Title: Doing business in Second Life: e-commerce in 3D online environment

Authors: Dongsong Zhang, Prabodh Shrestha

Addresses: Department of Information Systems, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, 1000 Hilltop Circle, Baltimore, MD 21250, USA. ' Department of Information Systems, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, 1000 Hilltop Circle, Baltimore, MD 21250, USA

Abstract: Avatar-based 3D virtual worlds provide an unprecedented environment for e-commerce that potentially allows online shoppers to have similar shopping experience as they have in physical stores. However, existing 3D virtual worlds are lack of critical components for successful e-commerce. Second Life is the only 3D platform that currently enables a user to operate a virtual business with real earnings. In this paper, we analyse the Second Life as a 3D e-business environment. We propose a conceptual framework and discuss the possibility of adapting the traditional 2D e-commerce architecture to the 3D virtual world.

Keywords: electronic commerce; Second Life; 3D platforms; online environments; e-commerce; virtual worlds; virtual communities; web based communities; online communities; internet; world wide web; avatars; online shopping; critical components; virtual businesses; real earnings; 2D architecture; electronic business; e-business.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEB.2010.032092

International Journal of Electronic Business, 2010 Vol.8 No.2, pp.148 - 169

Published online: 09 Mar 2010 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article