| Second Life is perhaps the most controversial | | | | The second, more profitable (and much more |
| MMO I think I've ever come across. It's hardly | | | | difficult method) to earn money in Second Life is |
| even a game, as there is even less plot in Second | | | | by offering goods and services to avatars by |
| Life than that which exists in most online games | | | | means of shops. If you can code a hat, or a chic |
| of the genre. However, Second Life's popularity | | | | pair of shoes, then you may just a livelihood in |
| approaches the absurd, and there is a very good | | | | the virtual world. On the surface, this method is |
| reason: Second Life pays players real cash to | | | | very appealing to the skilled computer artists and |
| exist in the game world. | | | | coders, as they can leverage their unique skills to |
| Okay, so it's not THAT simple, but Second Life is | | | | generate income (by selling bits of cosmetic |
| perhaps the only legitimate MMO in which players | | | | computer code no less). However, anyone who's |
| can profit from playing, without breaking the | | | | ever made a model in Maya or Mudbox will be |
| EULA Terms of Service. Being an avid gamer and | | | | quick to tell you the process is involved, and any |
| a veteran of several MMORPGs myself, this | | | | computer programmer that you meet will tell you |
| concept of making the game (which is invariably a | | | | the job is difficult and filled with pitfalls. Second |
| tremendous time dump) worth my while intrigues | | | | Life has tools that help facilitate the process of |
| me. We all want money to some extent, and the | | | | creation, but be prepared to spend long hours |
| gamers who spend lots of time in virtual worlds | | | | creating something that people will wish to spend |
| are drawn to Second Life's promise of wealth - | | | | their hard earned Linden Dollars on. |
| and the hype can be pretty intense. This article, | | | | The third, final, and vastly profitable method of |
| though dated, is the pinnacle of money frenzy - | | | | reaping wealth in Second Life is, surprisingly, the |
| people have really succeeded in real life by playing | | | | real estate business. Buy your own piece of |
| a game! How do they do it? Can you do it? | | | | virtual earth, whether it be an island, a block on a |
| Maybe, Maybe not. | | | | street, or some other geographical nugget, and |
| Second life's methods of earning are split into | | | | you might just sell it for thousands of real dollars! |
| three major disciplines. The first, and the easiest | | | | That is the crux of our Second Life millionaire's |
| and lowest-paid, is that of the part time job. You | | | | business plan: real estate in a virtual world. The |
| guessed it - there are wage jobs in Second Life | | | | practice is far older than online gaming, of course, |
| just as there are in the real world, and companies | | | | and there's a science and discipline to it that most |
| will pay players to act as hosts and hostesses in | | | | gamers don't possess from day one, but with |
| their virtual environments. Players who get hired | | | | some starting capital (perhaps earned from easier |
| will end up entertaining visitors to a company's | | | | jobs within Second Life) and an eye for future |
| virtual space, and perhaps doing some human | | | | demand, and this is where prospective earners will |
| advertising on the part of the employer. The | | | | make their bacon. |
| Second Life conversion rate is about 240 Linden | | | | I've been tempted to pursue the last method |
| Dollars for $1, meaning at the rate of one or two | | | | more than once, but a lack of funds to invest has |
| L$ a minute, you'll be getting paid a small amount | | | | so far prevented me. If any of you aspiring |
| just to chat. No-one's getting rich this way, but | | | | moguls find wealth in Second Life, be sure to tell |
| for the social butterflies of the Internet, the | | | | your success stories here! |
| appeal is easy to see. | | | | |