Now it even has real virtual money.

When one considers that Blizzard Entertainment has more than seven million subscribers playing World of Warcraft – each of whom has paid roughly $50 for the game and a further $15 monthly subscription – you get some idea of the scale of online gaming. It seems to represent the future big money in IT. This idea has been affirmed by IBM`s commitment to grid computing technologies that support the phenomenon.

While online gaming companies have been making real dollars in the real world for years, online gamers themselves are building vast online empires and virtual wealth. Some are even managing to convert these virtual assets to real money by selling property gained in the online world to other players via eBay and other online facilitators.