2024 Year-End Recap & 2025 Kickstarter
A recap of 2024, including the AUREA Impact Award win and the announcement of our 2025 Kickstarter campaign + details of our new timeline release!
As we reflect on the achievements of 2024, we're thrilled to share some exciting news with our community. This year marked a significant milestone for the Virtual Worlds Museum as we received the prestigious AUREA Impact Award, recognizing our contributions to the preservation and documentation of virtual world history.
The award ceremony, held in a hybrid physical and virtual space, brought together pioneers and innovators in the XR field. Our team was honored to be recognized alongside other groundbreaking projects that are shaping the future of immersive technologies.
Looking Forward: 2025 Kickstarter Campaign
Building on this momentum, we're excited to announce our upcoming Kickstarter campaign, scheduled to launch in early 2025. This campaign will fund the next phase of the Virtual Worlds Museum, including:
- Expanded exhibits across multiple virtual platforms
- Enhanced preservation tools for capturing ephemeral virtual experiences
- Educational programs for schools and universities
- Community-driven documentation initiatives
Our goal is to create a truly comprehensive archive that captures not just the technical evolution of virtual worlds, but also their cultural and social impact.
New Timeline Release
In conjunction with our Kickstarter announcement, we're releasing an updated interactive timeline that traces the evolution of virtual worlds from the earliest text-based MUDs to today's immersive metaverse platforms. This timeline will serve as a foundational educational resource and will continue to expand as we document new developments in the field.
We invite our community to contribute to this timeline by sharing their own experiences, screenshots, and memories of virtual worlds that have shaped their digital lives.
Join Us on This Journey
The Virtual Worlds Museum is more than just an archive—it's a living community of enthusiasts, researchers, and creators passionate about the past, present, and future of virtual spaces. As we move into 2025, we invite you to join us in building this important cultural resource.
Stay tuned for more updates on our Kickstarter campaign and opportunities to get involved!