Session 3: The Future of Virtual Worlds.
Chair: William Sims Bainbridge
Session Logistics
This session would analyze the future course of development of WoW and other virtual worlds, at a time when many highly involved observers have expressed concern that progress is stalling, even as other observers imagine we are passing a breakthrough threshold, after which virtual worlds will become central to society. The near failure of Sims Online, the continuing technical issues with Second Life, and the fact that no other MMORPG seems able to surpass WoW are warning signs. Recall that Active Worlds is over a decade old, and there is little hope that home computers or Internet connectivity will be vastly more capable over the next five years. It is possible that rapid future progress will actually depend upon us, because the success of a virtual world will depend upon the socio-cultural design qualities that make it serve human needs, and our research will contribute to the fund of knowledge supporting innovative design.
Ten questions to begin with:
1. Given that computer technology and Internet have stabilized, are current virtual worlds a technological plateau?
2. Other than WoW's are there really any long-term viable business models for virtual worlds?
3. Would standardization of software-data platforms be revolutionary, permitting migration across many worlds?
4. Could virtual worlds become living memorials for deceased persons, housing AI avatars of them?
5. Will virtual worlds create social and cultural alternatives that then thrive in the "real world?"
6. Which online games will become permanent features of human culture, like chess and Monopoly?
7. Will some virtual worlds declare political independence, like geograhically based nations?
8. What as-yet unrecognized social functions could virtual worlds serve?
9. Could augmented reality (e.g. pervasive LARPs) be the next revolution, virtual and real world combined?
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