Virtual Insanity

What makes virtual worlds different from video games? In Why Virtual Worlds Can Matter, Thomas and Brown state that “virtual worlds are persistent, avatar-based social spaces that provide players or participants with the ability to engage in long-term, coordinated conjoined action. In these spaces, cultures and meanings emerge from a complex set of interactions among the participants, rather than as part of a predefined story or narrative arc.” The best example is World of Warcraft; it’s a mass multiplayer online virtual reality but it is also the largest role-playing game in today’s society. Players have the ability to coordinate, engage and change the virtual environment. So to answer my question, virtual worlds can be multiple different digital environments including games. The difference between typical video games and virtual world games is the idea of persistence. There is no end to the virtual world games. World of Warcraft and Farmville will always be there; players can log off but when they return the online game will not be the same as the last time they logged off. The virtual world is always there, even if you are not. Because many different people interact with virtual environments, the virtual world will always be changing, and that is the fundamental core of virtual realities.

But why the hell do we care about these virtual realities, especially if we have no interest in being involved? Well, because these online worlds are growing so big that the populations are becoming bigger than some countries, such as Switzerland and Fiji. Economically, these virtual realities are making billions of dollars a year. People are getting rich for just sitting on their ass and playing Second Life all day. Not only are these virtual realities expanding to be bigger than many countries, with billions of dollars in profit but also there are real world ethical dilemmas including monetary crime and addiction. Virtual world players are stealing people’s identities, using their credit cards, and buying games and virtual items. These crimes players are committing go hand in hand with their obsession and addictions to these virtual realities.

Obviously, these virtual worlds are impacting our society. Through population growth, addictions and ethical dilemmas, it is obvious to see that these virtual realities are impacting the way our society is interacting with each other and with the Internet. I am not sure whether these virtual realities have a positive or negative effect on our society and the ever-growing popularity of interactive media. Although it is getting more and more people to interact on the web, which is a plus, is this addiction and isolation foreshadowing our future? Will people really sit at their computers all day long, never really entering the real world but the world seen through their computer screen?