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Can Virtual Worlds be used to prototype real world business?. W.J.Proctor The University of Hull Scarborough Campus 2006. Introduction & Background. Investigation into using Virtual Worlds as business tools. What are the current uses of Virtual Worlds? What you can do in Virtual Worlds?
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Can Virtual Worlds be used to prototype real world business? W.J.Proctor The University of Hull Scarborough Campus 2006
Introduction & Background • Investigation into using Virtual Worlds as business tools. • What are the current uses of Virtual Worlds? • What you can do in Virtual Worlds? • Presence of real world business’. • Virtual World Currencies. http://www.secondlife.com
Hypothesis • Virtual Worlds could be a great asset to real world business’. • Test products virtually before they are released onto the market. • Help business’ develop marketing strategies. http://www.vrtainment.com/
Process • Online survey, 13 questions. • Comparing shopping habits in the real world with perceived shopping habits in a virtual world. • Looked at the type of goods shoppers would buy and how much they would spend on them. www.wjproctor.com/research
Results • 43 sets of results gathered over 1 week period. • 27% would take part in a virtual world. • Different types of item sell in virtual worlds and real worlds.
Results Cont’ • Correlation between users spending in virtual worlds and real worlds. • Influences in both worlds very similar. • People would look for virtual representations of items they own, and real world representations of virtual items.
Results Cont’ • Respondents who would use a virtual world, thought there would be a wider product range in virtual worlds than the real world. • Respondents felt they would get a similar level of satisfaction buying virtual products.
Results Analysis • Only certain product types could cross the real world, virtual world boundary. Clothes and Home Furnishing. • There would be a market for virtual representations of real world items. • Other pointers seem to suggest that virtual worlds would mirror the real world quite closely from a business perspective.
Further Work • Setup a business in a Virtual World mirroring the real world, in terms of items sold. • Investigate the use of Virtual Worlds and a User Interface for online shoppers. Able to walk around and shop in malls for real world products.
Conclusion • Shopping Habits of Virtual Worlds mirror Real Worlds. • Clothing and Home Furnishing items would be the best selling items. • Over the next 5 to 10 years business could invest in virtual worlds. • Virtual Worlds have the potential to be used as business tools.
Questions? Please feel free to ask questions! Thanks