JP Morgan Bullish on Kids' Worlds

Yesterday JP Morgan released its "Nothing But Net: 2008 Internet Investment Guide." It's 312 pages long, but skip on down to page 70 for JP Morgan's virtual worlds primer. The investment company doesn't look at virtual worlds as a whole for investment, instead pointing to "two audiences, two differing growth curves" for children's worlds and worlds aimed at adults. The company believes that worlds for adults have yet to see mainstream appeal, but that the market is in its infancy and 2008 will bring "rapid growth." Regardless, the company is "bullish on sites for children" as they "present parents an opportunity to let their kids play online and interact in a closed environment that is perceived as safe, especially when sites are operated by companies with trusted brands."

Citing an eMarketer report from September, JP Morgan argues that half of kids will visit virtual worlds by 2011. The main motivation is simply that children's entertainment options are limited (JP Morgan cites the climate as promoting a similar motivation for virtual worlds success in Finland), making them a strong ongoing candidate for growth.

Sibley Verbeck of The Electric Sheep Company made a similar point in his keynote to the Virtual Worlds Fall Conference and Expo in October.

“The kids' virtual worlds market, so pre-teen, is really the first virtual worlds market that’s become mass market and successful from a business point of view,” he explained. "Clearly those are here to stay. We’ve seen millions of users spending their money, or at least their parents’ money, on virtual worlds.”

For more information on kids' worlds, come to Virtual Worlds 2008, which will feature the youth market,  in New York City April 3-4, 2008

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