Ever tried using Habbo Hotel? It's a simplified kind of virtual world-slash-chat room, used by around 3 million people every month - mostly teenagers.
You may be hearing a lot more about it: venture capital firm 3i has decided to invest serious money in Habbo owner Sulake Corporation.
"During this year we will focus in the further development of the Habbo Hotel concept and its launch in the promising Asian markets, particularly China and Korea," said [Sulake's] Timo Soininen.
"Our strategic aim is to build Habbo into a new type of youth brand which is anchored in the largest online teen community. Habbo brand will also extend to include mobile games and content, animation series and merchandising products.
Habbo is a quirky little creation that raised my interest because it takes the massively multiplayer gaming concept (which is particularly popular in Asia) and turns it into a teeny-brand marketing opportunity. So could this be a watershed for online communities?
