Modeling Reality with Virtual Worlds

(http://gigaom.com/2013/06/23/second-life-turns-10-what-it-did-wrong-and-why-it-will-have-its-own-second-life/)

Virtual worlds are computer environments where a user (represented by an avatar) can interact with others digitally.  Two prime examples of virtual worlds are Second Life and The Sims—both are essentially interactive video games. 

Virtual worlds are used for entertainment, creativity (needed to develop these imaginative, virtual environments) and offers a sense of community/social connection to its users.  Jacki Morie, a virtual world designer, asserts, “You can use virtual worlds in education, in delivery services, or as an advanced form of telehealthcare that offers so much more than videoconferencing”(Mehta 2013). According to Tutton, “The ability to collaborate effectively using virtual tools may now become an increasingly important skill as technology offers more options than, say, video conferencing”(2009).   

Adversely, in some cases, users can lose their sense of reality and the “virtual” can be perceived as real or a perfect representation compared to the real world.

Recently, virtual worlds (virtual reality) are being replaced with augmented reality (AR) which has more of a real world context. Virtual reality (virtual worlds) has a video game connotation, whereas AR has the potential for commercial success, i.e. Google glass devices.  In the future, these wearable devices can be integrated into different fields, like medical and business professions.

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Mehta, Diane. (2013). After Second Life, Can Virtual Worlds get a Reboot. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/dianemehta/2013/04/30/after-second-life-can-virtual-worlds-get-a-reboot/#76d96fc6735a

Tutton, Mark. (2009). Going to the virtual office in Second Life. Retrieved from http://www.cnn.com/2009/BUSINESS/11/05/second.life.virtual.collaboration/