EA's Sims Online encouraged people posing as avatars to meet, chat and entertain each other within worlds the creators design.

FORBES: A World for the Rest of Us

LONDON, England (CNN) -- Virtual games such as Second Life and The Sims Online have not only proved to be commercially successful, but have also encouraged public interest and generated a wider understanding of the possibilities that virtual reality (VR) represents.

CNN: Turning virtual visions into reality

"We aim to teach anyone and everyone to code, " said Zach Sims, co-founder of Codecademy, a NoHo-based company that offers interactive courses online.

WSJ: Breaking Tech's Code