Updated: Game and virtual world fundings top $885 million in 2008

See our updated post on this data.

We’ve updated to include data from Virtual World Management’s list, so the number is much bigger than we reported earlier]. In 2008, VentureBeat chronicled lots of game and virtual world fundings. Our updated list shows 93 game companies that raised more than $885.6 million worth of venture capital and angel funds. That’s nothing compared to the $4.1 billion that went into U.S. deals for clean tech, according to the National Venture Capital Association. But it’s certainly a big chunk of the $2 billion that went into 407 media and entertainment companies in 2008.  It’s probably one of the biggest years for venture investment in video game companies. Many of these companies may shut down because of the recession. In fact, Sun Inc. filed for bankruptcy. But the successful ones will create revenues, profits and jobs in the years ahead. We’ve ranked them here in order of the amount of money raised and linked to our coverage of them. Fundings where the amounts weren’t made public are listed at the end. If you’ve heard of others, please note in the comments and we’ll add to the list.

[aditude-amp id="flyingcarpet" targeting='{"env":"staging","page_type":"article","post_id":101838,"post_type":"story","post_chan":"none","tags":null,"ai":false,"category":"none","all_categories":"games,social,","session":"C"}']

1. 9You — $100 million for virtual entertainment community

2. BigFish Games — $83 million for casual downloadable games

3. Trion World Network — $70 million for online multiplayer server games. (The company is working with the Sci-Fi channel on an episodic online game that ties into a TV show and has other titles in the works too.)

4. Real Time Worlds — $50 million for online games such as All Points Bulletin

5. Turbine, maker of the Lord of the Rings Online — $40 million for massively multiplayer online games

6. G10 online game company — $38 million from China’s The9

7. Zynga — $29 million for social games

8. GoFish — $22.9 million youth-oriented ad network with focus on virtual worlds

[aditude-amp id="medium1" targeting='{"env":"staging","page_type":"article","post_id":101838,"post_type":"story","post_chan":"none","tags":null,"ai":false,"category":"none","all_categories":"games,social,","session":"C"}']

9. PrimeSense — $20.4 million for gesture-control 3D cameras

10. Playfish — $17 million for social games

[aditude-amp id="medium2" targeting='{"env":"staging","page_type":"article","post_id":101838,"post_type":"story","post_chan":"none","tags":null,"ai":false,"category":"none","all_categories":"games,social,","session":"C"}']

11. GameDuell — $17 million for skill-based games

12. Playspan — $16.8 million for virtual goods platform

13. NGI Group — $15.7 million for Japanese virtual world

[aditude-amp id="medium3" targeting='{"env":"staging","page_type":"article","post_id":101838,"post_type":"story","post_chan":"none","tags":null,"ai":false,"category":"none","all_categories":"games,social,","session":"C"}']

14. Nurien Software — $15 million for fashion-oriented social online game

15. Social Gaming Network — $15 million for Facebook and other social games

[aditude-amp id="medium4" targeting='{"env":"staging","page_type":"article","post_id":101838,"post_type":"story","post_chan":"none","tags":null,"ai":false,"category":"none","all_categories":"games,social,","session":"C"}']

16. Ukash — $14.4 million for virtual world payment systems

17. Expresso Fitness — $14 million for its virtual cycling exercise bikes

18. Play Hard Sports — $13 million for casual online sports games

19. SouthPeak Interactive — $12.9 million for indie games

[aditude-amp id="medium5" targeting='{"env":"staging","page_type":"article","post_id":101838,"post_type":"story","post_chan":"none","tags":null,"ai":false,"category":"none","all_categories":"games,social,","session":"C"}']

20. Raptr — $12 million for gamer social network

21. Gaia Online — $11 million for casual massively multiplayer online game

22. ICG — $10 million for casual massively multiplayer online game

23. Unisfair — $10 million for virtual events

24. Challenge Games — $10 million for web-based online role-playing and sports games

25. FooMojo — $9.9 million for virtual pets

26. World Golf Tour — double-digit millions for golf simulation

27. Bigfoot Networks — $8.75 million for game networking hardware

28. Crispy Gamer — $8.25 million for irreverent game news and reviews site

29. Grockit — $8 million for online learning game

30. ON24 — $8 million for virtual events

31. Heatwave Interactive — $7.5 million to improve online game production

32. Riot Games — $7 million for quick-hit online games

33. Playlogic — $7 million for indie games

34. Monte Cristo Games — $7 million for mirror world online game

35. Six Degrees Games gets $7 million for kids sports games

36. EveryScape — $7 million for mirror world

37. Kadoink — $7 million middleware for virtual worlds

38. Metaplace — $6.7 million for web-based virtual world

39. Gizmoz — $6.5 million for avatar-based social network

40. iOpener — $6 million for mixed reality racing

41. Conduit Labs — $5.5 million; reveals LoudCrowd

42. Novint — $5.2 million for user-interface peripherals

43. Robotgalaxy — $5 million for virtual world

44. Ngmoco — $5 million for iPhone games; makes a splash with its game launches

45. Hollywood Interactive — $5 million for site with celebrity-oriented games for women

46. RocketOn — $5 million for parallel web games and social network

47. IGA Worldwide — $5 million for in-game advertising

48. Popjax — $4.7 million for web quiz show games

49. Sparkplay Media — $4.5 million for 3-D browser-based games

50. Twofish — $4.5 million for virtual goods business

51. IGG — $4.5 million for massively multiplayer online game

52. Playdo — $4.3 million for kids virtual world

53. Sparkplay Media — $4.25 million massively multiplayer online game with social network

54. Webcarzz — $4 million for online car racing game world for boys

55. Machinima — $3.85 million for game fan videos

56. FlowPlay — $3.7 million for teen games

57. Wix — $3.5 million for Flash-based virtual world

58. Three Rings — $3.5 million for online virtual-goods based games

59. Fluid Entertainment — $3.2 million for kids’ online games

60. C3L3B — $3 million for casual games

61. Kongregate — $3 million for user-generated games site.

62. GamerDNA — $3 million for social networking game site

63. Lumos Labs — $3 million for brain games

64. WeGame — $3 million for game fan videos site

65. Playfish — $3 million for social gaming

66. Seasky — $3 million for virtual world development

67. Taatu — $2.6 million for teen and young adult virtual world

68. Mpowerplayer — $2.5 million for mobile gaming

69. Alamofire — $2 million for casual games

70. Fixate — $2 million for virtual characters

71. Akoha — $1.9 million for social games

72. Simmersion — $1.9 million for Mycosm virtual world

73. Sun — $1.8 million for virtual world development (filed for bankruptcy)

74. Ball-it — $1.5 million for game-interface technology

75. Gamook — $1.5 million for online games

76. Shidonni — $1.5 million; launches drawing site for kids

77. Virtual Tweens — $1 million for green virtual world for kids

78. Casual Collective — $1 million and launches Flash games

79. Dizzywood — $1 million for kids’ online games

80. 8D — $1 milion for online fantasy world

81. Rebel Monkey — $1 million for casual games

82. Numedeon — $1 million for Whyville and SportsBlox games

83. Handipoints — $800,000 for kid-based virtual world

84. Chapatiz — $530,000 for virtual world development

85. Second Interest — $500,000 for virtual world development

86. Worlds.com — $481,000 for virtual world development

87. Metaverse Mod Squad — $200,000 for virtual world technology

88. Sabi spins out of Microsoft to do educational games that bring drawings to life

89. MindFuse raises money for online massively multiplayer online games

90. Digini raises undisclosed amount for game-creation tools

91. OGPlanet of Korea raises undisclosed amount for online game importing

92. Meteor Games is started by Neopets founders to create new online gaming world

93. Yoowalk — undisclosed amount for 3D web venture

Please check out our link to VentureBeat’s inaugural game conference, GamesBeat 09, on March 24.

Also, see our top 20 game stories of 2008.

The top 10 iPhone games of 2008.

The 10 most-anticipated games of 2009.

And Dean’s top 10 picks of the holiday season.