The Growth Rate of Virtual Goods Slows

Virtual Goods

Virtual Goods in a Broken Marriage

In China, a judge has ruled that the virtual assets shared between a recently divorced couple shall remain with the former husband. Before marriage the man and woman had two separate accounts and merged them with only the husband's name listed. While together, they accumulated quite a large number of virtual goods under the merged account.

What implications does this case have? Although to most nowadays the notion that virtual assets could be valuable is surprising, the rising market and growth of virtual goods cannot be denied. For example, the rising use of facebook credits. Perhaps lawyers in family law would be wise to advise couples of the effect of community property laws on virual assets.

You Can't Take It With You

Japan: No Rent Policy

In Japan, you cannot rent video games or systems.  Of course, there are stores that notoriously allow you to rent CDs and make copies but that's a different story.  Japanese law goes so far as to even prosecute stores that implement quick buy back policies for games offering consumer 80-90% of the purchase price back after a week or so of use.

While renting systems in the U.S. has apparently gone the way of the dinosaurs, there is a healthy appetite for game rentals considering the rising prices of games and the increasing number of sub-par content.  How does this differing dynamic in Japan affect consumer habits there?  Does it make the Japanese consumer that much more of a discerning consumer before taking the plunge?   Does this sort of policy advance the market for games or impede it?

Japanese Stores, Buyback