Virtual Worlds Forum

Having written about a bunch of kidworlds in recent weeks, I thought a roundup would be useful. It seems there's plenty of companies out there keen to target a younger demographic, buoyed by the success of worlds like Club Penguin, Webkinz and Habbo Hotel. I haven't written much on each world here: just provided links to their websites, and where appropriate, a link to a post on this blog, or separate news story.

1. Zibbie Zone. Launched by US author Stephen Cosgrove and toymaker Play Visions, and aims to have a literary focus, along with the obligatory soft toy tie-in. (read our post)
2. Bee Hive. World launched by educational website iKnowthat.com, with games and activities. A bit like Club Penguin, except with bees instead of penguins. (read our post)
3. Adventure Rock. The BBC's entry into the virtual world space, providing a world for children to play, explore and interact, taking its cues from immersive 3D console games.
4. Freaky Creatures. Ambitious cross-platform game/world, that involves buying a monster toy, then taking a virtual version online to battle other gamers - including from your mobile phone. (read Pocket Gamer story)
5. Zora. Not a commercial virtual world, as such, but more a platform capable of being used by children to learn and interact, with pilots taking place in hospitals and after-school clubs. (read our post)
6. Moshi Monsters. Another online monster-pet game, touting characterful graphics and animation, and shown off at the Virtual Worlds Forum Europe conference a few weeks ago.
7. Dizzyworld. 2D virtual world with games and educational activities, which makes a selling point of its story-driven narrative. (read our post)
8. Papermint. Visually-stunning world that was introduced at the conference for the first time, from German firm AvaLoop (read Tech Digest story)
9. Bella Sara. World based on horses and unicorns aimed at girls, who buy trading cards in the real world, then register to play with their creatures in the virtual version. (read Seattle PI story)
10. JumpStartWorld. US-based '3D theme park' aimed at, yes, kids, which allows their parents to personalise the experience too. (read our post)

Phew. And those are just a few from recent months...