Real money is being spent on virtual goods–estimates put the outlay at a cool $1 billion this year. Some say the pixel dust industry could grow to $17.3 billion in 2015.
Alex Pham of L.A. Times reports that about one in 10 Americans reached into their wallets last year and spent an average of $30 on pixelated swords, outfits and other non-real items used in online games such as Habbo, Pet Society and Club Penguin.
Why waste real money on intangible items? According to a researcher with the Helsinki Institute for Information Technology Vili Lehdonvirta, people buy intangible items to gain status, identity, membership, class and performance.
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