Framing Questions: Week 12

In the introduction of “Why Virtual Worlds Can Matter,” the authors write that virtual worlds present a social space that can allow participants to engage in coordinated actions. Going beyond the realm of games, in theory, it seems like professional entities could benefit greatly from functioning within a virtual world- interaction could occur without location limitations, group work would be highly collaborative and creative ideas could be easily shared and built upon. In one of my undergraduate classes, we even discussed how some large corporations are dipping into virtual worlds like Second Life to conduct business meetings. But if this tool is indeed beneficial, as the article suggests, why haven’t more professionals turned to virtual worlds to enhance their business practices? Are virtual worlds still mostly limited to gamers who utilize it for strictly entertainment purposes? The article concludes that, “What is happening in the games of today is, we believe, a fair predictor of what will be happening in the workplaces and societies of tomorrow.” Is this due to the psychological impact that virtual worlds have on participants, as participants are encouraged to deeply engage with their peers in order to achieve a desired end result?

Tags: framing, virtual worlds