Austin, Texas - There are now more than 100 virtual worlds operating or that are in development which target the 18-and-under youth market, according to a report from virtual worlds trade media company Virtual Worlds Management.

In all there are 60 such virtual worlds for youth already live, while another 53 in conception, development or testing phases.

By age demographic, tweens (ages 8-12) have attracted the most interest, with 65 worlds live or in development, followed by kids (7 and under) with 55 worlds, and teens (ages 13-18) with 46 worlds.

"It's worth noting that, at the younger level, the lines between virtual worlds, games, and social networking blur heavily," said VirtualWorldsNews.com editor Joey Seiler.

"If nothing else, it's highlights the trend of users merging their activities into one immersive space."

Among the forthcoming entries will be worlds from Disney, which has announced plans to launch 9 new unnamed worlds, and Viacom's MTV Networks, which will launch several more as well.

Related Links:
http://www.virtualworldsmanagement.com/2008/youthworlds.html