More virtual less reality?!

What do people understand under a "Virtual World?" An interactive simulated enivironment which can be accessed by multiple useres through an online interface.




A virtual world can also be known as "digital worlds" or "simulated worlds". There is a wide range of virtual worlds but they all have something in common, which is:

1. Immediacy: Real time 
2. Interactivity: a virutal world allows users to collaborate and work together
3. Persistence: no matter what time in the day the world is there
4. Socialization: Encouragement of in-world social groups like teams, guilds, cliques, housemates, neighborhoods...etc.
5. Space: Many users can access the platform at the same time and use it

MMORPG is a very commonly used term in regard with virtual world - it means "massively multiplayer Online Role Playing Game". and propably the largest form of virtual worlds. However, gaming is not the only purpose of a virtual world - socializing, education, political expression or even military training are areas in which simultated worlds are used as well.

Commercial Gaming

Are games that focus on a singular fictional theme and consistently follow formal conventions! e.g character-focused avatars, progression through an interactive narrative storyline, and a series of competititive events.


Socializing/Online Community Building
What is meant by that is, there are socaial communities that emphasize rather on socializing than gaming and are based on text/based chat rooms. Even though small casual games may be incorporated into a social world the participlants rather focus on socializing with others and decorate a personal space. 

Education:

Education is also the purpose of some virtual worlds. Academic institutions or non profit organizations are usually responsible for such virtual experiences. Educational worlds come in a wide variety of forms, including 3D recreations of museum and gallery spaces, computer programming tutorials, virtual libraries and meeting spaces for online universtiy courses. 

One of the largest networks of educational worlds is "Active Worlds Educational Universe"

Political Expression:

The use of a virtual world is not only based on games or socializing but also to serve as forums for political expression and debate.  Even experiments in various types of self-governing online communities are helping politics in expaning their reach to people. (a great example of a virtual world with a political focus is AgoraXchange)

All these above named areas are only the beginning, since these technologies will develop tremendously over the next years. Virtual worlds will be used in all kinds of areas, as people begin spending more time with them.