Virtual Worlds Broken Down by Segment

Nic Mitham at K Zero has been pursuing the arduous task of tracking virtual world development and populations for some time,  placing the metaverse at over 303 million registered users in May. He's taken the same worlds and segmented them by age as well as purpose across 12 genres: mirror worlds,  fantasy (though not something like World of Warcraft), toy-based worlds, education/development, fashion/lifestyle, music, content creation, tv/film/books, sports, socializing/chat, casual gaming, and miscellaneous. The last three alone boast 25 unlisted worlds currently in stealth mode, according to Mitham. The list is sure to change often--I can already think of a few  to add--and the genres can be quibbled over, but it's a great visual breakdown of where the industry is currently active and where it might be headed. Check out the full size graph, segments, and Mitham's thoughts at K Zero.