How has the response been to it so far?

DM: In the first six weeks since launch we have had over 160,000 unique visitors to ourWorld.com, who spent an average of 20+ minutes per session. There are only a handful of casual game products that have session times that high. This is particularly encouraging considering we're in a beta period with an evolving product. Even more encouraging is the fact that people are paying us today even at this nascent stage. In fact, over 25% of our subscribers are picking the 6-month or 1 year prepay plan.

Why did you decide to go for a subscription model?

DM: The subscription model is the most established revenue model for massive multiplayer games. There are millions of consumers in the US currently paying for online games through subscriptions. In our focus groups we found that there was confusion about micro-transactions, specifically among adults. Right now, the subscription model is the best fit for ourWorld's offering and target audience; over time we will introduce other ways to generate revenue and for consumers to purchase virtual goods and upgrade their experience. In the long run, our goal is to build a viable business that creates the best possible experience for online gamers.

Will you be offering any other forms of payment -- such as spending money for items?

DM: We will begin introducing item based transactions later this summer for a variety of new activities and features we're introducing.

I’ve noticed that you have "real" games in the world from other online developers. Can you talk about how that came about?

DM: We began building our product as a casual game platform, the virtual environment aspect has always been secondary. This has been our strategy from the beginning. There are so many great games being made every day, and we wanted to work with developers to provide our audience with the best online game content available. We believe that game developers are important stakeholders in our business and intend for our success to be their success as well. Our platform will provide a very real and viable alternative to developers who are struggling to generate growing revenue by selling downloadable games through retail models.

Do you see this as the future of online worlds -- that they also work as games/video portals?

DM: We see the future of the Internet becoming more like real life, but with many more options and touch points than would be possible in the real world. If you look at the evolution of YouTube, there is a huge emphasis on surfacing the depth of the community that exists around online video. We believe the virtual experience is a very entertaining and unique way to consume online content. Our goal is to bring people together in an environment where they can access entertainment, interact with people globally, and gain a sense of accomplishment from a more cooperative community experience. We'll be introducing more and more content formats to keep our audience engaged. Games and video are a start, but there is no reason why people wouldn't want to consume audio, print or even images through a similar shared environment. We are simply trying to offer online entertainment in a way that we think is the natural progression of the online experience. Most importantly, however, we believe many of the products that are moving in this direction put too much technology in the way of the experience. We are bringing a next-gen entertainment experience to a mass market, with easy accessibility.