From a great article over at The Guardian, there’s an examination of the “real-world boom in online cities.” There’s quite a lot about Twinity there as well.

It now faces fresh competition from two new virtual Londons with contrasting business plans due to open in the next month or two. One is run by the German-owned Twinity, which already has a virtual Berlin (where I have an apartment) and a Singapore. It will focus initially on the community and enthusiasts – invited via a Facebook group – while also exploring commercial opportunities such as leasing Oxford Street shops to their real-life owners.