Online virtual reality games

These are a type of game which are characterised by social interaction/communities, multiplayer set ups and avatars. They offer you the chance to socialise with others in a variety of ways, for example, text or voice chat. In this environment you can be whoever (or whatever) you want.

Well known examples of online virtual reality games include:

• Second Life
• Kaneva
• IMVU

Each of these is discussed in more detail in a separate article.

There are online VR games for kids and online virtual reality games for adults.

Kids like games such as Farmville, The Sims, Moshi Monsters and Barbie Girls. We assume that most people are familiar with Farmville and Moshi Monsters as these have received lots of attention in the media. You may be a keen Farmville player or are the parent of a son or daughter who loves this game.

Adults enjoy games with a sports theme such as virtual bowling, football, hockey, golf, table tennis etc. But sport isn’t their only choice of game with others choosing games such as SL Railroad Consortium, The Great Grid-Wide Goldrush and 7Seas Fishing Headquarters. These games are found in virtual worlds such as Second Life and have proven to be very popular with adults.

A big advantage of these and other games is that they are free to play. Second Life does not cost anything to join and you can get started right away. However, you will have to pay if you want to own land or open a retail outlet. This is covered in more detail in our Second Life article.