The Best Virtual World Communities

There are plenty of articles out there on which virtual worlds are the best, but never from this perspective. In my opinion, virtual worlds are not fun because of the content that they have, but the communities that inhabit them. I've seen some really beautiful worlds full of fun things to do, but is it really fun when you're constantly being harassed by the trolls that lurk there? Is it fun when there is nobody to play with? Is it fun when it is full of adult content, swearing and no moderation? Since this is an opinionated article, my opinion is that, no, these worlds are not fun.

I've played every virtual world and MMOG that I can get my hands on. This typically leans towards free-to-play games or else I would go broke, but the point is that I have a lot of experience trying different products. Through all of my time playing, I've come to this conclusion: I'm always happier playing something that surrounds me with a helpful, positive community, regardless of the content of the game.

I'm here to help you find a place that you can call a happy virtual home as well. I put together my own ratings scale that is skewed to push virtual worlds with great communities towards the top. The content, graphics and other aspects of the world are also included, but take a lesser role in my goal to find the best communities out there. Below are my ratings guidelines:

Community - 20 points
Fun Activities - 15 points
Housing - 15 points
User Friendliness - 15 points
Graphics - 9 points
System Specs - 8 points
Avatar Models - 8 points
Potential - 6 points
Movement - 4 points

Total - 100 points

Using these criteria, here are the top five virtual world communities out there:

#1 - Onverse - 83 Points

Onverse is a fairly new virtual world. It really shined in the factors I was looking for most in virtual worlds. While it is a social virtual world, it is more game-like than most virtual worlds. You can explore to collect points for shopping, get a free home, dress your avatar, collect pets and mounts, and play games. The gaming angle and community are outstanding. There is still some work that needs to be done, but apparently this has been built by a very small indie team thus far, which again bodes well for the potential of this product.

#2 - Habbo - 81 Points

Habbo is one of the oldest virtual worlds out there, and thus has a lot of things to do. The graphics are probably the biggest downside to Habbo, but most browser-based worlds fall into this category due to the inability of browsers to handle complex 3D rendering. There were plenty of fun games and activities to take part in. The community was good and communication was easy. Grab a free Guest Room and decorate with "furni", or head out to Public Rooms to meet people and hang out.

#3 - Free Realms - 75 Points

Free Realms is a beautiful world with a lot of activities. They scored high on user-friendliness, graphics and housing. It is family-friendly with no adult content which I liked. The world was large, and it was full of content. It did seem very in-your-face about buying things, and I had trouble finding customer support.

#4 - Club Penguin - 72 Points

Club Penguin is a cartoony, web-based world. It is targeted towards children and was a little below my personal preference for community, due to the interaction being primarily with children. It does have a lot to do, including getting your own personal igloo. It scored high on my rating system however and is a great place if you are under 12 years old.

#5 - Meez - 60 Points

Meez is fun and there were a lot of people to hang out with. There is no "world" to speak of, just a network of backgrounds to take your avatar and chat and dance. There are tons of avatar customizations and I liked all the animations.

So there you have it... the best virtual world communities out there. I recommend trying all of the above products and finding your niche in the thriving virtual world industry.

Anthony M Weber
http://www.virtualworldinfo.com