Virtual Worlds: A First-Hand Account of Market and Society on the Cyberian Frontier

This article talked about some of the various virtual worlds that exist or have existed over the years such as Norrath, Ultima Online, The Sims Online and Project Entropia. I was surprised to learn that some 20% of Norrath's citizens considered their online virtual life in this world to be thier real life! Though that does not appeal to me, I must admit that I spend so much time in front of a computer that it does in fact take up a very large portion of my life. I might as well be in a virtual world! But, I'd never consider it more real than my everyday life.

Castronova also pointed out that gaming companies are making profits in the hundreds of millions just from the money customers spend on creating thier avatars. Wow, as if we didn't already have enough to spend money on! Now, we've got to go around paying for virtual reality representations of ourselves. Will there be a social stigma against those with low-quality avatars as happens in Neal Stephenson's novel, Snow Crash?

Castronova ends by talking about how virtual worlds will become highly commercialized. I hope these virtual worlds don't become 3D Myspaces with advertisements lining the walls everywhere I turn!