Virtual Ping Pong

Michael Connelly asked:


Their shelves are stocked with items that a lot of people really want, even though they will never be able to touch them. Services are rendered by characters that were created on a computer. With the recent increase in popularity of online video games and virtual worlds there has been a whole new cottage industry created that sells virtual items and services to gamers who spend a lot of time and money in Cyberspace.

They are called Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games, or MMORPGs and they are a genre of online video games that over 15 million people worldwide are now playing. Participants pay a subscription fee and a one time fee for game software and then they connect to a server and interact in a 3D landscape using the software. The players do not seem to have any ultimate goal of winning, but rather they are encouraged to just continue living inside the virtual world spending time and money there. Victory is not as important as developing your character into one that has fame, fortune or status. A lot of money can be spent on this pursuit with things like character enhancing item purchases and monthly subscription fees.

The cost of designing, developing and creating an IMMORPG is about 10 million dollars. It requires many people with many different skills in game design, 3D animation, computer engineering and database architecture to name a few. It may be costly to get an online game or virtual world up and going but the profit margin is extremely high and this helps to ensure that investors will make their money back with a great profit in relatively no time at all. In 2006 this particular genre of video games grossed over 1 billion dollars and it is only growing bigger every day.

In the world of interactive video games and virtual worlds it is not uncommon for a player to spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars on items that enhance their playing experience or build their status. A person can spend a lot of money buying such things as clothing, vehicles, weapons and real estate as well as a whole host of services and experiences. For example, a virtual apartment can cost anywhere from a couple hundred to several thousand dollars. Participants spend real money on these 3D items which are all considered to be real monetary assets.

A whole new economy has been created because of online video games like World of Warcraft, Everquest and Second Life. With over 7 million subscribers World of Warcraft is the most popular of these games. It is a classic fantasy themed battle game in the tradition of Dungeons and Dragons.

World of Warcraft has a full menu of items you can buy to enhance or improve your online gaming experience. Gamers have the choice of buying a variety of different types of armor, weapons, costumes and equipment. It is up to each player to decide what kind of items would help their chances at winning in this contest of online video game battles. Some people buy their equipment based on function and some buy it to present an imposing look for their character in battle which can build a reputation and status. As you achieve higher game levels and player status more products and services become available to enhance your experience.

Second Life is an online virtual world where people can go and live another life inside Cyberspace. It is a subscriber based website that has 5,887,280 members from all over the world. Once a participant enters this virtual world there is a variety of items, experiences and real estate at their disposal. They are encouraged to explore this three dimensional landscape and find a good place to buy real estate. The strategy is to set up a home or business and forge relationships with other participants that can help you gain success. Millions of US dollars are spent each month with the transactions that take place inside this virtual world.

From auctions, to banking to mail service there is a rapidly growing industry that is making a living catering to those who really like to play video games online or spend time in a virtual world. These games offer a different experience from Xbox 360, Playstation 3, PSP and Nintendo Wii games in that they are less predictable with more interactivity. Also, the content is free from government regulation because they operate in the wild world of the Internet.

Since 2004 the worldwide grosses for the genre of Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games has doubled each year. From 500 million dollars in 2005 to 1 billion dollars in 2006 this industry is expected to continue thriving and gross well over 2 billion dollars in 2007. As more and more people around the world look to online video games and virtual worlds for recreation and escapism the future looks brighter every day for those who sell virtual products and services.

John Mce asked:


Online games have been existent as long as the internet has been commercially available, from simple text based games to the first widely popular graphics led virtual world Ultima Online. Now as highspeed broadband is made more affordable and home PC’s become more powerful, more and more people are retreating into the virtual world to escape the real one. MMORPG’s (massively multiplayer online role playing games) such as the World of Warcraft are liberating environments where users function as a fictional character, undertake quests and join guilds. Taking on an alternative identity can be a cathartic experience and with the relative anonymity afforded by the virtual world and the common bond dictated by the nature of the game, users are less inhibited therefore socialising becomes a much easier occurrence.

But it’s not all about fantastical orcs and demons. The MMORPG Second Life is less of a game and more of a world. There are no dragons to slay or experience points to gain there is simply an ever expanding environment where the users are encouraged to contribute to the game’s surroundings. Residents can build items, architecture, furniture, fashion and accessories. With the exception of the land which is constructed by the developers Linden Lab, it is the players who are creating the content of the world they play in. In true Web 2.0 style the 3D modelling software available in world is open for the users to generate the substance of the world as they see fit.

E-games such as these also have their own thriving e-economies which have become so established they have large real world value. With Second Life’s currency Linden dollars players are making more than a comfortable income from designing buildings, letting offices and creating clothes. But the free market is not limited to products, all range of services are provided as well, from business management and events organisers to massage parlours and adult entertainment. The most lucrative industry in Second Life is the real estate market where considerable amounts of Linden Dollars can be converted into even more significant real dollars by third party exchange services.

The effects that such online developments are having on our first life are increasing, from virtual marriages to sexually confused members discovering they’re transsexual by experimenting with differently gendered avatars. The consequences of the virtual are being realised in the real world and although this is a positive aspect that should be embraced it is also an issue we need to be well aware of and educated on. As with any new phenomena there are those willing to exploit it, such as the virtual mafia and money laundering and the fact that many people, especially children are spending large amounts of time in these virtual worlds. Serious issues such as these must be tackled in the understanding that they do not reflect the majority of users involved in virtual worlds and the potential for education and emancipation is limitless, it just needs to be exploited effectively.