A host of big media companies and entrepreneurs are flocking to the kids space to create new virtual worlds aimed at the 18-and-under crowd.
That’s according to a new report issued by the industry trade organization Virtual Worlds Management, which says that there are more than 100 virtual worlds targeted at kids and or teens which are either live or in development. Within that group, the majority of new worlds worlds are aimed at 'tweens (kids in the 8-12 year old range) - as 65 such worlds are have either launched or are in the works.
While the adult-aimed Second Life has garnered the majority of hype in the still nascent virtual world arena, developers are likely seeing the fast growing audience numbers for kids worlds, as well as the high price tags being commanded by successful startups. For example, last summer, Disney acquired the kids-targeted Club Penguin for an estimated $700 million. And since that time, the company has launched a virtual world centered around Pirates of the Caribbean and plans to roll out the girl-skewing world Fairies later this year.
Source: MediaWeek
http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/news/recent_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003790419
I will readily admit that I know next to nothing about virtual reality and virtual worlds. But, it looks like this is an area that will need some more investigation in the days ahead. I've certainly read pieces here and there that indicate more and more kids are getting involved in virtual world web sites, but I was surprised to learn that as the article points out, there are so many already live or in development. This is something that we should all keep our eyes on in the future. If a virtual world is already part of your kid's experience, leave a comment on your perspectives.
Comments