NEW YORK, NY -- (MARKET WIRE) -- 04/02/08 -- Leading virtual world developer Utherverse.com announced today that it has been banned from a speaking panel at the Virtual Worlds 2008 Conference by Virtual Worlds Management. The conference showcases the growing power of the virtual world industry and helps developers and businesses alike "understand how to monetize their intellectual property using virtual worlds."

VWC officials claim that the content of Utherverse's RedLightCenter.com and Virtual-Vancouver.com misrepresents what they believe to be an industry targeted at youth. Ironically, last year's fall conference found that 71 percent of virtual world users are between the ages eighteen and twenty-four.

Although hundreds of virtual worlds are in existence, only adult worlds like RedLightCenter have been able to flourish at low maintenance costs. This year, Utherverse's projected expenses are $3.5 million. Other worlds, like anime-inspired Gaia Online, spend $25 million annually to maintain their sites. Utherverse logs more than 1.2 million users, where Gaia Online registers around 2.5 million monthly.

Brian Shuster, CEO of Utherverse, believes that by discriminating against virtual worlds with adult content, the VWC is working against its mission statement, as adult content worlds like Utherverse's RedLightCenter.com (as well as Jenna Jameson's "Virtually Jenna") continually show profits. Only a select few other virtual worlds (like major-player "World of Warcraft") have been able to show a profit in a fast-growing industry.

"It's a very narrow-minded viewpoint that disregards the history of how adult content has driven technology innovation, and that, in turn, disregards the reality that the vast majority of virtual world users are over eighteen years old," Shuster said. "This is particularly frustrating because we are Second Life's top competitor, and they get red carpet treatment despite the heavy focus on adult entertainment within their virtual world."

Utherverse's unique virtual content focuses on music, social functions, real relationships and sex. The site recently launched an initiative to promote an online dating environment in order to expand its target user base. The company will be attending the Virtual Worlds Conference under protest.

This will be the second annual Virtual Worlds Conference held in New York. Keynote speakers include execs at Mattel, MTV, Neopets and IBM.

ABOUT UTHERVERSE.COM

Utherverse is the Internet's most sophisticated and advanced adult 3D virtual reality universe. The company was formed in 2002 to create a virtual-world web of massive multiplayer online communities. Specifically designed to appeal to the 21-49 year-old demographic market, the site offers users virtual nightclubs, hotels, movie theaters, stores, and community events.

Utherverse's first two products are RedLightCenter.com, an adult-themed virtual world modeled after the infamous district in Amsterdam, and Virtual-Vancouver.com, a music-focused online community. Utherverse plans to construct a Virtual-World Web consisting of millions of interlinked Virtual Worlds, providing users with a much more enriching and immersive experience than the flat web does today.

For more information, please see utherverse.com.

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