Virtual Worlds for Children Survive and Thrive
Research is percolating around virtual worlds designed specifically with children in mind. While Club Penguin and Webkinz grab the lion’s share of press, this article notes a total of 158 virtual worlds or online playgrounds for kids worldwide.
The subscription volume is amazing. Habbo: 90 million subscribers. Neopets: 45 million. Club Penguin and Star Doll: 15 million each.
Some interesting quotes from industry officials are also included in the article.
For Mr Seiler [editor of Virtual World News] this popularity is based on three factors: friends, freedom and fun.
“One reason virtual worlds are extremely compelling is that they offer a way to get out of the house and reconnect with friends after their curfew hours,” said Mr Seiler.
The virtual worlds also give kids great freedom to express themselves.
“For kids, though, when they don’t have as many options in real life to decide what their house looks like, what type of clothes to wear, or where they go, virtual worlds must seem like a whole new land of opportunity,” he said.
Finally, he said, these virtual worlds are enjoyable places to be.
“Successful virtual worlds encourage creativity, imagination, and fun,” he said. “That’s pretty appealing to any kid.”
References:
BBC News (2008, May 9). Boom times for virtual playgrounds. [Online.] Retrieved May 20, 2008 from http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7390218.stm
May 20, 2008 at 9:19 am
[...] Read the rest of this great post here [...]
May 24, 2008 at 1:50 pm
John - great link to an interesting article. From a business standpoint this sure looks like a gold rush. I think what will be interesting to see is which of these worlds are still standing after all the marketing dollars are gone. I believe it will be those that genuinely allow the kids to engage with each other in a seamless and easy way rather than trying to squeeze every last dollar out of the experience.
The issues of security remain - particularly for younger kids. Many of the newest players don’t yet appreciate how time consuming community management for worlds with children can be. It takes constant vigilance because there is a subset of kids who will constantly seek ways around any barrier placed in their way and it takes human intervention to manage it in a community context.
June 19, 2008 at 10:05 am
Somehow i missed the point. Probably lost in translation
Anyway … nice blog to visit.
cheers, Unsigned!