Second Life
Perhaps among the most well-known virtual world games played by a massively multitude of players, Second Life is a fantasy world where you can submerge out of your existing world and live within a virtual realm, and one perhaps where you can have more control.
In 2013, there were said to be more than one million regular second lifers. Its developers will often state that Second Life is a creation, rather than a game per se. There is no real reason (or profit) in actually going into conflict, as many other MMOS games promote, nor are there any set objectives that need to be met, in order to exist within this alternate lifestyle.
The virtual world here is known amongst its users as “The Grid”. It does have its own virtual currency – known as the Linden Dollar. You can increase your wealth and exchange Linden dollars for real money. Citizens need to be at least 16 years old to register and play. There are some secondary school group that have classes in Second Life, but exist only as a sponsored institution within that school or academy. Usually these groups are aged 13 to 16.
There is a Thriving Economy within Second Life
The economy and currency are both internally structured, so you can use the Linden Dollar to buy, hire, sell, rent or trade commodities like land, cattle, property or goods. There are more than 1.3 million trades every single day and you can create virtual goods, which can later be sold for Linden Dollars within the virtual world creation, and later exchanged for real US dollars.
How to Earn Extra Cash in Second Life
In a similar way to real life, earning money in your virtual life in down to the individual. What might work for you may not be the result that works for another – and vice-versa. Exchanging money for real dollars is one way of gaining cash without actually doing any work. This works by waiting for the exchange rate to improve from the one where you actually purchased your Linden dollars.
You should also invest in virtual goods to make money too. You can invest in buildings, vehicles, and works of art, smartphones, jewelry, clothing and even hairstyles – all of which can make you money when you resell at a later date.
There are a number of services where you can provide work for cash too. Offering bed and breakfast, camping, business skills, entertainment, tourism, data entry and office services. All of these will make you richer in Linden dollars, which can later be exchanged for real hard cash.
One perfect illustration of how all this can work to deliver hard cash to your gaming account can be seen in the tale of Ailin Graef.
Ailin paid just under $10 in 2004 to register an account, and started out making money as an in-game entertainer followed by forming her own virtual fashion accessories business.
When the profits from this started to build, she moved to buying up and selling real estate – an activity which was so successful it ultimately made around $250,000 in 2005. By 2007, and with a real office in China added to her business portfolio, Ailin’s virtual holdings were reportedly worth a cool $1 million.
The business is still running today.
This all adds to the reasons why Second Life is probably the best known of all virtual world games where you can make real money.
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