As the next part of my research i had a look at how people may for media and what sorts of things they choose to pay for. Taking a look online i came across virtual world Second Life which enables users to create their own avatars and homes, similar to Sims, in which they can interact with other 'people' and more or less begin a second life. Users are given the chance to make their avatars, laugh, sing, smile, shake hands and use any other form of body language to interact with other Second Life users, allowing for some sort of escapism from their everyday lives. Although Second Life is free to join, in order to make your avatar live a more fun and engaging life in it's surroundings, users are given the ability to pay for food, clothes, luxurys, pet food and even islands.
As users have full control of what their avatar does, this may be one of the main reasons why users are willing to pay for content as they are not being limited as to what they buy and when they buy it. In comparison with mobile apps for example, there is only so many levels or stages to complete before the game is over. However with Second Life, avatars are able to live just as long as humans, regarding they are properly looked after. Therefore user control may be a good tool for media companies to look at, as my research has shown that some users are willing to pay $300 dollars simply for food for their online pets. Although Second Life to some may seem like a waste of time and money, users who do interact with the virtual world are given a chance to create their own world and socialise with other avatars in order to escape from their everyday lives.
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