Working group 3 - Virtual worlds: innovative business models and relevant markets

Online games: more and more people are spending more and more time playing them, but there are also numerous detractors. Do online games trap players in a virtual world, isolating them from their environment? Are they addictive? Do they lead to emotional desensitization? Unfortunately, not enough questions are being asked about how these concerns can be addressed in a reasonable way and turned into innovative business models.

And this despite the obvious market potential. An increasing number of companies are observing developments in this area. Online games often attract large virtual communities in which new interaction and communication cultures are established and maintained. These new usage models can open up commercialization opportunities that are based on the voluntary help of the entire community. This also leads to new forms of customer loyalty.

The third working group will focus on this virtual world, which forms the basis of real, innovative business models “in real life”, takes advantage of the commercial potential of digital communities, but also has to take into account issues of data protection and the protection of minors.