / year– less than 6% “digitalized” so far
• Recession: a boost to virtual consumption
• Environmental sustainability: the next selling point for virtual goods?– provision of material goods (other than food)
29 % of U.S. GHG emissions
Vili Lehdonvirta: Virtual goods in contexthttp://virtual-economy.org