MiniMonos, a social networking and gaming site for kids, has announced their official launch on April 1st. The destination is unique in its aim to foster kids and provide them with meaningful play experiences.
Launch a social media campaign that will build your brand and deliver results in our online Social Media Marketing Boot Camp starting June 7. Speakers include Abigail Cusick (Bravo Digital), Gregory Galant (Sawhorse Media), Alex Leo (Thomson Reuters Digital), Jim Tobin (Ignite Social Media), and many more. Read the reviews. 
A few years ago, a small television show called Gamers featured a segment about a virtual world mogul who after buying an entire virtual island in 2005, he cashed out years later for $635,000. 5 years later, he’s starting a new project, and it’s in homage to a loved one.
Combat games are nothing new, but now the Department of Defense is testing the concepts of battlefield games and virtual worlds to help soldiers explore the causes and symptoms of combat trauma. The newly released virtual world game “T2 Virtual PTSD Experience“, is designed to enable soldiers and their loved ones to find out more about post-traumatic stress in an anonymous Second Life setting.
From bingo games in the rec hall to Girl Scout cookie sales to the Jerry Lewis telethons, charitable giving has been “social” in many ways. Today, major social gaming, virtual worlds and social media companies launched Points for Pakistan. In the wake of flooding that has rendered more than 20 million people injured or homeless, an impressive collaborative of more than a dozen leading technology companies are participating in this campaign to educate the users of social games, virtual worlds and social media websites about the disaster, as well as to facilitate donating funds for humanitarian relief with one click. Read more
ToonsTunes is a virtual world that allows young kids to create and share their music online. Developed by Connected Studios, ToonsTunes hopes to encourage children to pursue their musical endeavours by creating an accessible and entertaining environment where they’re free to chat with their friends, play mini games, and even create and perform music with others. Boasting a simple, responsive and easy to use interface, along with helpful in-game tutorials and a beautiful art style, ToonsTunes is a fun and entertaining way for parents to introduce their kids to the wonderful world of music. Read more
While the uninitiated may think of virtual worlds as an escape from real-life, the effects that virtual worlds have on our selves and the world around us beg to differ. There are many ways that virtual worlds impact the real world, but one of the most profound is through awareness and fundraising campaigns. Charities and non-profits have a growing presence in virtual worlds, often teaming up with the creators to run world-wide events to raise real money for a good cause. The reach that a charity can have on a virtual network as opposed to real-world is wide, and often results in more impact for less money. Here are five successful examples of non-profits that have made a real-life difference while raising awareness and money on virtual worlds.
Monetization of tweens is an issue facing many virtual worlds today. Recognizing its user base’s propensity for SMS, the tween-focused virtualworld Woozworld partnered with Zong to enable tweens to use the mobile payment platform’s simple and secure solutions to purchase virtual goods. Woozworld operates a virtual environment, targeted for 9-14 year olds, where players can create spaces, run activities and even their own business. The Montreal-based company spun off from its parent Tribal Nova last month and announced raising a $3m funding round which it is now using to expand offering for users and accelerate market traction.
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Nowadays, game publishers are doing what it takes to engage their audience across all mediums. Branded accessories, merchandise and toys are common, even for virtual worlds, as Club Penguin has shown in the past. How about children’s books? Mind Candy, the makers of Moshi Monsters, announced their partnership with Penguin Books to spin out a series of children’s books based on the children-focused virtual world. Read more after the jump.
Could there be real legal rights attached to the ownership of real estate on the internet? Should there be? The case of Carl Evans v. Linden Labs is tackling that issue, where plaintiffs are the owners of virtual real property. In the class action lawsuit, users of the virtual world Second Life are claiming that the site lured them in with the promise of actual ownership of property, and then changed the rules on them such that the real estate is now a service that the company can control and cancel.
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In a first for the social gaming scene, BigPoint is announcing that they will be partnering with Vivox to release Voice Chat over their suite of social games at bigpoint.com. This comes only a week after Vivox raised $7 million from IDG Ventures, and their statement that “Voice is an essential part of the explosive growth of the social web.” BigPoint games is a massive gaming community, boasting over 100,000,000 registered users and a wide variety of games across many genres.
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