The Big Blue Book: A Consumer Guide to Virtual Worlds

The Association of Virtual Worlds website has put up a free 43-page guide to commercial virtual worlds:

The Big Blue Book: A Consumer Guide to Virtual Worlds

This is a pretty comprehensive collection of 250 virtual worlds available commercially.

“The Blue Book contains over 250 virtual worlds. Each world is listed alphabetically and includes a web address and brief description. In addition each world is classified as to whether it is live or in development, whether it is appropriate for kids, tweens, teens, or adults; and type of virtual environment it is, for example, a MMORPG (massively multiplayer online role playing game), a social network, a mobile application or a custom world. “

There are some listings that stretch the term virtual world a bit thin, including many social networks like FaceBook.  It’s also curious that Spore is listed, as it will not be launched until Fall, and is more of a social network and content sharing network than online virtual world.  Many MMO’s are listed here, both old and new (and yet to be released).  EA Land needs to be removed, as it was just announced this past week that EA is shutting this online virtual world down for good (RIP The Sims Online).