Ever combined the Web, real life(tm), Second Life, World of Warcraft, Google Earth, Nintendo, Facebook and the unfolding human experience into a single thought (which you then Twittered over your iPhone)? Working on an art or web or game or virtual world project? Have an avatar? Are an avatar? Think video games can save the world or that the world is already a video game? (Or think that's the worst thing you've ever heard?) Does Snow Crash ring any bells even if you're way too cool to find it fascinating in public?

Move over Bay Area. Fans of history and the future who are interested in the march of the web into the world and the world into the web unite and make New York the world Metaverse capital! Meeting monthly for dinner, drinks, talks, networking, workshopping, fun, scheming, and events. People actively working on or especially interested in creative, mixed-reality, social web, video game, virtual world, mapping, simulation, or 3D projects highly encouraged.

If that all sounds better than bad you'll probably enjoy the Metaverse Roadmap Overview foresight and research report (which is clearly written and has pretty pictures in it): http://metaverseroadmap.org/overview