3pointD.com

CNet’s Michael Parsons reports that a new version of isometric virtual world Habbo Hotel, to be releaseed this week, will include Web-based social networking functions that will let users interact outside the world, as well as within in. “Habbo users will get their own homepage, which is fully customisable with its own backgrounds, colours, friends list and the ability to send and recieve messages. In other words, Habbo’s going all MySpace,” Parsons writes. Though it looks a bit flat, Habbo is of course hugely popular, with some 7 million people having logged in last month, according to the CNet story. 3pointD is a big believer in Web integration for virtual worlds, so we see this as a good thing, and another indication of a small but growing trend.