Last weeks Virtual Goods Summit mashed up with the Metaverse Roadmap and PwC’s prediction that the global entertainment and media industry will hit $2 trillion by 2011 promises interesting conversations lie ahead this week.
What percentage of this $2 trillion will flow in-world? Does a brave new world await TV virtually as David Itzkoff discussed in his NYT piece? Will Congress use its upcoming virtual goods taxation report to outline a policy roadmap? All of which puts virtual goods in vogue.
Second Earth is the aptly titled cover story of this July/August edition of MIT Technology Review. Wade Roush connects Social Virtual Worlds, Mirror Worlds, Mobile augmented reality and sensor networks to envision Second Earth.
Unlike many writers who have written pieces featuring Second Life to-date Wade has taken up residence in-world for a couple of months prior to writing his piece and it shows. Christian Renaud has also dusted off his crystal ball and started to think aloud on what the future may hold.
Organized events such as the upcoming SecondFest are attracting more and more people to experience Virtual Worlds first hand. With Edinburgh University and Santa Clara University joining the growing list of 100+ academic institutions resident in Second Life the conversations on Second Earth have only just begun. Interesting times indeed.