Virtual Worlds Management has come up with a handy roundup of the virtual worlds-related investments during the fourth quarter of 2007, finding that both venture capital and media firms have invested some $425 million dollars in 15 different virtual worlds companies during 2007.

Two acquisitions that made the list -- Microsoft's pickup of Multimap and Big Fish games' purchase of Thinglefin -- account for $50 million, while the remaining $375 million was investments in the 13 other companies on the list.

It's not clear that Microsoft plans to use UK-based Multimap online mapping service to develop an online environment -- but then, that depends on whether or not you'd call Google Earth a virtual world. Certainly there has been a lot of interest in whether Google, with its SketchUp 3D modeler combined with its mapping services, might pool its resources to enter the online worlds space, but it's worth pointing out that mapping services aren't "virtual earth" quite yet.

Virtual Worlds Management notes that another company on the list, ZeniMax, is "only partially focused" on virtual worlds, but it's not clear what the MMO developer and Bethesda Softworks (Oblivion) parent is planning outside of more traditional multiplayer online games, as they don't seem to have made an announcement or offered information to that effect publicly.

We regularly cover some MMORPGs here at Worlds in Motion, particularly when their business model, social elements, or target audience influences or is influenced by the more purely virtual worlds space, so it's fair to say that the ZeniMax investment is still relevant - but if we include ZeniMax's hefty $300,000,000 investment from Providence Equity partners, why not include some of the big acquisitions of and investments in MMO studios that have taken place?

It's tough these days to find out where to draw a line between the business and socially-focused "virtual worlds space" and the area of multiplayer online games targeting traditional audiences. Virtual Worlds Management's report correctly notes that many of the software companies who received funding fall somewhere in a gray area, neither specifically game developers nor virtual world developers, but a bit of both.

Gaia Online, Hidden City (Bella Sara), Numedeon (Whyville) and Star in Me, in which Electric Sheep took a stake, represent four companies on the list that focus specifically on online games and virtual worlds for the young audience.

According to the report, investors during the Q4 2007 period include: Omnicom, Alloy Ventures and Storm Ventures, Vickers Financial Group, DHX Media Ltd., Benchmark Capital, Canaan Partners, GrandBanks Capital, Hummer Winblad Venture Partners, Trinity Ventures, Rustic Canyon Ventures, Providence Equity Partners, Charles River Ventures, Kodiak Venture Partners and Pequot Ventures, Gigamedia, Sony and Time Warner, Microsoft and Big Fish Games.

Virtual Worlds Management executive director Christopher Sherman commented, "Most of the investors in Q4 were venture firms. Sony and Time Warner, the only two media companies investing during the period both opted for Gaia Online. Meanwhile Omnicom invested in virtual worlds agency Millions of Us, and television personality Pat Sajak became a significant shareholder of Numedeon. The largest investment by far was ZeniMax's $300 million financing from Providence Equity Partners."

[$425 MILLION INVESTED IN 15 VIRTUAL WORLDS COMPANIES IN 4TH QUARTER 2007 | Virtual Worlds Management]