Second Life's ecommerce double whammy

Second Life creator Linden Lab has acquired virtual marketplaces OnRez and Xstreet SL to extend ecommerce options for its residents beyond in-world shopping.

The two newly acquired marketplaces can be accessed outside the virtual world through a web browser. Once virtual items - which range from clothing to rowing boats - have been purchased, they're delivered to the user within Second Life.

According to Linden Lab, the integration of the new services with Second Life will make it easier for users to find and purchase virtual goods as well as for organisations to sell them.

The two services will be consolidated onto the Xstreet SL platform, with the OnRez marketplace shutting its doors on 11 February.

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Speaking to silicon.com, Linden Lab chief product officer, Tom Hale, said: "Xstreet SL and OnRez are really like the eBay or Amazon [of Second Life]. We were thinking this was a very interesting thing and a useful benefit for people who wanted to shop and also for merchants because it's very efficient to be able to open up your browser and shop web-style."

"What we're doing is adding that kind of eBay, Amazon, web commerce kind of activity to what we've already got today, which is we go to the mall," he added.

According to the company, the virtual product and services market in Second Life generated around $360m in 2008.

Hale also indicated that the acquisitions could point to a future where ecommerce for real world goods is something that can take place within Second Life.

"I think certainly that's over our horizon. While we're not prepared to commit any kind of date around that, I think it's a very, very viable thing to do," he said.

According to Linden Lab's figures, around 970,000 users have accessed Second Life in the last 30 days.