Kid entertainment company Nickelodeon, a division of Viacom, will launch a kid-targeted multi-media virtual world, Nicktropolis, tomorrow.

At Nicktropolis, which will be available at nicktropolis.com or through nick.com, kids will have their own virtual community where they can play games, watch video, explore Nickelodeon-branded and original environments, interact with other kids or Nickelodeon characters in real time, and create their own personalized 3D rooms. 

"Virtual worlds like Nicktropolis are part of our strategy to bring immersive, relevant entertainment experiences to our audiences wherever they are, and to build communities around our content across every kind of platform," says Judy McGrath, chairman and CEO, MTVN. "The virtual worlds we've been building across our networks give the fans of our brands the high level of interaction they want with one another, and with the content itself."

Nickelodeon's latest research study, Living in a Digital World (2006), found that 86 percent of kids eight to 14 are gaming online; more than half (51 percent) are watching TV shows and videos online; 37 percent are instant messaging and 12 percent are participating in chat rooms.

Nicktropolis will launch ad free, but the company plans for the site to be ad supported. It is exploring ad opportunities, which will likely include at the very least banner advertising and sponsorships.

Nickelodeon has incorporated numerous safety features into the site, including an anonymous registration system, ground rules that must be agreed to by the user and sent to a parent, and parental control over their childrens' settings.