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About the virtual worlds comparison matrix

In the autumn of 2009 we embarked upon a project which examined 80 of the most popular online virtual worlds to see whether they were suitable for use in Higher Education. The Open University has been actively using Second Life for some years now, but it was felt that a fuller picture was needed, either to justify our continued presence in Second Life, or to make a case for migrating to an alternative world.

The shortlist

After removing worlds which were aimed at young children, or which had an overtly game-orientated structure, we were left with this shortlist of 18 worlds. Some brief observations can be viewed by clicking world names:

ActiveWorlds
Blue Mars
Entropia
Gogofrog
HiPiHi
Just Leap In
Kaneva
OLIVE
Open Sim
Project Wonderland
Protosphere
Reaction Grid
Second Life
SmallWorlds
There
Tixeo
truePlace
Twinity

The project was completed in the spring of 2010. Virtual Worlds are PART OF A a fast-moving technology, and much has changed in the short time since our findings were submitted to the OU's Virtual Worlds Steering Group. (For example, several virtual worlds, including ones on our shortlist, have undergone radical change or even vanished without trace.) It is hoped that the information can be kept up to date with the help of this wiki.

Read-only version of the virtual worlds comparison matrix

A read-only version of the virtual worlds comparison matrix can be found here. Please feel free to pass this link to interested parties.

Editable version of the virtual worlds comparison matrix?

To edit the matrix, click here. Please do NOT copy this link to others. If you know somebody who wants to contribute to this matrix, please see the note below.

Contributing to the wiki

If you or someone you know would like to contribute to this wiki, please email virtualworlds@open.ac.uk to have an account created.