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Jan 02, 2006

Comments

1.

I love the implications of this.

Virtual experience is being adopted much more freely by the generation that's grown up online. This is experience that is meaningful to them, even with the very crude instances we've created so far - what will it look like in ten years? How will these experiences be part of general life, especially for the younger ones?

And the generation after that? 40 million is not much of the entire population that's out there. But they're coming.

2.

Random factoid: Virtual Magic Kingdom was created by the same company that created and runs Habbo Hotel.

3.

Ten years out is hard to predict but certainly fun to think about. I think in general it will become much more common for people to engage in social interaction that is mediated by an avatar-based environment. Right there's still very much a "gee whiz" attitude about virtual worlds, especially in the press. People still find it difficult to wrap their brains around the fact that it is possible to have very meaningful social experiences in a virtual environment. However I do find that this attitude comes mostly from adults. Kids and teens just don't get freaked out by things like avatars, online buddies and virtual worlds like adults do.

I have to wonder what Active Worlds and VZones creators thought 2005 would be like, back in 1995, and if the current reality is in any way similar to the expectations of ten years ago.

4.

with a mind-boggling *40 million* members.

good lord.

I guess neopets is a craze among kids too. and runescape is flying around virally in the 9-14 age group.

fast forward to 2020: "Wh3n 1 was a k1d, w3 ju5t 7humbed 3ach o7h3r s1mpl3 7ex7 m3ssages 7hat ev3ryone cou1d und3rst8nd! I7 was norm8l, 5ane, saf3! Th3se kid5 7oday wi7h th31r avatar5 and vo1ce 3motes! What'5 7he wor1d com1ng 7o!!!11!11"

5.

Whew, who knew the Habbo furni whores were so . . . robust.

6.

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