About the Book
This book is the THE source for information on virtual worlds, covering every aspect of this intriguing and fast-changing social practice and the technologies upon which it rests.
Virtual Lives: A Reference Handbook describes the history, development, and role of virtual worlds, also known as virtual environments and immersive virtual environments. It provides detailed background about virtual worlds and their societal impact, from early precursors and inspirations to the latest trends and developments. Specifics on user demographics are included, as are descriptions of virtual worlds' functions, discussion of societal concerns and opportunities, and information about relevant research data and key persons and organizations.
Although virtual worlds in their current form are a relatively new phenomenon, other online social environments have served as precursors for decades and literary inspirations go back even further. This handbook therefore covers some early developments dating back to the mid-20th century. Its primary focus, however, is on developments since the mid-1990s and especially on the current state and social impact of virtual worlds, including their impact both in the United States and around the world.
Table of Contents:
Preface,
Acknowledgments,
1 Definitions, Background, and History,
Characteristics of Virtual Worlds,
What Are Virtual Worlds?,
Interactivity,
Physicality,
Persistence,
The History of Virtual Worlds,
The First Virtual World,
The Early Growth of Virtual Worlds,
Not a Game Anymore: Second Life and Social Virtual Worlds,
World of Warcraft Changes the Game,
Other Virtual Worlds Look to Keep Up,
Other Related Online Games, Communities, and Environments,
Graphical Chat Applications,
Social Network Games,
Looking Back: Virtual Worlds' Ancestry and Inspirations,
Direct Precursors to Virtual Worlds,
Earlier Online Ancestors of Virtual Worlds,
Offline Inspirations for Virtual Worlds,
The Future of Virtual Worlds,
2 The Audience and Function of Virtual Worlds,
Access to Virtual Worlds,
Global Access to the Internet,
Global Access to Virtual Worlds,
Users of Virtual Worlds,
Who Uses Virtual Worlds?,
Why Do People Use Virtual Worlds?,
The Function of Virtual Worlds,
How a User Creates an Avatar and Enters a Virtual World,
How a User Navigates a Virtual World,
Activities, Tasks, and Goals in Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games,
Activities in Social Virtual Worlds,
Developers of Virtual Worlds,
Creating and Managing a Commercial Virtual World,
Smaller-Scale Virtual Worlds,
More Users in More Worlds,
3 Societal Concerns and Opportunities,
Problems and Concerns,
Addiction and Problematic Use,
Aggression and Violence,
Distorted Perceptions of Social Reality,
Harassment and Griefing,
Opportunities and Benefits,
Social Opportunities,
Educational Opportunities,
Behavioral Research Opportunities,
Commercial Opportunities,
Managing Concerns and Opportunities,
4 Chronology,
5 Biographical Sketches,
Craig A. Anderson,
Timothy Anderson,
David Lance Arneson,
Jeremy N. Bailenson,
lRichard A. Bartle,
Marc Blank,
James J. Blascovich,
Amy Susan Bruckman,
Brad J. Bushman,
Edward Castronova,
Pavel Curtis,
Bruce K. Daniels,
Julian Dibbell,
F. Randall Farmer,
Christopher J. Ferguson,
Richard Garriott,
William Ford Gibson,
Ailin Graef,
Ernest Gary Gygax,
Rod Humble,
Dan Hunter,
Jon Jacobs,
Donald R. Kaye,
Kim Tack Jin,
Andrew Kirmse,
Chris Kirmse,
Alan E. Klietz,
Raphael Koster,
Greg Lastowka,
P. David Lebling,
Joseph Carl Robnett Licklider,
Thomas M. Malaby,
Brad McQuaid,
Chip Morningstar,
Bonnie Nardi,
Cory Ondrejka,
Robert Pardo,
Mark Pincus,
Howard Rheingold,
Philip Rosedale,
John L. Sherry,
John Smedley,
Song Jae-Kyeong,
Jeffrey Steefel,
Neal Town Stephenson,
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien,
Roy Trubshaw,
Sherry Turkle,
Ibe Van Geel,
Vernor Steffen Vinge,
Ryan G. Van Cleave,
Dmitri Williams,
Bruce Sterling Woodcock,
Nicholas Yee,
6 Tables, Charts, and Images,
The Appearance of Virtual Worlds,
Populations of Virtual Worlds,
Research on Users of Virtual Worlds,
MUDs and MUD-Type Text-Based Online Environments,
7 Organizations,
Government Organizations,
Academic Associations and Other Nonindustry Organizations,
Industry Organizations,
Industry Companies,
8 Print and Online Resources,
Books,
Book Chapters and Contributions to Edited Volumes,
Articles,
Other Academic Papers,
Websites,
Glossary of Terms,
Index,
About the Author :
James D. Ivory, PhD, is assistant professor in the Department of Communication at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, VA.
Review :
This volume is a well-executed reference for a very timely subject that can be approached in several different ways. It would be welcome in any collection.
A useful introduction to the topic that is suitable for research and instructional collections. Summing up: Recommended.
