Worldwide social virtual worlds are expected to have 23% compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) from 2009-2015. The fastest growing demographic, represented by kids between the ages of 5 and 9, shows a 27% CAGR; however, the largest segment is for tweens and teens, which is experiencing a 21% growth. Future predicts show that virtual worlds will continue to improve the user experience and will convert registrations to active users at a 38% CAGR through 2015, according to a new study by Strategy Analytics.

Coinciding with the high growth of individual registrants and active user base is revenue generation that comes from three key sources:

- Microtransactions
- Subscriptions
- Advertising/sponsorships

Of these three sources, microtransactions are expected to grow from slightly over $1 billion in 2008 to $17.3 billion in 2015 accounting for approximately 86% of the revenue generated by virtual worlds. The high conversion of registrants to active users demonstrates that users are finding value - in the form of entertainment, engagement, and social interaction. Access to virtual worlds across a variety of platforms, from consoles to mobile devices, will help catalyze growth.