In-world business
An in-world business is a company whose revenue arrives when someone is present inside a virtual world — entry to a venue, rent on a parcel, an item bought from a shelf, a service performed in-world. It is distinct from a company that sells tools to such businesses, which is a supplier to the category rather than a participant in it.
The test that separates the two
Does revenue arrive when someone is present, or when someone sells? Every business model that survived the 2022 collapse is on the first side of that line, and every one that failed is on the second. It filters a pitch in about thirty seconds.
Why the distinction matters commercially
Suppliers to a category are correlated with its funding cycle; participants are correlated with its usage. Between 2022 and 2026 funding fell far further than usage, which is why service businesses in this category suffered more than venues did.
See also
Related entries in the Register. Every see-also is reciprocal — if this entry points there, that entry points back.
Metaverse Group, The Register, REG-007 “In-world business”, as at 2026-08-28. https://metaversegroup.com/encyclopedia/in-world-business/
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