Launched in 2003, Gaia Online is an anime-themed online hangout geared toward 13- to 25-year-olds. With more than 6 million unique monthly users and over 1 billion messages posted in its forums, Gaia has the second largest message board on the Web, falling only behind Yahoo Inc. The company recently raised $11 million in a third round of funding to finance the completion of its massive multiplayer online game, set to launch at the end of the summer. Internet Evolution spoke with Gaia's CEO, Craig Sherman, about the secret to Gaia's monetization success, its future plans, what individuals gain from creating an avatar, and how virtual online hangouts are changing the way teens grow and interact.

Users know Gaia Online as essentially an avatar-based chat interface, but now the company's launching what looks like an honest-to-goodness MMO. It's got a title today, too — zOMG. No, srsly, "zOMG" is the name of the new game, which is just entering its closed beta today as well, with applicants who submitted for selection in April. Members of the Gaia community are currently checking out the new MMO and giving feedback to the developers.