ABSTRACT
This chapter presents a closer look at all the components needed to bring everything together to create a cohesive and sustainably enjoyable experience. When designing a community environment or a virtual world, designers and producers should start by reviewing similar services. Community-oriented virtual worlds have several distinctly different features from most traditional games. Socialization and self-expression are critical goals in community design. Chat rooms or chatability features are very popular with kids because they can connect with other kids. It’s hard to call a virtual space a “community” if game designers can’t talk or communicate with anyone else. When designing a community for kids, it’s essential to know the pros and cons of different types of chat and to choose what is best suited to—and most safe for—designers target demographic. Kids like to see that they got the high score or that the online, incommunity daily newspaper accepted their poem or drawing.
