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Metaplace was a software platform intended to democratize the development of virtual worlds, which was later used to make Facebook games. The company was established by Ultima Online and Star Wars Galaxies designer Raph Koster. According to the official website, the platform was "client-agnostic", which means that virtual worlds developed on Metaplace can be accessed using any device that connects to the Web.
Metaplace was an ambitious attempt to democratize virtual‑world creation by allowing users to build worlds that could be embedded into websites. Its cultural impact lies in pioneering the idea of “virtual worlds as widgets,” foreshadowing modern WebXR and modular metaverse concepts. Although the platform closed early, its technology and philosophy influenced later UGC ecosystems. Metaplace helped shift the field toward accessible, browser‑native worldbuilding.
Thank you for visiting the Virtual Worlds Museum
Metaplace
page! If you’re the platform owner and would like us to make updates to this page, please reach out to: info[at}virtualworlds.museum. If you’re a world builder who wants to help us create a museum hub on this platform, we’d be happy to hear from you as well. We welcome feedback and/or help and look forward to hearing from you.