Virtual gaming has joined with online dating in a new and growing field of technology. Although virtual reality technology is still crude and in its infancy, online dating in a virtual reality field is one of the fastest growing segments of the online dating scene. Potential paramours create an avatar and meet each other in a virtual Parisian cafe, a Spanish museum or local coffee shop for a chat. As they maneuver through the virtual setting, the date progresses much like a live date.

A joint study with MIT and Harvard revealed that having a virtual date prior to meeting in person was more likely to increase the success rate of a future relationship than meeting in person alone. A virtual date eliminates an expensive night out only to find that your date is not a match. There are drawbacks to virtual dates however, which include the blind factor of the avatar not being a true representation of the real person.

Virtual dating has paradoxically found more favor with women — who find the experience to be friendlier — than men, although men are generally more involved with online gaming. It is believed that virtual dating will one day replace traditional online dating sites where you upload a photo and answer a set of questions designed to match you with persons of similar interests.

A virtual date will still resemble online dating in that many people trade emails and chat prior to meeting, however it is expected that the gaming aspect of maneuvering the avatar through a virtual scene is what will eventually attract more men to the world of online dating and potential romance. Virtual online dating is expected to appeal to an audience of men aged 40 and younger. Online dating is the second fastest growing segment of paid content on the Internet today.