Virtual Worlds Defined
Modern virtual worlds are massive, simulated environments that can be accessed via the World Wide Web. Virtual worlds can be categorized into two distinct groups: “gaming” virtual worlds and “social” virtual worlds. As their names imply, these two categories of virtual worlds are distinguished by their overall purposes. The first type is designed primarily for game play, and the second type almost exclusively for communications.
Gaming virtual worlds also abbreviated as MMOGs (massively multiplayer online games) and MMORPGs (massively multiplayer online role-playing games)—have included well-known titles such as World of War craft, Ever Quest Online Adventures, and The Sims Online. Vast and complex online environments, gaming virtual worlds have been the focus of much social science research in their own right. However, because their primary purpose is for gaming, not communications, gaming worlds are not typically used for extensive scientific discourse. To see how virtual worlds are used to communicate science, we must turn to an entirely different category of virtual worlds, called social virtual worlds. (Kavanaugh, 2001: 496)
Social virtual worlds developed to date have included the online environments of There, Cyber world, and Second Life. As their name implies, social virtual worlds lack the basic attributes of traditional games or video games: There are no points to score, no objectives or tasks to complete, no rules to follow, and no overarching game narratives (Littlejohn, 1983: 80). Rather, the true “purpose” of a social virtual world such as Second Life is for users to exist inside it as they exist in real life. That is to say, users “enter” a social virtual world by downloading a software p...
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...xperience machine, it would still seem that people should not want to log on to second life when they could be experiencing things in reality. However, Second Life boasts that millions of accounts have been created (Second Life Official Site). It remains to be said just why they are doing this, but it appears that the conclusion one could draw from this is that virtual experiences do have meaning to us, insofar as people will choose them over certain real life experiences.
In Morrowind, our character’s role in the game, and thus, the narrative paths that s/he can take, is shaped by us, his/her interactions with others in the virtual world of Morrowind, and their expectations of him/her based on the role s/he inhabits. To properly create or critique simulations like Morrowind, we must first understand the relationship between player and character, and decide the extent to which the player or the characters in the virtual world should prescribe a character’s role.
...10 dollars to gain access to an online server that acts as a simulated finite world for each person to place their character in. Players manipulate their character and basically live that person’s live in that finite simulated world that contains other players. They buy property, get a job and interact with other players. I was unable to actually observe anyone playing Everquest or play it myself. However it seems to take the level of interaction to new levels. For obvious reasons I find that a little unsettling. I think that is safe to say that many people actually prefer their simulated online personas and friends to their real life ones. That may pose new problems in the future. At the pace that technology is currently developing I think that soon the number of people who find more satisfaction and fulfillment in their “cyber lives” will only grow. Also, to speculate a little I think that in the future it will probably be possible to immerse yourself in a totally simulated environment. Will be people totally isolate themselves and spend years inside life simulations oblivious to the real world but still perfectly content to live out their days in a Matrix like cyber dreamscape?
The purpose of this paper is to explain how virtual reality is used in everyday life. It is used in many ways in today's society. Several people immediately think of video games or entertainment when they hear virtual reality. Virtual reality is not only used for entertainment purposes but it is also used for medical and educational purposes. It can help people overcome their fears, deal with and treat social anxiety, and it can also be a helpful teaching tool to connect students and teachers in long-distance learning.
One positive effect of video games is that it has increasingly become an online social tool but is often criticised. Players are now able to play games together across vast distances over the Internet, speaking to online gamers through their headset. Players can also sign up to MMORPG (massively multiplayer online role playing game) and play online with other gamers at time. This increases their communication skills through the virtual world instead of real life.
Definition of virtual reality is "A technology that assures participants that he was actually in another place by replacing the main sensory input with data received by the computer" [6] [10]. One of the key elements of the virtual reality of cyberspace; it is a space fantasy or simulation environment. Which is always linked here is a virtual world and immersion virtual reality, perception is born into the world of alternatives such as ethereal or other point of view of our world
The term Virtual Reality (VR) is used by many different people with many meanings. There are some people to whom VR is a specific collection of technologies, that is a Head Mounted Display, Glove Input Device and Audio. Some other people stretch the term to include conventional books, movies or pure fantasy and imagination. However, for purposes of this research, we restrict VR to computer mediated systems. We would define Virtual Reality as a way for humans to visualize, manipulate and interact with computers and extremely complex data.
The traditional way of socializing limits our ability to meet other people around the world. Virtual interactions offers a more possible means to communicate in today's society. Furthermore, the growth of the video game community such as in the genre of MMORPG (Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games) allows for a high level medium that enable individuals to create small factions and perform social interactions. According to Bishop, "The existence of such communities is often brought about by people who share similar goals, beliefs or values, with such commonality forming the basis of an agreement to form and sustain a virtual existence" (1). Having shared similar goals...
Using a MUD does not require the paraphernalia commonly associated with virtual reality. There is no special hardware to sense the position and orientation of the user’s real-world body, and no special clothes allowing users to see the virtual world through goggles and though through “data gloves”…Instead of using sophisticated tools to see, touch and hear the virtual environment, users of MUD systems are presented with textual descriptions of virtual locations. Technically, a MUD software program consists of a database of “rooms”, “exits” and other objects. The program accepts connections from users on a computer network, and provides each user with access to that database…Within each system users can interact with each other and with the virtual environment which the MUD presents to them (Reid, 1994).
Virtual reality can be defined as a, "technology that enables users to enter computer generated worlds and interface with them three dimensionally through sight, sound, and touch" (Newquist 93). Virtual reality combines computer simulation and visualization into a single, coherent whole (Peterson 8). Researchers say it embodies an attempt to eliminate the traditional distinction between the user and the machine. Virtual reality is intended to provide a means of naturally and intelligently interacting with information (8). Virtual reality is contending to be the interface of the future, allowing ordinary users to use their senses to interact with complex data.
Individuals may feel isolated from society wether it be due to their sexuality, likes, or dislikes, and the virtual world is an area they do not feel like they have to conform to certain ...
The majority of the adult American population age 18+ is unfamiliar with the ever-growing virtual community known as Second Life. Second Life is a virtual world developed by Linden Lab, which offers its residents a place to connect, a place to shop, a place to work, and a place to love. There are many advantages for people to create a Second Life for themselves. Second Life’s residents are given the ability to explore any region they choose and allows one the ability to be themselves, or even someone different. For many, it is a freeing experience from the daily routine of “real life”. Second Life’s virtual experience also has sound; audible conversation, babbling brooks, wind in the swaying trees, and built-in chat and instant messaging. Residents purchase property, game with other residents, create objects, join clubs, attend classes, start businesses, or just hang out. The presentation of Second Life is extraordinary, making it a significant, almost guilty, indulgence. Before embarking on a journey in Second Life, one must first create an avatar. New Second Life users choose from standard male and female avatars. Residents and their avatars do not always choose the gender they are in real life. Once the gender choice is completed, residents go on to tailor their avatar’s look in a way they believe mainly suits their style, or the Second Life “lifestyle” they selected. For instance, a trained user may possibly craft a cat that follows him all over the place. Residents build items for diverse reasons. Several do this in order to strengthen the theme of a certain region or specific avatar; some construct items simply for amusement. Even though Second Life extends a convincing adventure for residents from different...
For today’s generation, virtual reality has become all too real in our everyday lives. Modern technology has almost replaced our generation’s physical social lives, is has left many basic skills unlearned, and has ultimately become a physical part of us. We rely on text messaging and email to keep in touch. We almost always have a device with us or near us at all times, and the simple tasks that require basic skills to complete cannot be completed without using a device, because most of the knowledge needed to complete them is left unlearned. Everywhere we go, and everything we do seems to involve technology, and the effects technology has on this generation, are all but small.
The experience of game play can be described as an activity in which the player is virtually embodied in the game world. Anyone who has experienced the world of gaming knows how the engaging experience can manifest itself with “sweaty palms and chills down the spine” (http://www.eludamos.org/index.php/eludamos/article/viewArticle/80/147) when coming face-to-face with alien creatures; or with the adrenaline rush we get when racing a high speed automobile head-to-head with a friend. Gaming is an excellent source of entertainment. It provides an opportunity for social growth, provides a meaningful form of exploring expression, and provides heightened sensitivity.
So what is virtual reality? It is sometimes referred to as immersive multimedia, it is a computer-simulated environment that can simulate some physical presence in places in the real world or imagined worlds. Most current virtual reality are primarily visual experience displayed either on a computer screen or through a head-mounted display. Some simulations include additional sensory information such as sound, tactile information or force feedback in medical, gaming and military applications. Furthermore, virtual reality covers remote communication environments which provide virtual presence of users with the concepts (Wikipedia, 2014).