Virtual goods is on course to become a major economy in digital-based markets, with casual social gaming and other forms of gaming providing a widening channel for this economy to grow. A study conducted by research firm VG Market and virtual goods platform company PlaySpan shows that game developers aren’t the only ones selling virtual goods.

The gamers themselves are increasingly selling virtual goods on various platforms as well. As you can see by the chart below, this is broken down into game genre.The survey, which obtained feedback from 741 PlaySpan users, indicates that gamers that sell virtual goods earn an average of $22.

This selling of virtual goods comes in the form of selling their in-game virtual currency, essentially trading in the currency they’ve already paid for or earned through game play. This type of trade is easier to deal with on a platform level, as it unifies the currency for the purpose of determining value. It also requires less development on the part of the game provider, the currency platform, as well as the user.

Is this the validation platforms such as Second Life have been looking for? While the virtual goods exchange in games like Second Life have a more in-depth market for gamers and developers, the concept behind finding ways in which to further involve players in a virtual economy remains the same. The easier it is for a gamer to earn revenue from virtual goods, the more encouraged they will be to participate in virtual goods exchange.

As I mentioned, this process is made easier with the uniformity of a virtual currency, as this levels the playing field for all parties involved and has a pre-determined value. Having an actual marketplace in which to exchange virtual currency is something more game developers will likely provide, as this can appeal to businesses and end users all the same. Particularly interesting for platform owners and developers, a well-erected virtual marketplace will engage users longer and present additional ways in which they can be marketed to.

Sites like hi5 have spent the past year building up virtual goods markets with an ultimate goal of establishing a self-sustaining economy that runs on its own. In order to achieve this the platforms must offer ways in which a uniform currency can be earned, purchased and exchanged.

The next concern deals with multiple platforms’ ability to unify their currencies for the creation of a larger, more cooperative marketplace. The currency exchange could be relatively easy to set up, though the process behind doing so could take a little while longer. I think platforms such as Facebook’s and Apple’s have the ability to push along any initiatives that would encourage compatibility across existing marketplaces, offering a hub for virtual goods exchange. As virtual goods becomes more directly linked to our actual currencies, we will see an interesting subculture develop and flourish from the new market opportunities. Who will remain in power as a result remains to be seen.