MTV UK has announced the beta launch of MTV House, a new flash-based virtual world targeted at younger users. In addition to offering exclusive MTV content, such as videos, reviews, and news stories, the "prefab establishment" will feature competitions, offers, and promotions.

MTV House invites users to create avatars, explore different rooms, listen to music, interact with channel-based characters, and play games. Developer Yomego intends to eventually allow users to produce short videos with their personalized avatars, audio files, background, and text.

Unlike vMTV's network of virtual worlds, which include Virtual Laguna Beach and Virtual Pimp My Ride, MTV House is not based on any single brand or program. MTV UK intends to offer companies "bespoke and generic advertising opportunities," such as house branding, themed rooms, and sponsorship.

vMTV offered similar opportunities to advertisers, and a recent case study showed that a significant amount of users had developed positive opinions towards advertised brands as a result of the promotions.

Said MTV UK vice president of digital media Philip O'Ferral: "Mtv.co.uk is about building a community for online audiences that are passionate about entertainment and music, as well as being socially conscious, and therefore our digital activity is evolving and adapting to allow the audience to express themselves more. By carrying out continuous research to find out what our audiences really want, and by introducing an enhanced user experience where the audience can interact with each other and the brand whether that be advice on sensitive issues or sharing great MTV content - we are in turn responding to their needs."