GaiaOnLine

Gaia is a youth community inspired by manga and anime - it launched in 2003 and has more than 3.5 million registered users. The site began as a collection of anime links, and it claims to host the biggest web-based forum in the world (over 600 million posts).

But Gaia Online is more than just a forum - it’s also a role-playing game. Users have their own customizable avatars and earn virtual money (”Gaia Gold”) for every action on the site. The currency can then be used to buy clothes and accessories for your avatar, or to play Flash-based games. Gaia Gold can’t be bought directly with real money, but users can make a donation to the site and receive a surprise gift in return. Gaia also includes a virtual world called “Gaia Towns” - a 3D chatroom that’s very similar to Habbo Hotel and Hive7.

Gaia Online is a bizarre combination of ideas - part forum, part gaming site, part virtual world. Its success is probably down to its age, its niche focus and the addictive nature of virtual economies. That bodes well for Cyworld, which is due for imminent launch in the US.