Shakeup Coming to Kids Virtual Worlds Space in '09

Although 2008 say an explosion of online worlds targeted at children, we're likely to see contraction and consolidation in 2009. It is not a market where advertising will flourish, at least in the near term. In 2008 virtual worlds collectively pulled in $1.2 billion in revenue globally, with roughly 10 percent of those dollars -- $125 million or so -- coming from advertising. In 2009 that ad spend level could decline to around $100 million and won't bounce back to its current level until 2011.