Virtual Worlds have become ever more popular and they continue to grow. With more and more people playing them it is time to look at the purely social side of these games. We have discussed what you can do, and what makes a good virtual world now it is time to see what makes these worlds so social.

When you enter any virtual world one of the first things that you are shown, either by a guide at the start or through quests and objectives is how to meet and talk to people. Many games have a series of features that you can use to personalise how you talk to people.

There are several different forms of communication you can use in these amazing worlds, often the easiest is a small area of the game where you can just type what you want, and it will appear above your character. You can see what others say or reply to you in the same way.

There may also be options for private messaging available, either in the form of special private rooms, or a mail delivery service that works like email. Some games also offer a private chat window where you can live chat with 1 or more people at the same time without others seeing.

But the these social games can go much much further than simply chatting. There are often forums or message boards outside of the games themselves, where you can meet people or make requests.

Many of these are tied directly into games such as in WoozWorld. They have a special area of the game where you can set up and create your profile, and send and receive messages from your friends. Adding friends and keeping track of people is also an important aspect of virtual worlds.

Let’s be honest, most of us play these games to meet people and have fun and keeping track of who your friends are, and if they are around in the game is something that is necessary. Often you can also instantly send messages to or leave messages for your friends.

But the methods of communication are just the beginning, where do you meet people or how do you find like minded groups. That's where virtual worlds really come into their own socially. There are games dedicated to fashion, music and many other things. These interests are also represented in some of the larger games like Second Life or Blue Mars.

These specialist interests are bringing like minded people together either at parties, live concerts or events created to bring social groups together. These meeting points are the first step into making and creating friendships that can last.

There are so many different worlds available, ranging from dedicated children's games to those aimed more at teenagers and adults. Each of these styles of game will also have safety measures or restrictions in place to protect those of a younger age, while at the same time letting them form those friendships with others.

Whichever world that you choose to play in, there will be a group of like minded people willing and ready to share their time and experiences with you. Virtual worlds are fantastic social games, and they continue to grow. This can only be a good thing, for making friends and meeting others in these amazing games is a fantastic feeling.