Virtual Goods News

Welcome to the Virtual Goods News Wrap-Up for the week of May 1, 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.

@LA Games Conference: Making Money From Social Games
A report from one of the LAGC panels about social gaming that had plenty to say about virtual goods as both a game mechanic and a business model. There's also talk of how to encourage viral spread in games.

@LA Games Conference: What's My ROI? The Best Metrics For Virtual Campaigns
Another panel discussed use of virtual goods in branded advertising campaigns and specifically what kind of metrics brands want for measuring a site's influence. Includes an interesting call by RocketOn's Steve Hoffman for a set of analytical standards for branded virtual goods campaigns.

Brazilian Start-Up Hoplon Infotainment Goes Global With Taikodom Online Game
A little something to underscore just how much of a global business virtual goods can be. Right now the first Brazilian start-up is expecting twenty-fold expansions in revenue and half a million players by the end of 2009. 

Gala-Net Bringing Free-To-Play Korean MMORPG Aika To North America
While Western free-to-play gaming is drawing more of our focus here at VGN, it's important not to neglect import titles too much. Right now Gala-Net is angling to