Defining Virtual Worlds
I recently noted the launch of a new e-journal, the Journal of Virtual Worlds Research in which Mark Bell of Indiana University makes a great attempt to define what characterises virtual worlds.
According to Bell’s definition, which covers gaming environments, a virtual world is a “synchronous, persistent network of people, represented as avatars, facilitated by networked computers.” This definition requires some modification due to the introduction of autonomous software agents into virtual worlds, and the element of non-competitiveness in social worlds like Second Life. The reworked definition reads:
A virtual world is a synchronous, persistent network of non-gaming autonomous actors, represented as avatars, and facilitated by networked computers.
This covers the principal characteristics:
- synchronicity
- persistence
- non-competitive rationale
- autonomy of actors
- avatars
- computer networks
I deliberately exclude the Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPGs) like World of Warcraft, Lineage, EVE Online, etc, as they are principally games.
Tim,
I consciously wanted to expand the current definition to include games and social worlds. To me, WoW and SL have far more in common than facebook and WoW. That being said, I do understand were you are coming from. Thanks for taking the time to look at the journal.
Cheers,
M
Hi Mark,
I’ve enjoyed the journal thus far and will continue to read it. A welcome addition indeed.
To me, WoW and SL have far more in common than facebook and WoW.
That’ absolutely correct, but do you not think there is a fundamental difference between WoW and SL? Of course both are arguably virtual worlds, but they are very different. Even if you take ‘play’ as an example. In WoW you’re pretty much told how to play, in SL you learn how. SL is set up in the expectation of emergent behaviour; emergent behaviour in WoW is a spinoff from the pre-set rules of the game.
I should add: they’re existentially different in other words.
I understand where you are coming from but try to take a step back when expanding the definitions i found to include lots of virtual environments. There is a difference between the rules and laws between the WoW and SL worlds but far more similar than different.
OK, I’ll buy that, on the grounds that both have rules, regardless of what the more specific inworld aims and purposes are. Emergent behaviour characterises both gaming and non-gaming environments. I don’t particularly want to start typologising but is there, in your view, a fundamental difference between, for example, SL and WoW, that can be expressed definitionally?
And of humans/autonomous actors?
That is a very interesting question to me right now. I have been reading a ton on avatar how that relates to robot or a real person behind it. To be honest, right now i am trying to figure it all out =)
M
Well, I look forward to seeing how you manage to thrash out that particular knot. Also, JVWR looks great, and can only get better.