Modeling Reality With Virtual Worlds

Virtual worlds are quickly on a rise, and it is taking the world by storm. There are many virtual worlds out there, such as social networking like Second Life and IMVU, and mass-multiplayer online role playing games (mmorpg's) like Everquest and World of Warcraft. These virtual worlds allow players to create their own avatars that best suit their looks or their ideal looks. Then the players use their avatars to interact with the world and other avatars, much like what we do in real life. People can party, have fun, hang out, chat about almost anything, etc. It has become so popular that companies are using it to their advantage; IBM is using Second Life to create a training program for their employees, allowing them to have freedom and easy access as long as they do not break the rules.

However there is some distinct features of virtual worlds. Users in social networking can create their own world that they can control; the environment, setting, theme, etc. VLES is a great example of a virtual world that's similar to the real world. But in mmorpg's, players have to play by the game's rules, but they have the power to control the game's economy as they see fit. For example, one item can be sold for 100 gold but in a couple of months or so, the price can go up to 5000 gold, indicating an inflation in the economy, much like the reality. Mmorpg's mimic reality more than social networking because worlds in social networking are created and controlled by one or few people, while vast amount of players control various mmorpg's.