Social networking-plus

It's kind of like MySpace-meets-Teen Second Life. Teen-targeting HabboHotel.com has added social-networking elements to its mix, BrandRepublic.com reports. That makes HabboHotel more like South Korea-born Cyworld (which recently launched in the US): a cross between a social site and a virtual world. The social part is called "Habbo Home" and will feature "friend lists and links to other Habbo's profiles. Users can decorate their profile pages using backgrounds, customisable stickers, sticky notes and widgets. To interact with other Habbo's users can click directly on to other Habbo Home users' profile page or use the console instant messenger service within Habbo Hotel." BrandRepublic adds that HabboHotel has more than 64 million users in 29 countries. In the UK their age range is 11-18. Another hybrid is IMVU, which brings the virtual-world element of avatars (also used in Cyworld and Habbo) to instant messaging. Here's an interview about it with IMVU's creator Will Harvey, who also helped create the teen world of There.com. BTW, if you're curious about what virtual worlds are like, Forbes reports Elizabeth Corcoran spent some time in Second Life (not to be confused with the teen version) and wrote an in-depth account of the experience. She mentions one of its attractions, the game's virtual economy, in which one's avatar can make real money. GameSpot tells the very real story of language teacher Ailin Graef, who has made $1 million in real money selling virtual real estate in the worlds of Second Life, Entropia Universe, IMVU, and There.