Virtual Worlds

Abstract

A virtual world is an “electronic environment that visually mimics complex physical spaces, where people can interact with each other and with virtual objects, and where people are represented by animated characters” (Bainbridge, 2007). The characters, known as avatars, are created by the users.¹ The popularity of these virtual worlds increased exponentially as the availability of high-speed Internet access and affordable and powerful personal computers proliferated (Sanchez, 2009). As these improvements in access occurred, technology evolved so that from text-based non-graphical games in 1979, the first virtual world was created in 1996. In virtual worlds, the shared space is used by multiple players or inhabitants at the same time, interactions occur in real time, and the worlds persist (and may change) whether a given player is present or not. Today’s virtual worlds are vivid, detailed 3-D spaces in which users can become immersed.