Virtual Worlds News
Virtual Worlds News is the source for virtual worlds business news, strategy, insight and analysis.

  • "Non-Game" Firms Drive One-Third Of Unity's Business
    Unity Technologies CEO David Helgason says that one-third of his company's business comes from licensees for Unity's 3D graphics technology that are not game development firms. Helgason's comments coincide with the release of a branded Gorillaz game built on the...

  • Tencent To Use Gamebryo
    Chinese online game publisher Tencent has signed a deal with Emergent Game Technologies for use of the Gamebryo and Gamebryo Lightspeed engines across multiple SKUs. Emergent's engines can be used for single-player, multiplayer, and online game development in numerous genres...

  • Blizzard's Starcraft II Includes Social Features
    Although RealID may be optional on Blizzard's World of Warcraft forums, in the newly-released Starcraft II the RealID system is going to power social network-like features. Using RealID, Starcraft II players can connect with their real life friends playing any...

  • SOE Offers Lifetime Memberships For Free Realms
    In an unusual move for the virtual world space, Sony Online Entertainment is now offering a $30 lifetime membership to Free Realms. This VIP lifetime subscription will only be offered for a limited time, from July 16 through August 2....

  • EverQuest II Overhauls Pricing, Adds Freemium Option
    Sony Online Entertainment's flagship MMO EverQuest II is hopping on the freemium bandwagon. SOE has issued a new price structure for the game called EverQuest II Extended that now includes Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum payment tiers. Users who previously...

  • Google Designing Social Network, Gaming Service
    Google is in talks with several top online game developers as part of a bid to develop a social network service that could compete with Facebook, according to the Wall Street Journal. Developers in talks with Google include Playdom, Playfish,...

  • Foursquare Partners With VH1, Chili's
    The location-based social network Foursquare has announced two new brand partnerships, with the music-oriented TV network VH1 and the national restaurant chain Chili's. The VH1 partnership introduces the VH1 Fanatic Badge, which users can unlock by following VH1 on Foursquare...

  • Perfect World Launches Heroes Of The Three Kingdoms Beta
    Perfect World Entertainment is launching its latest localized MMORPG, Heroes of the Three Kingdoms, in open beta tomorrow. Heroes of the Three Kingdoms is a freemium game based on the classic novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms. The game will...

  • 3Dchat Extends Free Trial Period To October 1
    New virtual world 3DChat is extending its free trial period through October 1, 2010. While 3DChat will eventually be a freemium game, right now all users who log into the virtual world get to access all of its premium features....

  • Virtual Worlds Wrap-Up For The Week Of July 24, 2010
    Welcome to the Virtual Worlds News Wrap-Up for the week of July 24, 2010. The Wrap-Up is where VWN spotlights stories that we didn't get to cover individually, but still make for interesting reading about the virtual worlds industry. Augmented...