<s>
A	O
virtual	B-Application
world	I-Application
(	O
also	O
called	O
a	O
virtual	B-Application
space	I-Application
)	O
is	O
a	O
computer-simulated	B-Application
environment	I-Application
which	O
may	O
be	O
populated	O
by	O
many	O
users	O
who	O
can	O
create	O
a	O
personal	O
avatar	B-Application
,	O
and	O
simultaneously	O
and	O
independently	O
explore	O
the	O
virtual	B-Application
world	I-Application
,	O
participate	O
in	O
its	O
activities	O
and	O
communicate	O
with	O
others	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
These	O
avatars	B-Application
can	O
be	O
textual	O
,	O
graphical	O
representations	O
,	O
or	O
live	O
video	O
avatars	B-Application
with	O
auditory	O
and	O
touch	O
sensations	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Virtual	B-Application
worlds	I-Application
are	O
closely	O
related	O
to	O
mirror	B-Protocol
worlds	I-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
a	O
virtual	B-Application
world	I-Application
,	O
the	O
user	O
accesses	O
a	O
computer-simulated	B-Application
world	O
which	O
presents	O
perceptual	O
stimuli	O
to	O
the	O
user	O
,	O
who	O
in	O
turn	O
can	O
manipulate	O
elements	O
of	O
the	O
modeled	O
world	O
and	O
thus	O
experience	O
a	O
degree	O
of	O
presence	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Example	O
rules	O
are	O
gravity	O
,	O
topography	O
,	O
locomotion	O
,	O
real-time	B-General_Concept
actions	O
,	O
and	O
communication	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Massively	B-Application
multiplayer	I-Application
online	I-Application
games	I-Application
depict	O
a	O
wide	O
range	O
of	O
worlds	O
,	O
including	O
those	O
based	O
on	O
the	O
real	O
world	O
,	O
science	O
fiction	O
,	O
super	O
heroes	O
,	O
sports	O
,	O
horror	O
,	O
and	O
historical	O
milieus	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Most	O
MMORPGs	B-Protocol
have	O
real-time	B-General_Concept
actions	O
and	O
communication	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Communication	O
is	O
usually	O
textual	O
,	O
but	O
real-time	B-General_Concept
voice	B-Application
communication	I-Application
is	O
also	O
possible	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Media	O
studies	O
professor	O
Edward	O
Castronova	O
used	O
the	O
term	O
"	O
synthetic	B-Application
worlds	I-Application
"	O
to	O
discuss	O
individual	O
virtual	B-Application
worlds	I-Application
,	O
but	O
this	O
term	O
has	O
not	O
been	O
widely	O
adopted	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Virtual	B-Application
worlds	I-Application
are	O
not	O
limited	O
to	O
games	O
but	O
,	O
depending	O
on	O
the	O
degree	O
of	O
immediacy	O
presented	O
,	O
can	O
encompass	O
computer	O
conferencing	O
and	O
text-based	O
chatrooms	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
concept	O
of	O
virtual	B-Application
worlds	I-Application
significantly	O
predates	O
computers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
twentieth	O
century	O
,	O
the	O
cinematographer	O
Morton	O
Heilig	O
explored	O
the	O
creation	O
of	O
the	O
Sensorama	B-General_Concept
,	O
a	O
theatre	O
experience	O
designed	O
to	O
stimulate	O
the	O
senses	O
of	O
the	O
audience	O
—	O
vision	O
,	O
sound	O
,	O
balance	O
,	O
smell	O
,	O
even	O
touch	O
(	O
via	O
wind	O
)	O
—	O
and	O
so	O
draw	O
them	O
more	O
effectively	O
into	O
the	O
productions	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Among	O
the	O
earliest	O
virtual	B-Application
worlds	I-Application
implemented	O
by	O
computers	O
were	O
virtual	B-Application
reality	I-Application
simulators	I-Application
,	O
such	O
as	O
the	O
work	O
of	O
Ivan	O
Sutherland	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Contemporary	O
virtual	B-Application
worlds	I-Application
,	O
in	O
particular	O
the	O
multi-user	O
online	O
environments	O
,	O
emerged	O
mostly	O
independently	O
of	O
this	O
research	O
,	O
fueled	O
instead	O
by	O
the	O
gaming	O
industry	O
but	O
drawing	O
on	O
similar	O
inspiration	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
classic	O
sensory-imitating	O
virtual	B-Application
reality	I-Application
relies	O
on	O
tricking	O
the	O
perceptual	O
system	O
into	O
experiencing	O
an	O
immersive	O
environment	O
,	O
virtual	B-Application
worlds	I-Application
typically	O
rely	O
on	O
mentally	O
and	O
emotionally	O
engaging	O
content	O
which	O
gives	O
rise	O
to	O
an	O
immersive	O
experience	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Maze	B-Application
War	I-Application
was	O
the	O
first	O
networked	O
,	O
3D	O
multi-user	O
first	O
person	O
shooter	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Maze	B-Application
introduced	O
the	O
concept	O
of	O
online	O
players	O
in	O
1973	O
–	O
1974	O
as	O
"	O
eyeball	O
'	O
avatars	B-Application
 '	O
chasing	O
each	O
other	O
around	O
in	O
a	O
maze.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
initial	O
game	O
could	O
only	O
be	O
played	O
on	O
an	O
Imlac	B-Device
,	O
as	O
it	O
was	O
specifically	O
designed	O
for	O
this	O
type	O
of	O
computer	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
first	O
virtual	B-Application
worlds	I-Application
presented	O
on	O
the	O
Internet	O
were	O
communities	O
and	O
chat	O
rooms	O
,	O
some	O
of	O
which	O
evolved	O
into	O
MUDs	B-Application
and	O
MUSHes	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
first	O
MUD	B-Application
,	O
known	O
as	O
MUD1	B-Protocol
,	O
was	O
released	O
in	O
1978	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
acronym	O
originally	O
stood	O
for	O
Multi-User	B-Application
Dungeon	I-Application
,	O
but	O
later	O
also	O
came	O
to	O
mean	O
Multi-User	B-Application
Dimension	I-Application
and	O
Multi-User	B-Application
Domain	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
MUD	B-Application
is	O
a	O
virtual	B-Application
world	I-Application
with	O
many	O
players	O
interacting	O
in	O
real	O
time	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
early	O
versions	O
were	O
text-based	O
,	O
offering	O
only	O
limited	O
graphical	O
representation	O
and	O
often	O
using	O
a	O
Command	B-Application
Line	I-Application
Interface	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Such	O
early	O
worlds	O
began	O
the	O
MUD	B-Application
heritage	O
that	O
eventually	O
led	O
to	O
massively	B-Protocol
multiplayer	I-Protocol
online	I-Protocol
role-playing	I-Protocol
games	I-Protocol
,	O
more	O
commonly	O
known	O
as	O
MMORPGs	B-Protocol
,	O
a	O
genre	O
of	O
role-playing	O
games	O
in	O
which	O
a	O
large	O
number	O
of	O
players	O
interact	O
within	O
a	O
virtual	B-Application
world	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Some	O
prototype	O
virtual	B-Application
worlds	I-Application
were	O
WorldsAway	B-Application
,	O
a	O
two-dimensional	O
chat	O
environment	O
where	O
users	O
designed	O
their	O
own	O
avatars	B-Application
;	O
Dreamscape	B-Application
,	O
an	O
interactive	O
community	O
featuring	O
a	O
virtual	B-Application
world	I-Application
by	O
CompuServe	O
;	O
Cityspace	B-General_Concept
,	O
an	O
educational	O
networking	O
and	O
3D	O
computer	O
graphics	O
project	O
for	O
children	O
;	O
and	O
The	B-Application
Palace	I-Application
,	O
a	O
2-dimensional	O
community	O
driven	O
virtual	B-Application
world	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
credit	O
for	O
the	O
first	O
online	O
virtual	B-Application
world	I-Application
usually	O
goes	O
to	O
Habitat	B-Application
,	O
developed	O
in	O
1987	O
by	O
LucasFilm	O
Games	O
for	O
the	O
Commodore	O
64	O
computer	O
,	O
and	O
running	O
on	O
the	O
Quantum	O
Link	O
service	O
(	O
the	O
precursor	O
to	O
America	O
Online	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
1999	O
,	O
Whyville.net	O
the	O
first	O
virtual	B-Application
world	I-Application
specifically	O
for	O
children	O
was	O
launched	O
with	O
a	O
base	O
in	O
game-based	O
learning	O
and	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
earliest	O
virtual	O
currency-based	O
economies	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Shortly	O
after	O
,	O
in	O
2000	O
,	O
Habbo	B-Application
launched	O
and	O
grew	O
to	O
become	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
most	O
popular	O
and	O
longest	O
running	O
virtual	B-Application
worlds	I-Application
with	O
millions	O
of	O
users	O
around	O
the	O
world	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Definitions	O
for	O
a	O
"	O
virtual	B-Application
world	I-Application
"	O
include	O
:	O
</s>
<s>
There	O
is	O
no	O
generally	O
accepted	O
definition	O
of	O
virtual	B-Application
world	I-Application
,	O
but	O
they	O
do	O
require	O
that	O
the	O
world	O
be	O
persistent	B-Protocol
;	O
in	O
other	O
words	O
,	O
the	O
world	O
must	O
continue	O
to	O
exist	O
even	O
after	O
a	O
user	O
exits	O
the	O
world	O
,	O
and	O
user-made	O
changes	O
to	O
the	O
world	O
should	O
be	O
preserved	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
the	O
interaction	O
with	O
other	O
participants	O
is	O
done	O
in	O
real-time	B-General_Concept
,	O
time	O
consistency	O
is	O
not	O
always	O
maintained	O
in	O
online	O
virtual	B-Application
worlds	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
For	O
example	O
,	O
EverQuest	O
time	O
passes	O
faster	O
than	O
real-time	B-General_Concept
despite	O
using	O
the	O
same	O
calendar	O
and	O
time	O
units	O
to	O
present	O
game	O
time	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
virtual	B-Application
world	I-Application
is	O
a	O
general	O
term	O
,	O
the	O
virtual	O
environment	O
supports	O
varying	O
degrees	O
of	O
play	O
and	O
gaming	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Massively	B-Application
multiplayer	I-Application
online	I-Application
games	I-Application
(	O
MMOGs	B-Application
)	O
games	O
in	O
which	O
a	O
large	O
number	O
of	O
players	O
interact	O
within	O
a	O
virtual	B-Application
world	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
concept	O
of	O
MMO	O
has	O
spread	O
to	O
other	O
game	O
types	O
such	O
as	O
sports	O
,	O
real-time	B-General_Concept
strategy	O
and	O
others	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
persistence	O
criterion	O
is	O
the	O
only	O
criterion	O
that	O
separates	O
virtual	B-Application
worlds	I-Application
from	O
video	O
games	O
,	O
meaning	O
that	O
some	O
MMO	O
versions	O
of	O
RTS	O
and	O
FPS	O
games	O
resemble	O
virtual	B-Application
worlds	I-Application
;	O
Destiny	B-Application
is	O
a	O
video	O
game	O
that	O
is	O
such	O
a	O
pseudo	O
virtual	B-Application
world	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Emerging	O
concepts	O
include	O
basing	O
the	O
terrain	O
of	O
such	O
games	O
on	O
real	O
satellite	O
photos	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
those	O
available	O
through	O
the	O
Google	B-Application
Maps	I-Application
API	O
or	O
through	O
a	O
simple	O
virtual	B-Application
geocaching	I-Application
of	O
"	O
easter	O
eggs	O
"	O
on	O
WikiMapia	O
or	O
similar	O
mash-ups	B-Application
,	O
where	O
permitted	O
;	O
these	O
concepts	O
are	O
virtual	B-Application
worlds	I-Application
making	O
use	O
of	O
mixed	B-General_Concept
reality	I-General_Concept
.	O
</s>
<s>
Collaborative	B-Operating_System
virtual	I-Operating_System
environments	I-Operating_System
(	O
CVEs	O
)	O
designed	O
for	O
collaborative	O
work	O
in	O
a	O
virtual	O
environment	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Massively	B-Application
multiplayer	I-Application
online	I-Application
real-life	O
games	O
(	O
MMORLGs	O
)	O
,	O
also	O
called	O
virtual	O
social	O
worlds	O
,	O
where	O
the	O
user	O
can	O
edit	O
and	O
alter	O
their	O
avatar	B-Application
at	O
will	O
,	O
allowing	O
them	O
to	O
play	O
a	O
more	O
dynamic	O
role	O
,	O
or	O
multiple	O
roles	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
virtual	B-Application
economy	I-Application
is	O
the	O
emergent	O
property	O
of	O
the	O
interaction	O
between	O
participants	O
in	O
a	O
virtual	B-Application
world	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
the	O
designers	O
have	O
a	O
great	O
deal	O
of	O
control	O
over	O
the	O
economy	O
by	O
the	O
encoded	O
mechanics	O
of	O
trade	O
,	O
it	O
is	O
nonetheless	O
the	O
actions	O
of	O
players	O
that	O
define	O
the	O
economic	O
conditions	O
of	O
a	O
virtual	B-Application
world	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Participants	O
have	O
a	O
limited	O
time	O
in	O
the	O
virtual	B-Application
world	I-Application
,	O
as	O
in	O
the	O
real	O
world	O
,	O
which	O
they	O
must	O
divide	O
between	O
task	O
such	O
as	O
collecting	O
resources	O
,	O
practicing	O
trade	O
skills	O
,	O
or	O
engaging	O
in	O
less	O
productive	O
fun	O
play	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
choices	O
they	O
make	O
in	O
their	O
interaction	O
with	O
the	O
virtual	B-Application
world	I-Application
,	O
along	O
with	O
the	O
mechanics	O
of	O
trade	O
and	O
wealth	O
acquisition	O
,	O
dictate	O
the	O
relative	O
values	O
of	O
items	O
in	O
the	O
economy	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
economy	O
in	O
virtual	B-Application
worlds	I-Application
is	O
typically	O
driven	O
by	O
in-game	B-Application
needs	O
such	O
as	O
equipment	O
,	O
food	O
,	O
or	O
trade	O
goods	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Virtual	B-Application
economies	I-Application
like	O
that	O
of	O
Second	B-Application
Life	I-Application
,	O
however	O
,	O
are	O
almost	O
entirely	O
player-produced	O
with	O
very	O
little	O
link	O
to	O
in-game	B-Application
needs	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
the	O
relevance	O
of	O
virtual	B-Application
world	I-Application
economics	O
to	O
physical	O
world	O
economics	O
has	O
been	O
questioned	O
,	O
it	O
has	O
been	O
shown	O
the	O
users	O
of	O
virtual	B-Application
worlds	I-Application
respond	O
to	O
economic	O
stimuli	O
(	O
such	O
as	O
the	O
law	O
of	O
supply	O
and	O
demand	O
)	O
in	O
the	O
same	O
way	O
that	O
people	O
do	O
in	O
the	O
physical	O
world	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
fact	O
,	O
there	O
are	O
often	O
very	O
direct	O
corollaries	O
between	O
physical	O
world	O
economic	O
decisions	O
and	O
virtual	B-Application
world	I-Application
economic	O
decisions	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
the	O
decision	O
by	O
prisoners	O
of	O
war	O
in	O
World	O
War	O
II	O
to	O
adopt	O
cigarettes	O
as	O
currency	O
and	O
the	O
adoption	O
of	O
Stones	O
of	O
Jordan	O
as	O
currency	O
in	O
Diablo	O
II	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
value	O
of	O
objects	O
in	O
a	O
virtual	B-Application
economy	I-Application
is	O
usually	O
linked	O
to	O
their	O
usefulness	O
and	O
the	O
difficulty	O
of	O
obtaining	O
them	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
in	O
acquisition	O
of	O
wealth	O
in	O
a	O
virtual	B-Application
economy	I-Application
may	O
contribute	O
to	O
the	O
real	O
world	O
value	O
of	O
virtual	O
objects	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
real	O
world	O
value	O
is	O
made	O
obvious	O
by	O
the	O
(	O
mostly	O
illegal	O
)	O
trade	O
of	O
virtual	O
items	O
on	O
online	O
market	O
sites	O
like	O
eBay	B-Application
,	O
PlayerUp	O
,	O
IGE	O
for	O
real	O
world	O
money	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Recent	O
legal	O
disputes	O
also	O
acknowledge	O
the	O
value	O
of	O
virtual	O
property	O
,	O
even	O
overriding	O
the	O
mandatory	O
EULA	O
which	O
many	O
software	O
companies	O
use	O
to	O
establish	O
that	O
virtual	O
property	O
has	O
no	O
value	O
and/or	O
that	O
users	O
of	O
the	O
virtual	B-Application
world	I-Application
have	O
no	O
legal	O
claim	O
to	O
property	O
therein	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Some	O
industry	O
analysts	O
have	O
moreover	O
observed	O
that	O
there	O
is	O
a	O
secondary	O
industry	O
growing	O
behind	O
the	O
virtual	B-Application
worlds	I-Application
,	O
made	O
up	O
by	O
social	O
networks	O
,	O
websites	O
and	O
other	O
projects	O
completely	O
devoted	O
to	O
virtual	B-Application
worlds	I-Application
communities	O
and	O
gamers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Special	O
websites	O
such	O
as	O
GamerDNA	O
,	O
Koinup	O
and	O
others	O
which	O
serve	O
as	O
social	O
networks	O
for	O
virtual	B-Application
worlds	I-Application
users	O
are	O
facing	O
some	O
crucial	O
issues	O
as	O
the	O
DataPortability	O
of	O
avatars	B-Application
across	O
many	O
virtual	B-Application
worlds	I-Application
and	O
MMORPGs	B-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
Virtual	B-Application
worlds	I-Application
offer	O
advertisers	O
the	O
potential	O
for	O
virtual	O
advertisements	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
the	O
in-game	B-Application
advertising	O
already	O
found	O
in	O
a	O
number	O
of	O
video	O
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
geography	O
of	O
virtual	B-Application
worlds	I-Application
can	O
vary	O
widely	O
because	O
the	O
role	O
of	O
geography	O
and	O
space	O
is	O
an	O
important	O
design	O
component	O
over	O
which	O
the	O
developers	O
of	O
virtual	B-Application
worlds	I-Application
have	O
control	O
and	O
may	O
choose	O
to	O
alter	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Virtual	B-Application
worlds	I-Application
are	O
,	O
at	O
least	O
superficially	O
,	O
digital	O
instantiations	O
of	O
three-dimensional	O
space	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
a	O
result	O
,	O
considerations	O
of	O
geography	O
in	O
virtual	B-Application
worlds	I-Application
(	O
such	O
as	O
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
)	O
often	O
revolve	O
around	O
“	O
spatial	B-General_Concept
narratives	O
”	O
in	O
which	O
players	O
act	O
out	O
a	O
nomadic	O
hero	O
's	O
journey	O
along	O
the	O
lines	O
of	O
that	O
present	O
in	O
The	O
Odyssey	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
creation	O
of	O
fantastic	O
places	O
is	O
also	O
a	O
reoccurring	O
theme	O
in	O
the	O
geographic	O
study	O
of	O
virtual	B-Application
worlds	I-Application
,	O
although	O
,	O
perhaps	O
counterintuitively	O
,	O
the	O
heaviest	O
users	O
of	O
virtual	B-Application
worlds	I-Application
often	O
downgrade	O
the	O
sensory	O
stimuli	O
of	O
the	O
world	O
's	O
fantastic	O
places	O
in	O
order	O
to	O
make	O
themselves	O
more	O
efficient	O
at	O
core	O
tasks	O
in	O
the	O
world	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
killing	O
monsters	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
this	O
way	O
,	O
virtual	B-Application
worlds	I-Application
may	O
provide	O
a	O
glimpse	O
into	O
what	O
the	O
future	O
economic	O
geography	O
of	O
the	O
physical	O
world	O
may	O
be	O
like	O
as	O
more	O
and	O
more	O
goods	O
become	O
digital	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Virtual	B-Application
spaces	I-Application
can	O
serve	O
a	O
variety	O
of	O
research	O
and	O
educational	O
goals	O
and	O
may	O
be	O
useful	O
for	O
examining	O
human	O
behaviour	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Panic	O
and	O
agoraphobia	O
have	O
also	O
been	O
studied	O
in	O
a	O
virtual	B-Application
world	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Given	O
the	O
large	O
engagement	O
,	O
especially	O
of	O
young	O
children	O
in	O
virtual	B-Application
worlds	I-Application
,	O
there	O
has	O
been	O
a	O
steady	O
growth	O
in	O
research	O
studies	O
involving	O
the	O
social	O
,	O
educational	O
and	O
even	O
emotional	O
impact	O
of	O
virtual	B-Application
worlds	I-Application
on	O
children	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
John	O
D	O
.	O
and	O
Catherine	O
T	O
.	O
MacArthur	O
Foundation	O
for	O
example	O
have	O
funded	O
research	O
into	O
virtual	B-Application
worlds	I-Application
including	O
,	O
for	O
example	O
,	O
how	O
preteens	O
explore	O
and	O
share	O
information	O
about	O
reproductive	O
health	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
larger	O
set	O
of	O
studies	O
on	O
children	O
's	O
social	O
and	O
political	O
use	O
of	O
the	O
virtual	B-Application
world	I-Application
Whyville.net	O
has	O
also	O
been	O
published	O
in	O
the	O
book	O
"	O
Connected	O
Play	O
:	O
Tweens	O
in	O
a	O
Virtual	B-Application
World	I-Application
"	O
Authored	O
by	O
Yasmin	O
B	O
.	O
Kafai	O
,	O
Deborah	O
A	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Several	O
other	O
research	O
publications	O
now	O
specifically	O
address	O
the	O
use	O
of	O
virtual	B-Application
worlds	I-Application
for	O
education	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Other	O
research	O
focused	O
more	O
on	O
adults	O
explores	O
the	O
reasons	O
for	O
indulging	O
and	O
the	O
emotions	O
of	O
virtual	B-Application
world	I-Application
users	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Many	O
users	O
seek	O
an	O
escape	O
or	O
a	O
comfort	O
zone	O
in	O
entering	O
these	O
virtual	B-Application
worlds	I-Application
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
a	O
sense	O
of	O
acceptance	O
and	O
freedom	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Virtual	B-Application
worlds	I-Application
allow	O
users	O
to	O
freely	O
explore	O
many	O
facets	O
of	O
their	O
personalities	O
in	O
ways	O
that	O
are	O
not	O
easily	O
available	O
to	O
them	O
in	O
real	O
life	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
users	O
may	O
not	O
be	O
able	O
to	O
apply	O
this	O
new	O
information	O
outside	O
of	O
the	O
virtual	B-Application
world	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Thus	O
,	O
virtual	B-Application
worlds	I-Application
allow	O
for	O
users	O
to	O
flourish	O
within	O
the	O
world	O
and	O
possibly	O
become	O
addicted	O
to	O
their	O
new	O
virtual	O
life	O
which	O
may	O
create	O
a	O
challenge	O
as	O
far	O
as	O
dealing	O
with	O
others	O
and	O
in	O
emotionally	O
surviving	O
within	O
their	O
real	O
lives	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
One	O
reason	O
for	O
this	O
freedom	O
of	O
exploration	O
can	O
be	O
attributed	O
to	O
the	O
anonymity	O
that	O
virtual	B-Application
worlds	I-Application
provide	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
avatar	B-Application
persona	O
experiences	O
an	O
experience	O
similar	O
to	O
an	O
escape	O
from	O
reality	O
like	O
drug	O
or	O
alcohol	O
usage	O
for	O
numbing	O
pain	O
or	O
hiding	O
behind	O
it	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
avatar	B-Application
no	O
longer	O
represents	O
a	O
simple	O
tool	O
or	O
mechanism	O
manipulated	O
in	O
cyberspace	B-General_Concept
.	O
</s>
<s>
Instead	O
,	O
it	O
has	O
become	O
the	O
individual	O
's	O
bridge	O
between	O
the	O
physical	O
and	O
virtual	B-Application
world	I-Application
,	O
a	O
conduit	O
through	O
which	O
to	O
express	O
oneself	O
among	O
other	O
social	O
actors	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
avatar	B-Application
becomes	O
the	O
person	O
's	O
alter	O
ego	O
;	O
the	O
vehicle	O
to	O
which	O
one	O
utilizes	O
to	O
exist	O
among	O
others	O
who	O
are	O
all	O
seeking	O
the	O
same	O
satisfaction	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
greatly	O
facilitating	O
ease	O
of	O
interaction	O
across	O
time	O
and	O
geographic	O
boundaries	O
,	O
the	O
virtual	B-Application
world	I-Application
presents	O
an	O
unreal	O
environment	O
with	O
instant	O
connection	O
and	O
gratification	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
When	O
one	O
is	O
ashamed	O
,	O
insecure	O
,	O
lost	O
or	O
just	O
looking	O
for	O
something	O
different	O
and	O
stimulating	O
to	O
engage	O
in	O
,	O
virtual	B-Application
worlds	I-Application
are	O
the	O
perfect	O
environment	O
for	O
its	O
users	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Ultimately	O
,	O
virtual	B-Application
worlds	I-Application
are	O
the	O
place	O
to	O
go	O
when	O
real	O
life	O
becomes	O
overbearing	O
or	O
boring	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Thus	O
,	O
virtual	B-Application
worlds	I-Application
are	O
basically	O
a	O
psychological	O
escape	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Another	O
area	O
of	O
research	O
related	O
to	O
virtual	B-Application
worlds	I-Application
is	O
the	O
field	O
of	O
navigation	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Specifically	O
,	O
this	O
research	O
investigates	O
whether	O
or	O
not	O
virtual	B-Application
environments	I-Application
are	O
adequate	O
learning	O
tools	O
in	O
regards	O
to	O
real-world	O
navigation	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Psychologists	O
at	O
Saint	O
Michael	O
's	O
College	O
found	O
that	O
video	O
game	O
experience	O
corresponded	O
with	O
ability	O
to	O
navigate	O
virtual	B-Application
environments	I-Application
and	O
complete	O
objectives	O
;	O
however	O
,	O
that	O
experience	O
did	O
not	O
correlate	O
with	O
an	O
increased	O
ability	O
to	O
navigate	O
real	O
,	O
physical	O
environments	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
test	O
subjects	O
,	O
though	O
,	O
were	O
generally	O
unfamiliar	O
with	O
the	O
virtual	B-Application
world	I-Application
interface	B-Application
,	O
likely	O
leading	O
to	O
some	O
impaired	O
navigation	O
,	O
and	O
thus	O
bias	O
in	O
the	O
yielded	O
analysis	O
of	O
the	O
experiments	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
study	O
concluded	O
that	O
the	O
interface	B-Application
objects	O
made	O
natural	O
navigation	O
movements	O
impossible	O
,	O
and	O
perhaps	O
less	O
intrusive	O
controls	O
for	O
the	O
virtual	O
environment	O
would	O
reduce	O
the	O
effect	O
of	O
the	O
impairment	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Unlike	O
most	O
video	O
games	O
,	O
which	O
are	O
usually	O
navigated	O
using	O
various	O
free-ranging	O
human	B-General_Concept
interface	I-General_Concept
devices	I-General_Concept
(	O
HIDs	O
)	O
,	O
virtual	B-Application
worlds	I-Application
are	O
usually	O
navigated	O
(	O
as	O
of	O
2009	O
)	O
using	O
HIDs	O
which	O
are	O
designed	O
and	O
oriented	O
around	O
flat	O
,	O
2-dimensional	O
graphical	B-Application
user	I-Application
interfaces	I-Application
;	O
as	O
most	O
comparatively	O
inexpensive	O
computer	B-Device
mice	I-Device
are	O
manufactured	O
and	O
distributed	O
for	O
2-dimensional	O
UI	O
navigation	O
,	O
the	O
lack	O
of	O
3D-capable	O
HID	O
usage	O
among	O
most	O
virtual	B-Application
world	I-Application
users	O
is	O
likely	O
due	O
to	O
both	O
the	O
lack	O
of	O
penetration	O
of	O
3D-capable	O
devices	O
into	O
non-niche	O
,	O
non-gaming	O
markets	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
the	O
generally	O
higher	O
pricing	O
of	O
such	O
devices	O
compared	O
to	O
2-dimensional	O
HIDs	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Like	O
video	O
gamers	O
,	O
some	O
users	O
of	O
virtual	B-Application
world	I-Application
clients	O
may	O
also	O
have	O
a	O
difficult	O
experience	O
with	O
the	O
necessity	O
of	O
proper	O
graphics	O
hardware	O
(	O
such	O
as	O
the	O
more	O
advanced	O
graphics	B-Architecture
processing	I-Architecture
units	I-Architecture
distributed	O
by	O
Nvidia	O
and	O
AMD	O
)	O
for	O
the	O
sake	O
of	O
reducing	O
the	O
frequency	O
of	O
less-than-fluid	O
graphics	O
instances	O
in	O
the	O
navigation	O
of	O
virtual	B-Application
worlds	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
in	O
part	O
for	O
this	O
reason	O
,	O
a	O
growing	O
number	O
of	O
virtual	B-Application
world	I-Application
engines	O
,	O
especially	O
serving	O
children	O
,	O
are	O
entirely	O
browser-based	O
requiring	O
no	O
software	O
down	O
loads	O
or	O
specialized	O
computer	O
hardware	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
first	O
virtual	B-Application
world	I-Application
of	O
this	O
kind	O
was	O
Whyville.net,	O
launched	O
in	O
1999	O
,	O
built	O
by	O
Numedeon	O
inc	O
.	O
which	O
obtained	O
an	O
early	O
patent	O
for	O
its	O
browser-based	O
implementation	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Although	O
the	O
social	O
interactions	O
of	O
participants	O
in	O
virtual	B-Application
worlds	I-Application
are	O
often	O
viewed	O
in	O
the	O
context	O
of	O
3D	O
Games	O
,	O
other	O
forms	O
of	O
interaction	O
are	O
common	O
as	O
well	O
,	O
including	O
forums	O
,	O
blogs	O
,	O
wikis	O
,	O
chatrooms	O
,	O
instant	O
messaging	O
,	O
and	O
video-conferences	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Internet	O
friendships	O
and	O
participation	O
online	B-Architecture
communities	I-Architecture
tend	O
to	O
complement	O
existing	O
friendships	O
and	O
civic	O
participation	O
rather	O
than	O
replacing	O
or	O
diminishing	O
such	O
interactions	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Disabled	O
or	O
chronically	O
invalided	O
people	O
of	O
any	O
age	O
can	O
benefit	O
enormously	O
from	O
experiencing	O
the	O
mental	O
and	O
emotional	O
freedom	O
gained	O
by	O
temporarily	O
leaving	O
their	O
disabilities	O
behind	O
and	O
doing	O
,	O
through	O
the	O
medium	O
of	O
their	O
avatars	B-Application
,	O
things	O
as	O
simple	O
and	O
potentially	O
accessible	O
to	O
able	O
,	O
healthy	O
people	O
as	O
walking	O
,	O
running	O
,	O
dancing	O
,	O
sailing	O
,	O
fishing	O
,	O
swimming	O
,	O
surfing	O
,	O
flying	O
,	O
skiing	O
,	O
gardening	O
,	O
exploring	O
and	O
other	O
physical	O
activities	O
which	O
their	O
illnesses	O
or	O
disabilities	O
prevent	O
them	O
from	O
doing	O
in	O
real	O
life	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Starlight	O
Children	O
's	O
Foundation	O
helps	O
hospitalized	O
children	O
(	O
suffering	O
from	O
painful	O
diseases	O
or	O
autism	O
for	O
example	O
)	O
to	O
create	O
a	O
comfortable	O
and	O
safe	O
environment	O
which	O
can	O
expand	O
their	O
situation	O
,	O
experience	O
interactions	O
(	O
when	O
the	O
involvement	O
of	O
a	O
multiple	O
cultures	O
and	O
players	O
from	O
around	O
the	O
world	O
is	O
factored	O
in	O
)	O
they	O
may	O
not	O
have	O
been	O
able	O
to	O
experience	O
without	O
a	O
virtual	B-Application
world	I-Application
,	O
healthy	O
or	O
sick	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Virtual	B-Application
worlds	I-Application
also	O
enable	O
them	O
to	O
experience	O
and	O
act	O
beyond	O
the	O
restrictions	O
of	O
their	O
illness	O
and	O
help	O
to	O
relieve	O
stress	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Virtual	B-Application
worlds	I-Application
can	O
help	O
players	O
become	O
more	O
familiar	O
and	O
comfortable	O
with	O
actions	O
they	O
may	O
in	O
real-life	O
feel	O
reluctant	O
or	O
embarrassed	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
For	O
example	O
,	O
in	O
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
,	O
/dance	O
is	O
the	O
emote	O
for	O
a	O
dance	O
move	O
which	O
a	O
player	O
in	O
the	O
virtual	B-Application
world	I-Application
can	O
"	O
emote	O
"	O
quite	O
simply	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
And	O
a	O
familiarization	O
with	O
said	O
or	O
similar	O
"	O
emotes	O
"	O
or	O
social	O
skills	O
(	O
such	O
as	O
,	O
encouragement	O
,	O
gratitude	O
,	O
problem-solving	O
,	O
and	O
even	O
kissing	O
)	O
in	O
the	O
virtual	B-Application
world	I-Application
via	O
avatar	B-Application
can	O
make	O
the	O
assimilation	O
to	O
similar	O
forms	O
of	O
expression	O
,	O
socialization	O
,	O
interaction	O
in	O
real	O
life	O
smooth	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Interaction	O
with	O
humans	O
through	O
avatars	B-Application
in	O
the	O
virtual	B-Application
world	I-Application
has	O
potential	O
to	O
seriously	O
expand	O
the	O
mechanics	O
of	O
one	O
's	O
interaction	O
with	O
real-life	O
interactions	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
businesses	O
compete	O
in	O
the	O
real	O
world	O
,	O
they	O
also	O
compete	O
in	O
virtual	B-Application
worlds	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Many	O
companies	O
and	O
organizations	O
now	O
incorporate	O
virtual	B-Application
worlds	I-Application
as	O
a	O
new	O
form	O
of	O
advertising	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
An	O
example	O
of	O
this	O
would	O
be	O
Apple	O
creating	O
an	O
online	O
store	O
within	O
Second	B-Application
Life	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
use	O
of	O
advertising	O
within	O
"	O
virtual	B-Application
worlds	I-Application
"	O
is	O
a	O
relatively	O
new	O
idea	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
is	O
because	O
Virtual	B-Application
Worlds	I-Application
is	O
a	O
relatively	O
new	O
technology	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
With	O
the	O
introduction	O
of	O
the	O
prospect	O
of	O
commercial	O
success	O
within	O
a	O
Virtual	B-Application
World	I-Application
,	O
companies	O
can	O
reduce	O
cost	O
and	O
time	O
constraints	O
by	O
keeping	O
this	O
"	O
in-house	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Using	O
virtual	B-Application
worlds	I-Application
gives	O
companies	O
the	O
opportunity	O
to	O
gauge	O
customer	O
reaction	O
and	O
receive	O
feedback	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Using	O
virtual	B-Application
worlds	I-Application
as	O
a	O
tool	O
allows	O
companies	O
to	O
test	O
user	O
reaction	O
and	O
give	O
them	O
feedback	O
on	O
products	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Another	O
use	O
of	O
virtual	B-Application
worlds	I-Application
business	O
is	O
where	O
players	O
can	O
create	O
a	O
gathering	O
place	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Many	O
businesses	O
can	O
now	O
be	O
involved	O
in	O
business-to-business	O
commercial	O
activity	O
and	O
will	O
create	O
a	O
specific	O
area	O
within	O
a	O
virtual	B-Application
world	I-Application
to	O
carry	O
out	O
their	O
business	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Sun	O
Microsystems	O
have	O
created	O
an	O
island	O
in	O
Second	B-Application
Life	I-Application
dedicated	O
for	O
the	O
sole	O
use	O
of	O
their	O
employees	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
trade	O
media	O
company	O
Virtual	B-Application
Worlds	I-Application
Management	O
,	O
commercial	O
investments	O
in	O
the	O
"	O
virtual	B-Application
worlds	I-Application
"	O
sector	O
were	O
in	O
excess	O
of	O
US$425	O
million	O
in	O
Q4	O
2007	O
,	O
and	O
totaled	O
US$184	O
million	O
in	O
Q1	O
2008	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
the	O
selection	O
process	O
for	O
defining	O
a	O
"	O
virtual	B-Application
worlds	I-Application
"	O
company	O
in	O
this	O
context	O
has	O
been	O
challenged	O
by	O
one	O
industry	O
blog	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
number	O
of	O
virtual	B-Application
worlds	I-Application
have	O
incorporated	O
systems	O
for	O
sale	O
of	O
goods	O
through	O
virtual	O
interfaces	O
and	O
using	O
virtual	O
currencies	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
One	O
example	O
is	O
that	O
of	O
Ginko	B-General_Concept
Financial	I-General_Concept
,	O
a	O
bank	O
system	O
featured	O
in	O
Second	B-Application
Life	I-Application
where	O
avatars	B-Application
could	O
deposit	O
their	O
real	O
life	O
currency	O
after	O
converted	O
to	O
Linden	O
Dollars	O
for	O
a	O
profit	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
July	O
2007	O
,	O
residents	O
of	O
Second	B-Application
Life	I-Application
crowded	O
around	O
the	O
ATM	O
's	O
in	O
an	O
unsuccessful	O
attempt	O
to	O
withdraw	O
their	O
money	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Around	O
$	O
700,000	O
in	O
real	O
world	O
money	O
was	O
reported	O
missing	O
from	O
residents	O
in	O
Second	B-Application
Life	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
An	O
investigation	O
was	O
launched	O
but	O
nothing	O
substantial	O
ever	O
came	O
of	O
finding	O
and	O
punishing	O
the	O
avatar	B-Application
known	O
as	O
Nicholas	O
Portocarrero	O
who	O
was	O
the	O
head	O
of	O
Ginko	B-General_Concept
Financial	I-General_Concept
.	O
</s>
<s>
Virtual	B-Application
Worlds	I-Application
such	O
as	O
Eve	B-Protocol
Online	I-Protocol
and	O
Second	B-Application
Life	I-Application
also	O
have	O
people	O
and	O
systems	O
that	O
govern	O
them	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Providers	O
of	O
online	O
virtual	B-Application
spaces	I-Application
have	O
more	O
than	O
one	O
approach	O
to	O
the	O
governing	O
of	O
their	O
environments	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Second	B-Application
Life	I-Application
for	O
instance	O
was	O
designed	O
with	O
the	O
expectation	O
being	O
on	O
the	O
residents	O
to	O
establish	O
their	O
own	O
community	O
rules	O
for	O
appropriate	O
behaviour	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
the	O
other	O
hand	O
,	O
some	O
virtual	B-Application
worlds	I-Application
such	O
as	O
Habbo	B-Application
enforce	O
clear	O
rules	O
for	O
behaviour	O
,	O
as	O
seen	O
in	O
their	O
terms	O
and	O
conditions	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
some	O
instances	O
virtual	B-Application
worlds	I-Application
do	O
n't	O
need	O
established	O
rules	O
of	O
conduct	O
because	O
actions	O
such	O
as	O
‘	O
killing’	O
another	O
avatar	B-Application
is	O
impossible	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Instances	O
of	O
real	O
world	O
theft	O
from	O
a	O
virtual	B-Application
world	I-Application
do	O
exist	O
,	O
Eve	B-Protocol
Online	I-Protocol
had	O
an	O
incident	O
where	O
a	O
bank	O
controller	O
stole	O
around	O
200bn	O
credits	O
and	O
exchanged	O
them	O
for	O
real	O
world	O
cash	O
amounting	O
to	O
£	O
3,115	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
player	O
in	O
question	O
has	O
now	O
been	O
suspended	O
as	O
trading	O
in-game	B-Application
cash	O
for	O
real	O
money	O
is	O
against	O
Eve	B-Protocol
Online	I-Protocol
's	O
terms	O
and	O
conditions	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
There	O
are	O
many	O
MMORPG	B-Protocol
virtual	B-Application
worlds	I-Application
out	O
on	O
many	O
platforms	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Most	O
notable	O
are	O
IMVU	O
for	O
Windows	O
,	O
PlayStation	B-Protocol
Home	I-Protocol
for	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
3	I-Operating_System
,	O
and	O
Second	B-Application
Life	I-Application
for	O
Windows	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Many	O
Virtual	B-Application
worlds	I-Application
have	O
shut	O
down	O
since	O
launch	O
however	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Notable	O
shutdowns	O
are	O
The	O
Sims	O
Online	O
,	O
The	O
Sims	O
Bustin	O
Out	O
Online	O
Weekend	O
Mode	O
,	O
PlayStation	B-Protocol
Home	I-Protocol
,	O
and	O
Club	O
Penguin	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Some	O
single-player	O
video	O
games	O
contain	O
virtual	B-Application
worlds	I-Application
populated	O
by	O
non-player	O
characters	O
(	O
NPC	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Many	O
of	O
these	O
allow	O
players	O
to	O
save	O
the	O
current	O
state	O
of	O
this	O
world	O
instance	O
to	O
allow	O
stopping	O
and	O
restarting	O
the	O
virtual	B-Application
world	I-Application
at	O
a	O
later	O
date	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
virtual	B-Application
worlds	I-Application
found	O
in	O
video	O
games	O
are	O
often	O
split	O
into	O
discrete	O
levels	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Single-player	O
games	O
such	O
as	O
Minecraft	B-Application
have	O
semi-infinite	O
procedurally	O
generated	O
worlds	O
that	O
allow	O
players	O
to	O
optionally	O
create	O
their	O
own	O
world	O
without	O
other	O
players	O
,	O
and	O
then	O
combine	O
skills	O
from	O
the	O
game	O
to	O
work	O
together	O
with	O
other	O
players	O
and	O
create	O
bigger	O
and	O
more	O
intricate	O
environments	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
These	O
environments	O
can	O
then	O
be	O
accessed	O
by	O
other	O
players	O
,	O
if	O
the	O
server	B-Application
is	O
available	O
to	O
other	O
players	O
then	O
they	O
may	O
be	O
able	O
to	O
modify	O
parts	O
of	O
it	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
the	O
structure	O
of	O
the	O
environment	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
At	O
one	O
level	O
,	O
a	O
more	O
or	O
less	O
realistic	O
rendered	O
3D	O
space	O
like	O
the	O
game	O
world	O
of	O
Halo	B-Application
3	I-Application
or	O
Grand	B-Application
Theft	I-Application
Auto	I-Application
V	I-Application
is	O
just	O
as	O
much	O
a	O
big	O
database	O
as	O
Microsoft	O
's	O
Encarta	O
encyclopedia	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Virtual	B-Application
worlds	I-Application
represent	O
a	O
powerful	O
new	O
medium	O
for	O
instruction	O
and	O
education	O
that	O
presents	O
many	O
opportunities	O
but	O
also	O
some	O
challenges	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
use	O
of	O
virtual	B-Application
worlds	I-Application
can	O
give	O
teachers	O
the	O
opportunity	O
to	O
have	O
a	O
greater	O
level	O
of	O
student	O
participation	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Virtual	B-Application
worlds	I-Application
have	O
the	O
capability	O
to	O
adapt	O
and	O
grow	O
to	O
different	O
user	O
needs	O
,	O
for	O
example	O
,	O
classroom	O
teachers	O
are	O
able	O
to	O
use	O
virtual	B-Application
worlds	I-Application
in	O
their	O
classroom	O
leveraging	O
their	O
interactive	B-Application
whiteboard	I-Application
with	O
the	O
open-source	B-Application
project	O
Edusim	B-General_Concept
.	O
</s>
<s>
They	O
can	O
be	O
a	O
good	O
source	O
of	O
user	O
feedback	O
,	O
the	O
typical	O
paper-based	O
resources	O
have	O
limitations	O
that	O
Virtual	B-Application
Worlds	I-Application
can	O
overcome	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Multi-user	O
virtual	B-Application
worlds	I-Application
with	O
easy-to-use	O
affordances	O
for	O
building	O
are	O
useful	O
in	O
project-based	O
learning	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Virtual	B-Application
worlds	I-Application
can	O
also	O
be	O
used	O
with	O
virtual	B-Protocol
learning	I-Protocol
environments	I-Protocol
,	O
as	O
in	O
the	O
case	O
of	O
what	O
is	O
done	O
in	O
the	O
Sloodle	O
project	O
,	O
which	O
aims	O
to	O
merge	O
Second	B-Application
Life	I-Application
with	O
Moodle	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Virtual	B-Application
worlds	I-Application
allow	O
users	O
with	O
specific	O
needs	O
and	O
requirements	O
to	O
access	O
and	O
use	O
the	O
same	O
learning	O
materials	O
from	O
home	O
as	O
they	O
would	O
receive	O
if	O
they	O
were	O
physically	O
present	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Virtual	B-Application
worlds	I-Application
can	O
help	O
users	O
stay	O
up	O
to	O
date	O
with	O
relevant	O
information	O
and	O
needs	O
while	O
also	O
feeling	O
as	O
they	O
are	O
involved	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Having	O
the	O
option	O
to	O
be	O
able	O
to	O
attend	O
a	O
presentation	O
via	O
a	O
virtual	B-Application
world	I-Application
from	O
home	O
or	O
from	O
their	O
workplace	O
,	O
can	O
help	O
the	O
user	O
to	O
be	O
more	O
at	O
ease	O
and	O
comfortable	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Although	O
virtual	B-Application
worlds	I-Application
are	O
used	O
as	O
an	O
alternative	O
method	O
of	O
communicating	O
and	O
interacting	O
with	O
students	O
and	O
teachers	O
,	O
a	O
sense	O
of	O
isolation	O
can	O
occur	O
such	O
as	O
losing	O
certain	O
body	O
language	O
cues	O
and	O
other	O
more	O
personal	O
aspects	O
that	O
one	O
would	O
achieve	O
if	O
they	O
were	O
face	O
to	O
face	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Some	O
virtual	B-Application
worlds	I-Application
also	O
offer	O
an	O
environment	O
where	O
simulation-based	O
activities	O
and	O
games	O
allow	O
users	O
to	O
experiment	O
various	O
phenomenon	O
and	O
learn	O
the	O
underlying	O
physics	O
and	O
principles	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Whyville	O
also	O
has	O
a	O
strong	O
entrepreneurial	O
structure	O
based	O
on	O
user	O
created	O
virtual	O
content	O
sold	O
in	O
the	O
internal	O
virtual	B-Application
economy	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Some	O
multi-user	O
virtual	B-Application
worlds	I-Application
have	O
become	O
used	O
for	O
educational	O
purposes	O
and	O
are	O
thus	O
called	O
Multi-User	O
Virtual	B-Protocol
Learning	I-Protocol
Environments	I-Protocol
(	O
MUVLEs	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Examples	O
have	O
included	O
the	O
use	O
of	O
Second	B-Application
Life	I-Application
for	O
teaching	O
English	O
as	O
a	O
foreign	O
languages	O
(	O
EFL	O
)	O
Many	O
specialist	O
types	O
of	O
MUVLE	O
have	O
particular	O
pedagogies	O
associated	O
with	O
them	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Language	O
learning	O
is	O
the	O
most	O
widespread	O
type	O
of	O
education	O
in	O
virtual	B-Application
worlds	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Tapped	O
In	O
was	O
an	O
Educational	O
MUVE	B-Application
that	O
started	O
in	O
1997	O
with	O
funding	O
support	O
through	O
SRI	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
incorporated	O
a	O
web	O
interface	B-Application
that	O
allowed	O
teachers	O
to	O
create	O
secure	O
virtual	O
classrooms	O
for	O
their	O
students	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Although	O
video	B-Application
conferencing	I-Application
may	O
be	O
the	O
most	O
common	O
tool	O
,	O
virtual	B-Application
worlds	I-Application
have	O
been	O
adopted	O
by	O
the	O
business	O
environment	O
for	O
training	O
employees	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
For	O
example	O
,	O
Second	B-Application
Life	I-Application
has	O
been	O
used	O
in	O
business	O
schools	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Tapped	O
In	O
was	O
an	O
Educational	O
MUVE	B-Application
that	O
started	O
in	O
1997	O
with	O
funding	O
support	O
through	O
SRI	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
incorporated	O
a	O
web	O
interface	B-Application
that	O
allowed	O
teachers	O
to	O
create	O
secure	O
virtual	O
classrooms	O
for	O
their	O
students	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Virtual	B-Application
worlds	I-Application
,	O
virtual	B-Application
reality	I-Application
,	O
and	O
cyberspace	B-General_Concept
are	O
popular	O
fictional	O
motifs	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Virtual	B-Application
worlds	I-Application
are	O
integral	O
to	O
works	O
such	O
as	O
Tron	O
,	O
Neuromancer	B-Device
,	O
Ghost	B-Application
in	I-Application
the	I-Application
Shell	I-Application
,	O
Snow	O
Crash	O
,	O
The	O
Lawnmower	O
Man	O
,	O
Lawnmower	O
Man	O
2	O
,	O
ReBoot	B-Device
,	O
Digimon	O
,	O
The	O
Matrix	O
,	O
MegaMan	O
NT	O
Warrior	B-Protocol
,	O
Epic	O
,	O
Code	B-Application
Lyoko	I-Application
and	O
Real	O
Drive	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Dewdney	O
's	O
novel	O
,	O
the	O
Planiverse	O
(	O
1984	O
)	O
,	O
college	O
students	O
create	O
a	O
virtual	B-Application
world	I-Application
called	O
2DWorld	O
,	O
leading	O
to	O
contact	O
with	O
Arde	O
,	O
a	O
two-dimensional	O
parallel	O
universe	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
main	O
focus	O
of	O
the	O
Japanese	O
cyberpunk	O
,	O
psychological	O
,	O
13-episode	O
anime	O
titled	O
Serial	B-Application
Experiments	I-Application
Lain	I-Application
(	O
1998	O
)	O
is	O
the	O
Wired	O
,	O
a	O
virtual	B-Application
reality	I-Application
world	O
that	O
governs	O
the	O
sum	O
of	O
all	O
electronic	O
communication	O
and	O
machines	O
;	O
outer	O
receptors	O
are	O
used	O
to	O
mentally	O
transport	O
a	O
person	O
into	O
the	O
Wired	O
itself	O
as	O
a	O
uniquely	O
different	O
virtual	B-Application
avatar	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Yasutaka	O
Tsutsui	O
's	O
novel	O
,	O
Gaspard	O
in	O
the	O
Morning	O
(	O
1992	O
)	O
,	O
is	O
the	O
story	O
of	O
an	O
individual	O
immersed	O
in	O
the	O
virtual	B-Application
world	I-Application
of	O
a	O
massively	B-Application
multiplayer	I-Application
online	I-Application
game	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
plots	O
of	O
isekai	O
works	O
such	O
as	O
Moon	B-Application
:	I-Application
Remix	I-Application
RPG	I-Application
Adventure	I-Application
(	O
1997	O
)	O
,	O
Digimon	B-Application
Adventure	I-Application
(	O
1999	O
)	O
,	O
.hack	B-Protocol
(	O
2002	O
)	O
,	O
Sword	B-Application
Art	I-Application
Online	I-Application
(	O
2002	O
)	O
,	O
Summer	O
Wars	O
(	O
2009	O
)	O
,	O
Accel	O
World	O
(	O
2009	O
)	O
,	O
Ready	O
Player	O
One	O
(	O
2011	O
)	O
,	O
Jumanji	O
(	O
2017	O
)	O
,	O
Space	B-Device
Jam	I-Device
:	I-Device
A	I-Device
New	I-Device
Legacy	I-Device
(	O
2021	O
)	O
and	O
Belle	O
(	O
2021	O
)	O
also	O
involve	O
the	O
virtual	B-Application
worlds	I-Application
of	O
video	O
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
fourth	O
series	O
of	O
the	O
New	O
Zealand	O
TV	O
series	O
The	O
Tribe	O
features	O
the	O
birth	O
of	O
Reality	O
Space	O
and	O
the	O
Virtual	B-Application
World	I-Application
that	O
was	O
created	O
by	O
Ram	O
,	O
the	O
computer	O
genius-wizard	O
leader	O
of	O
The	O
Technos	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2009	O
,	O
BBC	O
Radio	O
7	O
commissioned	O
Planet	O
B	O
,	O
set	O
in	O
a	O
virtual	B-Application
world	I-Application
in	O
which	O
a	O
man	O
searches	O
for	O
his	O
girlfriend	O
,	O
believed	O
to	O
be	O
dead	O
,	O
but	O
in	O
fact	O
still	O
alive	O
within	O
the	O
world	O
called	O
"	O
Planet	O
B	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
plot	O
of	O
"	O
San	O
Junipero	O
"	O
,	O
series	O
3	O
,	O
episode	O
4	O
of	O
the	O
anthology	O
TV	O
series	O
Black	B-Application
Mirror	I-Application
,	O
revolves	O
around	O
a	O
virtual	B-Application
world	I-Application
in	O
which	O
participants	O
can	O
choose	O
time	O
periods	O
to	O
visit	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Living	O
people	O
may	O
visit	O
only	O
5	B-Application
hours	O
per	O
week	O
;	O
while	O
the	O
dying	O
can	O
choose	O
to	O
permanently	O
preserve	O
their	O
consciousness	O
there	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Virtual	B-Application
worlds	I-Application
may	O
lead	O
to	O
a	O
"	O
mobility	O
"	O
of	O
labor	O
that	O
may	O
impact	O
national	O
and	O
organizational	O
competitiveness	O
in	O
a	O
manner	O
similar	O
to	O
the	O
changes	O
seen	O
with	O
the	O
mobility	O
of	O
goods	O
and	O
then	O
the	O
mobility	O
of	O
labor	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Virtual	B-Application
worlds	I-Application
may	O
increasingly	O
function	O
as	O
centers	O
of	O
commerce	O
,	O
trade	O
,	O
and	O
business	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Virtual	O
asset	O
trade	O
is	O
massive	O
and	O
growing	O
;	O
e.g.	O
,	O
Second	B-Application
Life	I-Application
revenue	O
reached	O
approximately	O
7	O
million	O
US	O
Dollars	O
per	O
month	O
,	O
in	O
2011	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Real	O
world	O
firms	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
Coca-Cola	O
,	O
have	O
used	O
virtual	B-Application
worlds	I-Application
to	O
advertise	O
their	O
brand	O
.	O
</s>
