Virtual Goods News

Welcome to the Virtual Goods News Wrap-Up for the week of March 20, 2009. The Wrap-Up is where VGN spotlights stories that we didn't get to cover individually, but still make for interesting reading about the virtual goods industry.

Chinese Portal Sohu's Gaming Division Files For $120 Million IPO
Changyou.com has filed to raise up to $120 million in an IPO issuing 7.5 million America depository shares at a rate of $14 to $16 each. For any gaming company to successfully go public during the economic downtown is extremely noteworthy.

Ether Saga Online Enters Open Beta
Perfect World International sends its second free-to-play MMORPG into open beta. This game has done well in China, but it enters a more fiercely competitive free-to-play gaming sphere than the original Perfect World International offering did. 

Free-To-Play MMORPGs: A Fertile Yet Fragmented Field
A pretty basic explanation of the free-to-play MMORPG model that contains one really interesting stat. The article states that "nearly half" of all MMORPG players in the US now will only play free-to-play titles. It's an interesting stat in light of how many traditional MMO publishers have free-to-play projects in the works now.

Gold Trading Exposed: Introduction