Fast Drivers

More and more attention is being paid to the role of virtual item sales. Previously left to the gamers themselves, slinking around in dark alleys of the internet and selling off gold, swords and accounts, the game developers and operators themselves are making virtual items part of their revenue plans for the future. According to this GameDaily piece, digital distribution and online item sales are the fastest growing revenue segment for online games.
On two ends of the spectrum, we have games that don't charge a subscription fee and rely entirely on item sales for operating revenue. Acclaim has been rolling out a series subscription-free games, selling Acclaim Coins for real dollars and then letting subscribers use the virtual coins to purchase items in *any* of their titles. Less "gamey" worlds like Second Life, and Project Entropia sell you the currency to upgrade your game experience, but also provide the opportunity for you to earn your own wealth within the game through goods and services you provide.
The games that rely on subscriptions tend to have all kinds of rules about selling game things in the real world. This has left all of the profit from such sales - which are taking place despite their rules and objections - go entirely to the seller. Aside from expansion pack sales, I'm expecting we're gonna see more "hybrid" approaches emerge with a way for subscription players to "legitimately" engage in commerce either within or outside their virtual world that kicks back some portion back to the game operator. Maybe renting merchant booths, or purchasing spots in a "mall" or perhaps even selling a license that has to be periodically renewed.