With over 50 million active users worldwide, virtual worlds are developing into immersive 3D communities.
The average time spent in 3D communities is significant higher than that spent in 2D communities. However, the motives for being in a 3D community are quite similar to those of 2D communities such as myspace and facebook: self-expression, networking, communication, self-realization, creative evolvement, and last but by no means least, fun and entertainment. Virtual worlds give their users the feeling of being at home within a virtual space, and also offer economic opportunities through the sale of both virtual and real products and services.